Correct PSI tire inflation

Just bought BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO 235/75/15 tires to replace my old Goodyear Wrangler RT/S. What is the correct inflation? On the tire it says...Max Pressure 50 PSI Cold. On the door sticker of my Explorer it says 30 PSI. The tires are inflated at 30 PSI right now, but they look kinda low/flat. Should I inflate them to 50? Help!! Don't want premature wear/tear on these new tires.
Thanks.

 

[Cypher]

There will be alot of different opinions on this. I would put the pressure at about 38. The higher pressure the better your gas mileage will be.

 

[Gimp]

Try this thread, the third post down by GJarrett, and see if it's helpful to you in determining what will be the correct pressure for your particular application:
Tire Pressure Thread From May, 2000 with Gerald's Response

 

[Christobal65]

Try this thread, the third post down by GJarrett, and see if it's helpful to you in determining what will be the correct pressure for your particular application:
Tire Pressure Thread From May, 2000 with Gerald's Response

GREAT LINK i have to do this on my new Dueler A/T's

 

[Alban61]

Thanks for the replies and the Thread Link. Very interesting!!
Will give that a try.

 

[mello1mg]

First time Explorer owner

Hello, Sorry in advance for the looong post...
I recently bought a 2000 Ford Exploder (not a typo, thats what we named it LOL). This is my son's first vehicle, and while teaching him some basic maintenance skills, I had a disagreement with my nephew on proper tire inflation. Now, I think part of the problem is that I am a woman, and my nephew is a MAN. Needless to say, I have been maintaining my own vehicles since I was 16, thats 25 years. My father was an A1 mechanic, and most of the men in my family repair their own cars/trucks, so I have learned a lot over the years. Having said that, I am also a MOM, and I remember very clearly the tragedies surrounding Firestone tires and Explorer. Ford put on the door placard that the tires (which read max psi 41) should be under inflated to 26 psi. This was part of the problem with the tread separation issues and deaths caused about 10 yrs ago. My nephew told my son to keep the tires at 30 psi. I disagreed and told him to keep them at about 36 psi. In my opinion, at 26-30 psi, its like driving a hammock. I am concerned with safety, because my boy has been driving less than a year, and totalled my beloved Buick on black ice in December.
Anyone have an opinion to share on proper psi???

Thanks!

 

[jaydez]

Hello, Sorry in advance for the looong post...
I recently bought a 2000 Ford Exploder (not a typo, thats what we named it LOL). This is my son's first vehicle, and while teaching him some basic maintenance skills, I had a disagreement with my nephew on proper tire inflation. Now, I think part of the problem is that I am a woman, and my nephew is a MAN. Needless to say, I have been maintaining my own vehicles since I was 16, thats 25 years. My father was an A1 mechanic, and most of the men in my family repair their own cars/trucks, so I have learned a lot over the years. Having said that, I am also a MOM, and I remember very clearly the tragedies surrounding Firestone tires and Explorer. Ford put on the door placard that the tires (which read max psi 41) should be under inflated to 26 psi. This was part of the problem with the tread separation issues and deaths caused about 10 yrs ago. My nephew told my son to keep the tires at 30 psi. I disagreed and told him to keep them at about 36 psi. In my opinion, at 26-30 psi, its like driving a hammock. I am concerned with safety, because my boy has been driving less than a year, and totalled my beloved Buick on black ice in December.
Anyone have an opinion to share on proper psi???

Thanks!

You're his mother. Tell him to keep his tires inflated to 36 PSI or you will take away his keys. LOL

 

[jadatis]

The low advices of the Ford-Explorer , where because of the wrong calculation all the American tire-manufacturers used up to 2005.
To my opinion, the Ford/Firestone affarre is the reason why they chanched to the European power of 0,8 in the equation they use, Before that they used power 0,5 wich gave to low pressures .
They repaired it with using 10% extra weight to calculate with for SUV.
Also they did not go lower then 26 psi where Europe goes down to 22 psi.
This was also because the indentation was to much with the wrong calculation.
In Europe they used the 0.8 power since at least 1990 for all kinds of tires.
http://cid-a526e0eee092e6dc.office.live.com/browse.aspx/.Public/Recalculating%20tyre-pressure
In this map spreadsheets to re-calculate when other then original tires.
But you can also check the original with them.
Then I estimate that the new advice of 30 psi will be ok, but calculate it to be shure.
Sorry for misspellings , I am from Holland.
http://www.dawsengineering.com/dewebsite2_003.htm
On this site of an American J.C.Daws, you can find a new way of calculating( 5th article ), witch has as principle, that the sidewall keeps the same indentation.It states a sertain percentage of the maximum load to be caried by the tire-construction, and the rest is caried by the pressure/surface story. For normal car tires this construction load (as I babtised it) is about 15% of the maximum load ( on the sidewall "xxxx lbs at yyy psi") then the 0ld 0.8 power gives about the same outcome as the new way .

And from the link to my spreadsheet, you can navigate my complete public map of hotmail skydrive, for more information.
Download and open the spreadsheets in Excell-like program, and not open it in the browser, then it wont work because of protection and data validation that I used in it.

 

[mello1mg]

You're his mother. Tell him to keep his tires inflated to 36 PSI or you will take away his keys. LOL

LOL I told him I'd take the spark plugs!

 

[mello1mg]

Wow. I do believe I am thoroughly confused! You are obviously very smart. Thanks!