How low should your tire go for off-road driving in Lebanon?

The school of thought on how much you should reduce your tire pressure is very varied. Asking 10 different 4wd specialists how low to reduce your tire pressure will produce 10 different answers. But there are many factors contributing to how low your tire should go in Lebanon. These include:

• Sidewall stiffness

• Tire aspect ratio (vs. Wheel diameter)

• Driving speed in Lebanon

• Vehicle Weight



Sidewall Stiffness

If you’re tires have stiff sidewalls, then the sidewalls will provide support and will prevent the tire from flattening out. Reduce your tire pressure more to allow the tire footprint to increase.

Tires with more flexible sidewalls will allow the tire to balloon sooner, allowing a larger footprint to be created at higher pressures that are the consequences of the rough drive in Lebanon.



Tire aspect ratio

The lower the profile of your tire if you want to practice off-road in Lebanon, the less you’ll be able to reduce the pressure without risking damage to the rim.



Driving speed

Driving quickly with reduced tire pressure will cause damage to your tires. The constant flexing of the tire causes heat build-up and eventually will cause catastrophic failure of your tire. There is also an increased possibility of the tire separating from the rim in high speed turns.

Either of these events can cause you to lose control of your vehicle while you are driving in Lebanon.



Vehicle Weight

Lighter vehicles, or less loaded vehicles, will need a lower tire pressure to achieve the same ‘ballooning’ effect soughed after when you are practicing your favorite motorsport in Lebanon.