I know that people have different opinions on what tire pressure to run, and some use the LR recommended 28F/46R, I believe it is, and some like to run 38 or 40 psi all around, and some say there is this determination you can make using some method of determining the amount of tire actually in contact with the ground, (I cannot recall what the method is called or how it is done). Regardless of all that, I think most would agree that they air-down when going off-road, depending on how extreme off-the-road you are going and depending on wet/mud/snow/ice/rocks, etc.

So, driving on snow on paved roads that are not cleared, but may have anywhere from a foot to a few inches to slushy-ice in some areas, what are the thoughts on airing-down for this scenario? It would seem some modest airing down would be beneficial, but how much? I have talked to guys on the trail and the numbers I hear are from 10 psi up to 20 psi as to what guys run on the trails, without bead locks. I am not sure which of those numbers is better for trail riding either, as some guys seem to be aggressive airing-down, and others not so much as they are concerned about sidewall damage or breaking the bead on a tire going too low.

Wisdom from those with more experience than I would be appreciated.

 

personally speaking from driving over here and with the UK military in Norway then airing down in snow does not work. I have found that keeping the pressures up is the way to go. Idealy you want thin skinny tires to cut through the snow.

As for being on the trails then then I tend to air down to 14psi. I have found this to be the best for all occasions. Yes I know you can go lower but with stock wheels I have never had a problem and never damaged side walls and usually managed to get where I need to go.