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Old 03-31-2009, 11:23 AM   #1
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Tire pressure on Tahoe / tow vehicle

I would like to know if I should put more than the 32 lbs.pressure listed on the door sticker (which is for a load of 1,712 lbs.) The hitch weight is app. 410 to 450 lbs. + everything in the Tahoe weight is under app. 1,500 lbs. I don't have a WD hitch or sway control.
The tires are Goodyear Wrangler HP P265/70R17 with max load of 2,535 lbs. @ 51lbs. Max pressure.
I have been running 32lbs. front & rear with NO PROBLEMS at all it tows great!
Just thought maybe I should add lbs. to the rear tires.
What do others do?
Thank you for any input............
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Old 03-31-2009, 12:28 PM   #2
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I would weigh the Tahoe all by itself, loaded up with all the stuff you normally carry when towing. See what it weighs. Using a CAT scale at a truck stop will allow you to weigh the individual axles to see what sort of load is on each.

Next, figure out how much load capacity you have with your tires @ 32 psi.
I figure it this way:

2535/51=49... so 49 pounds load capacity for each pound of air pressure.

32 psi = 1568 pounds capacity each tire.
3136 pounds per axle.

This should help you decide if you need to add air when towing.

If it were me, I would increase tire pressure on your tires when towing. Without knowing your Tahoe's weights, I would run at least 45 psi rear and 40 front.

When we had our popup (3000 lbs GVWR), we added air to the tires on the truck we used as a tow vehicle. Towing pressures were 55/60. I ran around town with 50/55 when not towing, which happen to be the recommended pressure on the door sticker. My current tires are a bit larger than the original tires, but the load capacity is almost the same.

Current tire size is LT265/75R16 D. Rating is 3000 pounds at 65 psi COLD. I prefer the LT-rated tires to the P-rated tires for towing. A bit stiffer sidewall, more capacity.

When towing, I run the full 65 psi now that we have the 2499. The rear of the truck feels softer than I like and the tires are about 65% worn, so a new set of tires will be coming soon... same size but higher rating... E range. 3415 pounds at 80 psi COLD.
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Old 03-31-2009, 05:41 PM   #3
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I'm on the same wavelength as Dave. SUVs are often "tired" for a smooth ride. GM also hasn't been known for supplying overly wide rims. Your tires have a 10.3" section width and if they are on the minimum 7" rim, that is not really a good fit--8" would be better. At 32 psi I'm guessing you have a soft tire that rolls under the rim--especially at the front--when cornering. This is not the set up you want for towing. If you're satisfied with the towing, I think that is more a reflection of a large heavy tv and fairly light tt where the tail will have some difficulty wagging the dog. However, I saw some video of a swaying landscape trailer putting a 1/2 ton into the ditch, so a little tail can still wag a big dog.

I upgraded my previous Silverado 1500 to LT LRD tires and couldn't believe the improvement over OEM. I also went down to 225 which was a much better match for the 6" rims. Trial and error will help you find a better psi. I would start with 40 psi solo and 45 towing. Put all 4 at the same pressure and then decrease the front if it seems harsh. I would definitely try 50 psi on the rear for towing. You really should know the axle weights with the tv empty as well as hitched up with full camping weight on board.

I'm editing this with a little more research on tirerack.com. Your P series tires do not have load inflation tables. They are SL rated tires which means the max. rated load can be carried at 35 psi. Raising the psi to 44 or 51 does not increase the rated load, but will give better performance than carrying that same load at just 35 psi. Also P series tires, when fitted to a truck should have the max. rated load stamped on the tire reduced by 10%. This is just one link that turned up in a search at tirerack.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...jsp?techid=21&

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