[AT] truck tires; now pressures

[Herb Metz]

I don't follow the Indy 500 very closely, but, if memory serves, approx ten 
years ago the winner was determined by tire durability and their having a 
couple pounds less pressure on one tire?


-----Original Message----- 
From: Stephen Offiler
Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2014 11:57 AM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] OT truck tires/driveshaft?

Firestone tires on that original Explorer (circa '91) has a max pressure
rating of 35psi.  Firestone engineers recommended 28psi for the Explorer.
Ford dropped that to 26psi to tailor ride and handling characteristics.
Now add the fact that 99.9% of the driving population never checks their
air pressures, and let a year or two go by, and natural diffusion thru the
rubber has dropped the pressure to sub-20psi sort of levels.  Now we have
created a situation that exacerbated the Firestone's propensity toward
tread separation.  Lots of blame to spread all around in that whole thing.
It also gifted the driving population with pressure sensors in each wheel
in modern vehicles.

SO