My '03 SuperCrew 4x4 has a cute little label inside the gas filler flap that says to inflate the front tires to 30 psi and the rears to 35 psi. My tire guy sez "Just keep 'em at 32 and you'll be OK." Well, I do keep them all at the same pressure, but if Ford recommends 5 lbs difference between fronts and rears, it seems there should be added stress applied to the driveline when all four wheels are put to work, no? Or is there some dark, secret Ford design formula that I don't know about. Yet.

 

Running less air pressure in the rear tires of a pickup truck while it is unloaded will give a smoother ride. That's all.

 

go off of what the tire says not the vehicle stickers. each tire manufacture has different specs due to the quality of there rubber. also if you want a better ride, longer tire life use nitrogen.

 

The tire only list the maximum psi, which is for heavy towing/hauling, not daily driving. Also, the only advantage of nitrogen is that the molecules are larger than air molecules so it's easier to keep a consistant pressure. I don't think this is worth the disadvantage of it being so hard to find in most areas.

 

Thanks. You're right. Increasing the pressure does tighten up the ride. When I tow, I will increase pressure all around to avoid a squishy ride. MPG improves when driving solo, but comfort suffers a bit.
But I'm still not sure why Ford wants you to have 5 lbs less air in the front! It helps with oversteer on a 1964 VW. I know that for a fact. But on three tons of truck? --- EdP