Adjust Your Tyre Pressures For Different Terrain

Most urban drivers don't give tyre pressures too much thought, aside from giving them a quick check every so often. For 4WDers, correct tyre pressures are a very important part of fun, safe and successful off-roading.

It's a good idea to adjust your vehicle's tyre pressures when the terrain you are driving on changes drastically.

If your tyre pressures are too high off-road it can have some pretty unpleasant side effects. While some of these side effects are simply unpleasant (a bumpy ride and increased fuel consumption), others are damaging to your vehicle (increased stress on the vehicle and increased chance of punctures) or even dangerous to you and your passengers (reduced/loss of traction). Failing to lower your tyre pressures when the going gets tough will hamper your off-road capabilities across the board.

Lower your tyre pressures when you move from road driving to off-road, and lower them further still for sand or mud. Lower pressures help increase traction, allowing maximum contact patch for each tyre as it morphs around the rough terrain – making for a smoother ride! But that’s not the only reason to lower your pressures. Reduced tyre pressures: improve fuel consumption, reduce the amount your tear up the track, reduce stress on the vehicle (especially your suspension!), reduce the likelihood of punctures and most importantly, maximize traction.

You can find many online guides about selecting the right tyre pressures, but this one by 4WD Supacentre really goes into some helpful detail.