I will be taking my Zuki to the deer lease in a couple of week and need to know how much pressure to run in my tires.

Here is the situation-
*Very rocky with not alot of big ones to crawl over
*there are good roads but I'm afraid that I will cut a sidewall  on sharp rocks
*I do have 9" of lift and wonder about roll-over(There are only afew places that I worry about but it is not of big concern)
*I am running slim in my tires for very large thorn and stickers
*I will not be ROCK CRAWLING just going to and from my stand and some needed work.

Any other suggestion or comments would be appricated. What else could I use/need if any


Thanks Wil

What tires do you have. You don't HAVE to air down.... it just helps a LOT in most circumstances.


I run 5 or so and never have a problem, but I have tough tires..

Let us know what tires you have, I am guessing 15 or so is going to be a good number for you.

OH, I forgot that part.

BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A 31x10.5x16
It says 40 psi but I know that is for street

31x10.50x16"  or 15"?

40 is the MAX pressure that your tire is rated for the load shown by that rating. That is all.


You say you have a 9" lift, so I am guessing you have a Samurai. 

According to Oasis Off Road, and their tire deflation guide, with those tires, you would be good between 8 and 9 psi for off road pressure.

Give it a try and see how it feels, you are a little high at 9 inches, so you might think it's a bit mushy or tippy.. but the tires will be fine at that pressure, ALL TIRES ARE DIFFERENT. That is just a starting point, you might find you squat your tires a bit too much that low.. but probably not...


NOW, do you actually run 40 on the road??  I bet it rides rough... lol.. I wouldn't think you would need more than 20 with your setup.

yeah I would play with it a bit

probably 5-15 like Q said

I run BFG M/T's and usually run around 10 for general trail use.  If I plan on climbing anything, I usually drop to between 6 and 8.

Thanks Guys,
I did mean 31x10.5x15. I will try 10psi first and work from there. The 40psi is what was put in them when I put the tires on. Althought it is street legal I do not drive it on the road. I need a bit more power, It is strickly a hunting Sammie

If you don't run it on the road, drop it to 15 and see how you like it, and just leave it there.

The rating on the tire has nothing to do with how much air they are supposed to put in when they put them on.. that's a common mistake though. Check Suzuki's recommendation, I forget what it is on the Sammy, but I am sure it's not 40.

I think the recommended is 22, 25 in the back if you are carrying a lot of weight.

Just a little to add to this mix....
I finally aired down my lt 235/75/15's to 23psi which is recomended on the door of my 95 4dr jlx.  I have had no diffrence in gas mileage from  the 30psi I was running.  The ride is better now on the 1/2 mile of dirt road I drive everyday, which makes me happy.   15psi  was great off road!
Jeff