The most effective performance boost you can give your 4WD is not a mechanical upgrade, or an engine modification… no matter how much your mates tell you it is!

The simplest and best way to get your 4WD further offroad is to drop your tyre pressures the right amount, this saves degradation to the tracks, increases your tyres contact area and allows your horsepower to get to the track surface faster and also protects your tyres from punctures and tears from debris and sharp sticks hiding in the mud and rocks!

How do I lower my pressures?

Many beginner 4WDer has cut their teeth using the tip of their keys jammed into their Tyre valve, this is one of the slowest and most inaccurate ways to drop your pressures and will give you a wonky feeling for power delivery and braking capability when behind the wheel.

We recommend using an accurate pressure measuring device like the Kwiky Tyre Deflator to accurately and quickly drop your pressures, it works by screwing directly to your tyre pressure valve and then removing the valve core, it has an accurate brass air pressure gauge and a pressure release valve meaning you can incrementally dump air from your tyre and accurately check the pressure without messing around.

What pressures should I run?

We recommend using the 4psi rule it’s a rule of thumb and can be used across any vehicle, on any terrain, to determine the best pressure for your tyres and the speed you are travelling. It goes like this…

Starting with cold tyres, set the pressures you think best suits the TERRAIN and SPEED. Go for a drive for about an hour to allow the tyres to warm up, and then pull over and check the pressures again.

If they have gone up by more than 4psi, then the starting pressure was too low and you’ll need to add a couple of PSI per tyre next time. If they have gone up by less than 4psi, then your starting pressures were too high and you could drop a couple of PSI out.

The only thing to keep in mind is that this doesn’t take into account the possibility of rolling the tyre off the rim, so your safest bet is to go no lower than 14psi, unless extenuating circumstances arise.

To get the best tyre pressure for your 4WD make sure you get the right gear for the job head to www.4wdsupacentre.com.au/products/air-compressors.html