Beads locked - PSIs?

[benzfanatical]

I have the factory bead lock wheels with the Ford Performance bead lock rings installed. When I upgraded to the bead locks rings, I also switched from the KO2 to the KM3 tire, which is load range E. There is some extra permanent weight in my truck with a camper shell, Decked bed drawers, and a rooftop tent. Deaver customized and built a rear leaf spring pack for me to recalibrate the truck for the added weight. Also added were the BajaMod tray and ARB air compressor so I can air down off-road.

I take the truck off the road almost every day; I live and work in rural New Mexico where there aren't always paved roads. On medium to long off-road trips, I try to air my tires down for comfort, and my sidewalls get pretty destroyed from rocks and whatnot. Sorry for the long preamble, my question is about tire PSI...

Considering my LR E tires, bead lock rings, and added weight; what on and off road PSIs should I be running?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Deleted member 12951]

20-25psi

With true beadlocks you can actually go into the single digits but if you are going to run a long time I wouldn’t go that low unless you are rock crawling

 

[benzfanatical]

20-25psi

With true beadlocks you can actually go into the single digits but if you are going to run a long time I wouldn’t go that low unless you are rock crawling

How about on the road? Any special considerations with the bead locks?

 

[Deleted member 12951]

How about on the road? Any special considerations with the bead locks?

GEN2, I would run 38 as normal.
Beadlocks can tend to loosen on the bolts with extended driving at highway speeds, hence why it clearly states on the rings that it is for off-road use only. They are not DOT approved when on the road.

Lots of folks run them anyways, just keep a torque wrench with you and check every 1,000 miles.

 

[jzweedyk]

With load Range E you can probably go down to 12 - 14 as long as you keep your speed below about 45. Above that, and for a long distance, the tire will get too hot. At low speeds all you really need to worry about is wrinkling the tire up to the rim as you descend a steep incline (the entire weight of the truck on the front tires). Each tire is different, but my experience with KM tires is they are pretty stiff. You might even experiment with 10 PSI. Just have somebody watch you as you descend to make sure the wheel is not getting close to the tread. Lower pressure will make it much more comfortable and grip the rocks much better. It will also help in protecting the tire from puncture. Remember the bead lock (the one on the Raptor) is only on the outside rim. If you go too low (like 5 psi) you risk pulling the bead loose on the inside, although that is rare.

On the road, again E range is much stiffer, so I would try around 30, and see how they feel to you. It is more for comfort, as radials are not particular about pressure, as long as it is enough to carry the weight of the vehicle. You can find pressure/weight charts on the internet to find out how low you can go for the weight of the truck with your tire.

I second the idea of checking the torque on the bolts on a regular basis. Also watch you pressure, as some beadlocks will leak air.