[ruckus]

Hey guys, I recently purchased my first wrangler. Its a 2003 X that has been fixed up a bit by the previous owner.

I just put some air in the tires since I got it a week ago. The tires say they take up to 50 psi, so I pumped them up to just over 40 psi. But they were all low just under 30 psi.

I know that there are reasons you'd want lower pressure and higher pressure. I assume off-road stuff you would want low pressure, where as on road you'd want higher pressure. I was just surprised to see that these tires take such hish psi, and I guess what I am asking is, is it really safe to run these at mid 40 psi? I can feel there is a lot less drag on the road so the gas milage will likely go up quite a bit.

I guess i have another question for you experienced wrangler owners. When the jeep is at low speeds and I hit the gas I can feel a bit of a clank under the vehicle, pretty slight but enough to worry me. It is a manual jeep, and this occurs even if the clutch isn't being used. Is this normal or warning of an impending problem?

Thank you guys so much for your help! I'm excited to have my first jeep and am looking forward to getting to know you wall.

 

[Texapple]

you'll get a lot of opinions on tire pressure

I have 33" x 9.5 BFG all terrains and keep them around 40psi on the road because I like the they feel/drive.

My techinical advisor (aka Frank) says the skinnier the tire, the higher the pressure....also wall thickness will determine pressure.


welcome to WF and congrats on the passion in your life....it's only a matter of time!!

 

[Fapple]

That clank worries many a new jeep owner. it is normal! This noise is your chain driven transfer case. I had a friend who 3 months back buy a 2006 TJ, and the first day he drove it he asked me about that clank. I told him not to worry, it was the transfer case.... this past week he took it into service and yes, he asked them to check out the clank he was hearing. I couldn't believe that we was worring about this for three months and finally took it in to have it checked. The report came back.... all is well, that noise is normal.


Frank

 

[Tiburon]

the tire pressure on the side of the tire is the 'maximum recomended' pressure. that is you can fill it to that point and the tire will be able to handle it. HOWEVER if the tire is over-inflated (if you actually ran it at 50psi) the performace of the tire will be impared, especially in rain/snow/mud conditions. The best place to find the correct tire pressure is in the manual, it will list the best recomended pressure. When you run off-road you can lower the pressure to get a better contact patch on tire on terrain, thats fine for low speed and slippery conditions, but for highway driving, make sure the tire is pumped up or the sidewalls will get hot and after a lot of abuse will fail eventually.
You might all remember those Ford Explorer flipovers with Firestone tires. That was a double mess up by both companys. Ford made bumpy riding vehicles (duh its an SUV) and to help with the ride they 'recomended' lower pressure in the tires than they should have had, that makes the sidewalls flex more than they were designed too which makes the tire get hot. Now you multiply that by a few dozen thousand miles and you have yourself a tire failure.
Not to scare you but that is just an example of what tire pressure could do if you don't pay attention.

 

[Fapple]

Also, as for the tire pressure thing.... as Texapple has stated she runs 40 psi in her tires to increase gas mileage for a better ride you might want to run 35psi.(35psi feels a bit sloppy to me with her tires) when she is out wheeling we drop them down to 10 - 12psi. the BFG ATs are a great tire.... ride nice but wear like iron.


Frank

 

[khenderson]

i used to run my 30x9.5 at's at about 30-32. i liked the way they rode, handled, and wore at that pressure. they are such a great all around tire.

 

[1BLKJP]

I run my 35's anywhere from 26 to 30 depending in what I feel like when I'm airing back up. If i'm highwaying it for a long period I usually go on the high end of that scale.

 

[whiteyj]

Running 31x10.50's at 35...like the ride and can live with the gas mileage.

 

[ruckus]

Thank you guys for the replies! Sorry I have been out of town the past couple days so I couldn't check the forums. I'm relieved to hear that the clank is normal! I am used to driving compact sports cars (my last was a VW R32) and am still getting used to driving a truck.