Unloaded Tire Pressure to Ease the Ride

[hutchman]

I believe the tire pressure indication is an indication only on a 3500.....no alarms. I think I ran 65 on my fronts and much lower on the rears on my last dually. It will ride better, but it is a 3500 and is not going to be Cadillac plush!

 

[Don-T]

My new dually is jolting my fillings out.

I have received many different solutions for the same problem, including one gentleman who suggested that I simply man up and take my rough riding dually like a man. July 4th this year, I purchased a 2019 RAM 3500 HD Crew Cab 4x4 long bed dually. While I've own a couple of 1/2 ton pickups, this was my first 1 ton, my first dually, and my first 4x4. I've recently retired and my wife and I have visions of traveling the country via a 5th wheel.

Now I must say, I love the physical aspect of my truck. It has more bells and whistles than I know how to use, and it is truly a "manly" truck. However, since my towing will not be the bulk of my driving, I need a truck that is comfortable to drive unloaded. Now I know and expected that the truck would not ride like a passenger car, but I did not expect the gut wrenching ride that I get unload. It makes it difficult to speak and it can be painful. So what have I done to correct this?

I first contacted the service department at Demontrond Dodge in Conroe, Texas. After all, who better to understand your vehicle than the persons who repair it. Over several days, I spoke to 5 different people and I got 5 different opinions, including "I don't know". In other words, they didn't have a clue.

I read about reducing tire pressure. Since I received the truck with 80 psi all around, I thought if I lowered to the recommended psi on the door post, that would help. No, it didn't. I purchased and had installed what is called Sulastic Shackles. They are recommended by many on the internet and are reported to make a 1 ton truck ride like a 1/2 ton truck. Well, with my 1 ton truck, they make it ride like a … errr … well … a 1 ton tuck.

I'm now considering lowering my rears to 45-50 psi and the front to 70 psi. My concern is that I have the tire pressure monitoring system, which will send an audible alarm and graphic display if the sensors think the pressure is too low. I research the manual and I don't think this system can be shut off.

So, I'm asking all of you more experience truck owners, what can I do to gain a smoother ride without carrying a load?

Your 3500 doesn’t have tire pressure alarms, the 2500s do. I used to run my dually at 65 front and 35 rear when unloaded. I have an air compressor to raise the air pressure for towing.

 

[Cummins0867]

Howdy,
Tell us more.
ok
295/60/20 tires are on.
You have mud flaps on.
Stock suspension?
Any clearance issues?
Any rubbing?
lift? level?

Finally someone with a tire size I am looking at. But with a stock suspension and no rubbing issues I hope.

Im running the same exact tires that he's running on factory wheels with no issues. I have mud flaps, stock suspension, no lift or level, I have no rubbing anywhere. I also have factory rear air suspension on a 2019 Ram 3500 SRW 4x4. The rims are off a 2017 Ram HD.

I will also tell you that it was not on purpose that I had over 7000lbs on the rear axle. I wasn't worried about the axle...I was worried about the tires. I had them pumped up to 80psi and drove a couple hundred miles in the heat with no issues. the tires have about 15K on them and are wearing well.

 

[MrMopar]

Just swapped out tires (285×70×17) to 35x12.5x17, pressure lowered to 52 psi at Dealer, NO Light, front or rear.

 

[slimchance]

i leave my 5th whl hitch in the back (250#s) for ride but also had a problem at 80# all around with wondering/drifting in my lane .... lower the tire pressure to 75# all around and the wondering/drifting stopped