Tyre pressure monitor system settings

Very much differs depending on the circumstances of travel. If on dirt, Tyre pressures are lowered but the alarm threshold set higher so as to pick up any discrepancy in pressure all the more quickly.

A hot late spring or early summer day on the blacktop up northish and you might be experiencing a lot more than 80C on the sun side. That's the joy of modern day TPMS's, you can easily adjust the parameters to suit the conditions.

On dirt for my vehicle; Front Tyres 40 top and 22 low Rear 40 Top and 30 Low
Trailer; 32 Top and 22 low Tyres set at 25 psi).

Bitumen; Front Tyres 45 top and 32 low Rear 45 Top and 32 Low
Trailer; 40 Top and 30 low Tyres set at 35 psi).

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Cheers

Mick

Hi Raincloud,

I use the innawise TPMS system. This system requires that you set the parameters when the tyres are cold. I believe that it then uses an algorithm to calculate what the variation in pressure and temperature should be once travelling begins. This algorithm is apparently developed with regarded to established scientific principles pertaining to the relationship of pressure to temperature.

If the tyres become too hot (relative to the recorded pressure) an alarm is sounded. Likewise, if the tyre increases pressure too fast, or falls below the pressure that should correspond to the current temperature, the alarm will sound.

To answer your question directly, I too set my tyres at 40psi (dual axle van) and set my TPMS before commencing travelling. I then rely on the trickery inside my unit to do the rest.

Greg

I set the lower pressure limit to just below the pressures I drop to on gravel.
So about 22psi front, 25 rear and 25 on the caravan.

The alarms on mine are very easy to change so I go down to the 15 psi minimum on sand.

The temp and high pressures alarms are irrelevant, so I just set them high.

Hi Raincloud

Some food for thought from what I recently learnt from Bridgestone.

If your TPMS has external sensors then tyre temperatures have limited value due to the fact that the temperature they display is strongly influenced by the external air heating/cooling influences.

If a tyre has a tread temperature of 80C then it is most likely that permanent damage to to the tyre structure is occurring. Most likely the internal air temperature of the tyre is less than 80C but I couldn't find any published literature linking internal temperature to trade temperature. Conclusion - none really but set temperature alarms at 60C as a starting point.

Major tyre destruction is usually a result of sustained high temperature. It may be short and sweet, due to blow out, or prolonged. It is the result of load, load rating, speed, tyre construction, tyre pressure and work that the tyre is experiencing. A rather complex subject.

I suggest you look carefully at the specs of the particular tyres you have on your van. Knowing the loaded weight of your van you should be able to calculate the load on each tyre. Based on the tyre max pressure at max load figures, placarded on the tyre, you should be able to arrive at a tyre pressure starting point. From that point your experimentation can begin.

Other people recommendations are always useful. However they are particular to their tyres, loads and speeds. So have fun working out what works for you. It will keep you busy for a while.

Safe travels

John

Many thanks to all contributors for their input. At last all info was useful and to the point without the usual waffle . All replies were greatly appreciated. Just as an aside the reason I'm fitting TPMS is that on my last 3 months trip I destroyed 2 tyres and one rim on the van, expensive exercise, without knowing anything was wrong until too late. Thanks again fellow travellers!