Highway pressure — start here

On sealed roads, run the pressure recommended on your tyre placard — usually 32 to 40 PSI. Cold winter mornings mean cold rubber that does not flex as well. Expect pressures to rise 3-4 PSI once tyres warm up.

Gravel and corrugations — the Territory default

Drop to 24-28 PSI for gravel roads. At these pressures the sidewall flexes enough to absorb corrugation impacts. If corrugations are particularly bad — the Plenty Highway, for example — go to 22 PSI.

Sand — Finke River, Simpson, dune country

15-18 PSI. At this pressure the tyre footprint lengthens and floats on the surface. Do not drop below 15 PSI on a loaded 4WD — the risk of debeading goes up significantly.

What happens when you get it wrong?

Too high on gravel: corrugations hammer your suspension. Too high on sand: tyres dig in, vehicle bogs. Too low on bitumen: tyre overheats from excessive sidewall flex.

The tool that makes this easy

A decent deflator and a compressor are not optional if you are travelling outside Alice. Buy both before you buy a light bar.

Adjust for load

If you are loaded up for a week of camping, add 2-4 PSI across the board.

Towing and tyre pressure

If towing a camper or caravan, run rear tyres at the upper end of the recommended range on sealed roads. Only drop for dirt if the trailer tyres are also dropped.

The tell-tale signs of wrong pressure

Wear on the centre of the tread means over-inflation. Wear on both outer edges means under-inflation. Check your tread pattern every fuel stop.

Check your tyres when they're cold, set them for your first surface of the day, and adjust from there. Get your tyres and suspension checked at Smart Offroad Mechanical.



6 Brown Street, Alice Springs.

08 8952 4895