Wheel size issues.

4x4RE

Active Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2008
Location
Carova Beach
I have been spending the past six months advising everyone getting themselfs stuck onthe beach that they should drop their tire pressure to to at leat 18psi if not 15psi. Then one day I find this on the internet.

"While it's common to lower tire pressure if you're going offroad, if you have 1/2" in the description of your wheel (i.e. 16.5x8 -- found on many newer SUVs), DO NOT reduce your tire pressure when offroad! The bead found on the 1/2" variety wheels is not deep enough to keep the tire on during 4-wheeling excursions if the pressure is lowered."

How true is this and how can you tell looking at the tire if it is on a wheel like that?
 
16.5" wheels do not have an inner safety bead. If you go too low, you can loose a bead.
 
^ is right, but advising someone to air down to 15-18 PSI is still safe. single digits *could* cause problems, but even then it would most likely be ok.
 
I have to agree with the others. Going down to single digits is where you will start to see problems. But the pressure you are talking about should be just fine for beach travel. Another problem was running them on rocks etc. There are a few that do have the inner bead on them. The Pacers I use to run had them. But as said above most 16.5 do not.
 
Look on the side of the tire. There are three numbers and the last is the rims size. Only trucks with 8 lugs or more even have the option of ".5" size rims. I had one and had problems any time I ran less than 20psi.
 
I don't think that 16.5 is a option on new vehicles. They were trying to phase out the odd ball size, they are not many tire company's that still make them. Swamper & BF Goodrich still do but not sure about any one else
 
JP you are giving the exact advice you should. Tell your clients to join OBPA while they are down or they may never be allowed to drive on the beach again!
 
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