2016 Ram 2500 Tire Pressures -Need Ram Owner Advice

[m2kamp]

Hi All,

Recently upgraded from a Ram 1500 5.7L to a Ram 2500 6.4L 4x4.

Truck is awesome, don't even need tow/haul mode pulling my 7000 lb camper. Night and day vs. 1500, blah blah lol. I'm averaging 19 mpg hwy, 14 mpg around town, 11 mpg towing.

My only complaint is the tire pressure monitoring system. The door sticker says 60psi Front, 80psi Rear. LT275 70 18 Firestone Transforce HT tires.

Well I mainly use the truck to tow our camper and the rest of the time it is unloaded and empty. At the door sticker pressure and empty, you can imagine the ride is less than smooth.

I am currently running 55 psi front and 50 psi rear and the ride is sooo much smoother. But now I have the TPMS light on. Even at my current lower pressure and pulling my TT, I am still at an acceptable pressure according the Firestone Tire loading chart I have. My payload is 3180 per yellow sticker.

Apparently Ram used to offer a Light Load switch for the TPMS on 2013 and prior 2500s.

I took the truck in to the dealer for help with this and the service guy took me aside and said I'll take care of it (wink,wink) like he's done this before, then he comes back 15 minutes later and shows me some paperwork dated April 2016 from Chrysler telling him that he can no longer change it.

I think it is ridiculous that Ram requires full load pressure in the tires on 2500s (3500s don't have this limitation)

Was anyone able to get the dealer to reflash the TPMS to lower thresholds?

What tire pressures are you all running?

Thanks and sorry if this has been asked before.

[schrederman]

I run 70 front and 80 rear, all the time. It's not a Cadillac... it's a 3/4-ton pickup. I get 21 mpg hiway and about 16 around town. It is my daily driver but my commute will end on October 18... my last day I have to report to work... ever...

[m2kamp]

Originally Posted by schrederman

I run 70 front and 80 rear, all the time. It's not a Cadillac... it's a 3/4-ton pickup. I get 21 mpg hiway and about 16 around town. It is my daily driver but my commute will end on October 18... my last day I have to report to work... ever...

Hi schrederman, my 1500 Ram ride was a cadillac lol. I know the ride would be stiffer with the 3/4 ton but damn at 80 psi and empty it will rattle your fillings out!

How is your tire wear?

[schrederman]

Tire wear was even on the Firestones that came on it. It now rides on Michelins and I'm still using the same tire pressures. It's a '14 and now has 44K miles. The Firestones didn't last but 35K miles. So far it has towed about 12K miles of that 44K. Delores and I lived off of 1488, between Conroe and the Woodlands for a while. We liked it there, except for the traffic...

[raytwntrvlr]

No consolation probably but I have never been able to use the "light load" feature on my 2013. It's there just will not switch when I push the button. I do my own filter/oil changes so don't get into the dealer to look into it. I actually don't mind the ride.

[m2kamp]

35K miles seems low. If I ran 80 in my rear tires, the center tread would be bald in no time, even with pulling my trailer with 900 lb tongue weight. Not to mention how sketchy it would feel in the rain...

I moved to Conroe a couple years ago, it is getting even busier since I've moved here. Want to buy some land in the countryside now. lol

[donniedu]

Lower the pressure and put a piece of tape over the light. Done!

[m2kamp]

Originally Posted by donniedu

Lower the pressure and put a piece of tape over the light. Done!

Haha! Pressure is lower now, problem is not only is there a light but it beeps at me and displays in the EVIC, requiring button pushing every time I start it up. PITA

[labarn]

Originally Posted by schrederman

I run 70 front and 80 rear, all the time. It's not a Cadillac... it's a 3/4-ton pickup. I get 21 mpg hiway and about 16 around town. It is my daily driver but my commute will end on October 18... my last day I have to report to work... ever...

You will need to learn everyday will be Saturday. happy for you because I retired in 1999.

labarn

[Wilco]

Try raising your pressure slightly. On my Silverado I run 55 psi front and rear to keep the TPMS monitor clear. Any lower and it will alarm when the tires cool overnight.

[MacDR]

Mine came with 80 front and rear.. I keep the tire pressure at 80 year round .. adding during the winter and of course letting it out in the summer.

[donniedu]

Download tge smartphone app Torque, buy a odb dongle off of ebay. This should allow you to clear codes.

[Havasu Bill]

I got rid of the Transforce on my 2016 2500 and put Michelins on under 1000 mi. I got a $150 credit each for the tires. I run 60 front and 80 rear per the tire company I bought them from. I don't notice that the ride is especially bad for a 3/4t and I upgraded from an F150.
I love the truck and it's capabilities!

[tiller]

Buy a toyota you can adjust tpms yourself

[Jim34RL]

Per Ram Bodybuilders Guide Web site, the front axle weights are 3,865 LBS and the rear axle weight is 2,838 LBS for a CC short bed and the long bed truck weight is 3,999 LBS front axle and rear axle is 2,872 LBS. These are the weights that the tires need to support when not loaded with either a load in the bed or pulling a camper. So you will need to look up the tire manufacture tire load inflation table or go to a tire dealer and ask. Then inflate the tires enough to support this load but also realize that the tires also have a minimum inflation pressure so they will not roll of the rim at speed. Inflate the tires to what ever is greater in air pressure . Most cases this will be around 45 PSI.


In my case I am using Nitto Dura Grappler tires LT285/70R17 126R tires, these will support a tire load of 3,750 LBS at 80 PSI each. When the truck is unloaded I run the rear at 50 PSI and the front at 50 PSI. They will support a load of 2,755 LBS at 50 PSI which is more than adequate for my needs.

[Hardhead]

You might want to consider that the engineers at Chrysler / Ram designed it that way for a reason... You might want to reconsider your decision. BTW, I run my 2014 2500 6.7 at 65/80. It rides like a truck, but much smoother than my 2003 2500 hemi Gas hog which I run at 50/70. Also, running at a lower psi will most likely decrease your mileage. Just my opinion ☺

[m2kamp]

Originally Posted by Hardhead

You might want to consider that the engineers at Chrysler / Ram designed it that way for a reason... You might want to reconsider your decision. BTW, I run my 2014 2500 6.7 at 65/80. It rides like a truck, but much smoother than my 2003 2500 hemi Gas hog which I run at 50/70. Also, running at a lower psi will most likely decrease your mileage. Just my opinion ☺

I suspect main the reason is legal liability. They are protecting themselves from legal liability due to "less than diligent owners" not checking/increasing tire pressure prior to loading, then having blow outs/accidents and blaming Chrysler.

Sorry, IMO 80 psi cold (I've seen 85 psi in Texas heat) in the rear of an empty truck is unacceptable. The outer tread blocks are barely touching the pavement on my truck at that pressure. The difference in ride between 80 and 50 psi is "night and day".

My mileage in the original post was at my current pressure.

[m2kamp]

Originally Posted by Jim34RL

Per Ram Bodybuilders Guide Web site, the front axle weights are 3,865 LBS and the rear axle weight is 2,838 LBS for a CC short bed and the long bed truck weight is 3,999 LBS front axle and rear axle is 2,872 LBS. These are the weights that the tires need to support when not loaded with either a load in the bed or pulling a camper. So you will need to look up the tire manufacture tire load inflation table or go to a tire dealer and ask. Then inflate the tires enough to support this load but also realize that the tires also have a minimum inflation pressure so they will not roll of the rim at speed. Inflate the tires to what ever is greater in air pressure . Most cases this will be around 45 PSI.


In my case I am using Nitto Dura Grappler tires LT285/70R17 126R tires, these will support a tire load of 3,750 LBS at 80 PSI each. When the truck is unloaded I run the rear at 50 PSI and the front at 50 PSI. They will support a load of 2,755 LBS at 50 PSI which is more than adequate for my needs.

Hi Jim,

Thanks for info and post! 45 PSI would be approaching half-ton ride with the coil sprung 2500.

I've attached the Firestone tire loading guide for information for others.

Looking forward to more replies!

[railroaderone]

You can thank congress for all this horse hockey to fix a non problem

[chuck-md]

On our 2011 ram 2500 I run 60 front and 48 rear when not towing..63f 80r when towing our 5th wheel. Enjoy ur new ram...it is truly a work horse and love to tow