Put 40 psi in my tires for a beach run and the truck felt like a different animal

Charlie Roberts · 2026-10-18T07:00:05.403609+00:00

So I've been running my old Tacoma at the door sticker pressure of 32 psi for the two years I've owned it, mostly fire roads and the occasional mud pit out near Astoria. Before a trip to the coast a few weeks back, a guy at the air pump told me to drop to 18 psi for the sand, so I did, and the truck floated over that soft stuff like nothing. Problem was I forgot to air back up before the highway home, and at 60 mph the thing wandered so bad I pulled over twice thinking something was broken. Got home, checked the sidewalls, and they were hot enough to fry an egg, which scared me straight. Now I keep a little $30 compressor in the bed and check pressure before and after every trip, but I'm still not sure what the right psi is for mixed sand and gravel. Any of you run a set number for beach days, or do you just eyeball it by how the tires look?

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Put 40 psi in my tires for a beach run and the truck felt like a different animal | 4x4 Enthusiasts - Chatter Central