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Author Topic: Why low tire pressure?  (Read 1457 times)

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Offline Star1pup

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Why low tire pressure?
« on: February 25, 2006, 12:32:50 PM »
Why does my Arctic Cat call for such low tire pressure?  Using 5 & 7 psi seems alwfully low.  Just wondering why.
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Offline marylandeer

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Why low tire pressure?
« Reply #1 on: February 25, 2006, 02:23:36 PM »
You want low pressure so when you go over pointy rocks and such the tire just kind of wraps around it. My Yamaha calls for 4 pounds and if I go over that it rides like a sherman tank. Too much pressure and it don't even want to turn when I'm off road. It's just they make the tires. That low pressure is what gives you good control in the loose mud and sandy type terrain. Now try to ride it on concrete or blacktop and it feels like the tires are flat.
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Offline Star1pup

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Why low tire pressure?
« Reply #2 on: February 26, 2006, 02:56:34 AM »
Quote from: marylandeer
You want low pressure so when you go over pointy rocks and such the tire just kind of wraps around it. My Yamaha calls for 4 pounds and if I go over that it rides like a sherman tank. Too much pressure and it don't even want to turn when I'm off road. It's just they make the tires. That low pressure is what gives you good control in the loose mud and sandy type terrain. Now try to ride it on concrete or blacktop and it feels like the tires are flat.


Sounds reasonable.  I had to buy a low pressure tire gauge and will try it out this afternoon.  Any regular gauge dosen't seem to even register.
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Offline marylandeer

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Why low tire pressure?
« Reply #3 on: February 26, 2006, 12:11:31 PM »
Most 4 wheelers come with a low pressure gauge in the tool pouch under the seat. I know my Yamaha did and my brothers Artic Cat did as well.
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Offline Star1pup

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Why low tire pressure?
« Reply #4 on: February 26, 2006, 01:55:10 PM »
Quote from: marylandeer
Most 4 wheelers come with a low pressure gauge in the tool pouch under the seat. I know my Yamaha did and my brothers Artic Cat did as well.


I never looked there!  Guess I'll take a look now. :oops:
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Offline MadJack

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Why low tire pressure?
« Reply #5 on: February 26, 2006, 02:45:43 PM »
Low pressure tires were designed to NOT tear up the ground! I have an old Honda that recommends 2.5 and 3.5 lbs, front and rear.
Tires designed for rocky areas are not always good for mud, because they tend to rip up soft turf. Mud tires are not used in rocky areas because they will rip & tear or get pinched as mentioned above.
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Offline MadJack

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Why low tire pressure?
« Reply #6 on: February 26, 2006, 02:48:50 PM »
Low pressure tires were designed to NOT tear up the ground! I have an old Honda that recommends 2.5 and 3.5 lbs, front and rear.
Tires designed for rocky areas are not always good for mud, because they tend to rip up soft turf. Mud tires are not used in rocky areas because they will rip & tear or get pinched as mentioned above.
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Offline MadJack

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Why low tire pressure?
« Reply #7 on: February 26, 2006, 03:40:05 PM »
Low pressure tires were designed to NOT tear up the ground! I have an old Honda that recommends 2.5 and 3.5 lbs, front and rear.
Tires designed for rocky areas are not always good for mud, because they tend to rip up soft turf. Mud tires are not used in rocky areas because they will rip & tear or get pinched as mentioned above.
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Offline Star1pup

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Why low tire pressure?
« Reply #8 on: February 27, 2006, 08:41:47 AM »
I checked the tools that came with my Arctic Cat and darn if there isn't a low pressure gauge included.  I am now bending over and trying to kick myself in the butt. :)
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Offline 264 WIN MAG

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Why low tire pressure?
« Reply #9 on: March 05, 2006, 05:30:25 AM »
Only thing you have to worry about running low pressure is knocking the tire off the rim in ruts. I have done it before and seen it happen many times.
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Offline marylandeer

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Why low tire pressure?
« Reply #10 on: March 05, 2006, 10:24:29 AM »
Quote from: Star1pup
I checked the tools that came with my Arctic Cat and darn if there isn't a low pressure gauge included.  I am now bending over and trying to kick myself in the butt. :)

Oh well now you have yourself a "SPARE"
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Offline Sourdough

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Why low tire pressure?
« Reply #11 on: March 06, 2006, 09:56:25 AM »
My Honda uses 3 to 4 psi, My Kawasaki uses 5 to 7 psi.  I go with what is on the side of the tire, not what the manual says, becaues I always use aftermarket tires with better tread patterns.  The stock tires always end up on meat trailers.  I've been riding ATVs daily for over 20 years, have never popped a tire off a bead on the ATV, but I have popped them off on the meat trailer.  I often load 8 to 14 hundred pounds of meat into the trailer and it uses the same tires as the ATV.  Cured the problem by using an inner tube on the trailer wheels, and with the extream loads I increase the tire pressure till the tire looks like the ones on the ATV.  Sometimes I have to go as high as 25psi.  Yea, I know, I'm looking for an explosion.
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Offline bearfat

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Re: Why low tire pressure?
« Reply #12 on: November 04, 2006, 05:04:03 PM »
On my first ATV (Honda Foreman) I misread the tire pressure on the side of the tire as the proper inflation. Actually it was the pressure to seat the bead on the tire so I was over inflated. I eventually ended up flipping it over backwards due to being over inflated as I was bouncing and bounding pretty hard up a hill one day. Fortunately little damage was done.

I mentioned it to a buddy one day as we were clearing a trail a couple weeks later and he explained it meant something totally different when compared to a truck tire. We deflated each ATV tire about 20 pounds and it was like riding in a Cadillac. What a difference the low pressure made. It sure helped the back out from the pounding it had been taking.



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Offline Golsovia

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Re: Why low tire pressure?
« Reply #13 on: November 06, 2006, 05:12:13 AM »
ATV tires were originally the "suspension" system on many of the 3-wheelers which ATVs were at first. Too much inflation took away all the spring. Even to this day they are part of the suspension even though nearly every ATV also has good shocks and springs. As has been mentioned, the softer tire is made to grab on soft terrain better - and does. When used on roads, the typical "off-road" tire wears poorly if overinflated. They are simply constructed for a lower pressure. (BTW, one can buy "road tires" and rims designed for running the ATV on roads. They wear better for such use than the soft tires.)
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