To deflate or not deflate?

Idempotent

New Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2025
Location
Canada
Hey all!

I’m planning to do a bit of off roading (hopefully just some fsr and easier spots) for the first time on my trip through the Canadian Rockies.

I’ve got a 24 Tacoma sport with stock tires (I know, saving up for better ones) and jsut want to explore a few more places than off the highway.

I don’t have a portable air compressor (but do know how to change a tire! Haha) and will not have a lot of time between needing to be on the highway - so I’m wondering if I should try to deflate at all if I need to get straight back on the highway without being able to inflate again?

Any tips appreciated! Will be driving mission BC - okotoks AB and okotoks AB - chilliwack lake BC on my way home.
 
No need to air down if it’s just gravel roads, easy trails, and mild rock crawling. Airing down allows your tire to flex and conform more to give you more traction. Super critical in sand to distribute the load and prevent you from sinking in, less critical in other situations such as rocks and mud. Also, if you air down too much, it could cause the tire to be pushed off the safety bead of the rim. If that happens, you lose all air pressure and it can be very difficult or even impossible to get the bead seated and the tire inflated again. If speeds between trails are fairly low, you could run lower pressures like 20psi (or whatever un-American units y’all might use in Canadia :D) to be a happy middle ground, but running low pressure at higher speeds for extended periods am an cause the tire to flex too much, overheat, and blowout. Which is honestly very unlikely on a lightweight 2024 truck anyway.
 
Idempotent said:
Hey all!

I’m planning to do a bit of off roading (hopefully just some fsr and easier spots) for the first time on my trip through the Canadian Rockies.

I’ve got a 24 Tacoma sport with stock tires (I know, saving up for better ones) and jsut want to explore a few more places than off the highway.

I don’t have a portable air compressor (but do know how to change a tire! Haha) and will not have a lot of time between needing to be on the highway - so I’m wondering if I should try to deflate at all if I need to get straight back on the highway without being able to inflate again?

Any tips appreciated! Will be driving mission BC - okotoks AB and okotoks AB - chilliwack lake BC on my way home.
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I would recommend always carrying a portable compressor with a tire plug kit. It can make a bad situation not so bad when you are away from pavement and civilization.
 
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