Dropping 15-17 pounds? How far would you figure that would actually drop your diff., an 1/8th of an inch? With all the rocks that have given me trouble damage wise, 1/8 to 1/4 inch would not have been my saving grace. Utah grows some big *** rocks, Lol!

 

x2. its all a balencing act. but better traction with a loss of ground clearence, is better then more clearence and a loss of traction. why have the clearence if you cant get on teh obsticle? you can always turn around the rock you would hit a diff on. or put your tire on it. 1/8-1/2" is not a make/break on diff clearence, and if it is your running a to small tire for that trail anyways...

 

Massive amounts of bad info in this thread.

I run 40s on a 7000 lb rig and drop them to 4 lbs for snow, and 12 pounds for rock crawling without beadlocks, and have never lost a bead.

I run my Cherokee with 20 lbs all the time, it only weighs 3500 lbs. Aired down for trails, 8 lbs. no problems!

Radial tires will hold the bead better than Bias when aired down.

 

You drive on the street an around town at 20 pounds? Daily driver?

 

I wouldn't want more than 20 psi in my LTB's on the street. Granted I don't run them on the street everyday as a DD, but going to the trails, etc. that's the highest I've ever gone.

 

I'm more of a mudder so I was talking about that. 1/2in can hang you up pretty quick in the mud.

 

I run 10 in the mud , 20 snow and 30 on dry pavement dd

 

X2

I tend to run my 36's (Q78's) TSL's with a little less than you do even and have never broke a bead. I honestly don't think mine have ever been above 15 psi ever. They make the best on road contact at 15 psi for me. In the rocks I go down to 4-5 maybe 8-10 on trails.

Anyone that doesn't air down is selling themselves short. The difference in grip with an aired down tire is a night and day difference. I would take a rig with open diffs and properly aired down tires over a locked rig running street pressure.

 

The psi that you run in your tires is determined by contact patch NOT the MAX pressure listed on the sidewall. For best fuel mileage run max psi, for best tire life and handling characteristics do a chalk test and run the correct psi.

 

I only have 15 in my 34's. That is just what they have leaked down to. I don't set it. They work fine.

 

Im always 40 on he street with my 31 cooper discovery stt's and 15-12 in the tough stuff. And everyone who mentioned a rig with proper air pressure over a locked rig without it is absolutely correct. Its like the difference of running street tires vs mudders. A mud tire has more and bigger biting edges. When its aired down its allowed to flex and wrap around rocks and other obstacles which is how a tire grips.

 

I can remember running 20 psi through a park and then running 15 and the difference was just dumb. I have done lots or drag racing and the pressure difference is pretty obvious there, and its exactly the same for off roading. Definitely air your tires down as far as you are comfortable. If you don't, your ride and traction will suffer

 

Just to clarify.... You guys are running anywhere from like 3-20 psi on normal street wheels? Obviously I'd be less concerned about 20, but "as far as your comfortable," I could run like 10-15 without any worries at all about breaking a bead?

 

I run 10-15 pretty consistently without worrying, but I'm on the new MT/Rs which are supposed to be pretty bead break resistant. Where you are comfortable pretty much only relates to what you have run successfully.

 

I have 31x10.5 and have been down to 9psi and havent broke a bead yet(knocking on wood).