First a disclaimer, 
I am no tire pressure expert so feel free to correct or clarify anything that is written here. There has been a number of post regarding lowering tire pressure on our jeeps to attain a better ride. I have seen suggested dropping the TP down to 28 psi or even 26 psi for street/highway use. Off roading has different requirements. I have been running 28 psi for the last few months and the ride is improve, not dramatically but there is less bonce.
Recently I started looking at new wheels and of course new wheels call for new tires so in my search for tires I began looking at tire pressure, in doing so it became clear that there are definitely trade offs to lower tire pressure. When I dropped my tire pressure to 28 psi it created a larger contact patch which in itself created more friction and with that more heat. These two factors increase tire wear and reduce gas mileage, I did notice a drop off in gas mileage. With less tire pressure the side walls on the tires are softer, which provides the softer ride, however with softer sidewalls there is a reduction in handling. Now if you drive only in the city and under 40 mph none of these trade offs will be of much concern, but as your speed increases so do the effects of the lower tire pressure.
I guess where I am leading with all this is has any who has lowered the pressure in there tires experienced any of the negative affects / trade offs? The only thing that I have notice so far is the drop in gas mileage to just over 1 mpg. I would image over time I would notice increased / quicker tire wear. And given the possible loss of handling at highway speeds is this a good idea to start with? Now there are many different tire compounds, some tires for example have very stiff side walls, do these trade offs come into play with this type of tire?
So in my search for new tires and in doing so looking for answers to questions I had I came away with more questions then I started.
I am no tire pressure expert so feel free to correct or clarify anything that is written here. There has been a number of post regarding lowering tire pressure on our jeeps to attain a better ride. I have seen suggested dropping the TP down to 28 psi or even 26 psi for street/highway use. Off roading has different requirements. I have been running 28 psi for the last few months and the ride is improve, not dramatically but there is less bonce. Recently I started looking at new wheels and of course new wheels call for new tires so in my search for tires I began looking at tire pressure, in doing so it became clear that there are definitely trade offs to lower tire pressure. When I dropped my tire pressure to 28 psi it created a larger contact patch which in itself created more friction and with that more heat. These two factors increase tire wear and reduce gas mileage, I did notice a drop off in gas mileage. With less tire pressure the side walls on the tires are softer, which provides the softer ride, however with softer sidewalls there is a reduction in handling. Now if you drive only in the city and under 40 mph none of these trade offs will be of much concern, but as your speed increases so do the effects of the lower tire pressure.
I guess where I am leading with all this is has any who has lowered the pressure in there tires experienced any of the negative affects / trade offs? The only thing that I have notice so far is the drop in gas mileage to just over 1 mpg. I would image over time I would notice increased / quicker tire wear. And given the possible loss of handling at highway speeds is this a good idea to start with? Now there are many different tire compounds, some tires for example have very stiff side walls, do these trade offs come into play with this type of tire?
So in my search for new tires and in doing so looking for answers to questions I had I came away with more questions then I started.
