Should I air down tires to drive in snow?
Does airing down my tires help in snow?
Yes, in general airing down your tires will improve deep snow driving performance by increasing traction and floatation. That said, before you reach for a tire deflator there are a few factors to consider. This article will dive into those considerations and provide a rough gauge for the appropriate PSI in any given winter weather condition.
Are you running the right tires and wheels to air down?
Most modern all-terrain and mud tires (AT and MT) are designed to operate safely and effectively at reduced pressures. If your vehicle is equipped with tires in these categories keep reading! If your tires are more street oriented then you should operate them at the manufacturers suggested pressure in all but emergency situations because street tires are designed with shorter, weaker, sidewalls that are more susceptible to damage when aired down.
Drivers with AT or MT tires still need to consider the height of their sidewalls before airing down. This is especially important for drivers of crossovers and performance SUVs with larger wheels. These larger wheels are often fitted to accommodate bigger brakes or simply for aesthetics, at the expense of off-road capability. Having a lower rubber to metal ratio puts tires on these vehicles at a higher risk of damage or bead loss (when the tire comes off the wheel) if they are aired down. There is no hard and fast rule here, but generally speaking if the sidewall on your AT/MT tires is only a few inches tall consider not airing down at all or only slightly reducing pressure from the manufacturer’s suggested specification.
It is worth noting that some drivers will run “beadlock” wheels that allow them to run tires at extremely low pressures. We won’t go into detail on those here since drivers with beadlocks are already keenly aware of when to use them.
What tire pressure should I run in deep snow?
The answer to this question is incredibly situational, depending on your vehicle, snow driving experience and the conditions. These figures are general and should be taken with a grain of salt.
Light snow on pavement or maintained gravel roads (0”-6”)
Generally in these conditions you can stick to the tire pressure recommended by your vehicle’s manufacturer (usually found inside the driver’s door). If the road is rough (or icy) you may want to air down slightly at this point. For most SUVs and trucks that will be somewhere in the high 20s to low 30s PSI. As long as you can see bare pavement/gravel in your tracks there really isn’t a need to air down.
Moderate snow with pavement no longer snowing but plenty of clearance (6”-12”)
At the point where your tires no longer break through to the underlying surface it may be beneficial (but not necessary) to air down. Typically in these conditions we will drop between 18 and 28 PSI depending on the conditions. If the snow is still providing traction and there is clearance between the snow surface and our underbody we may not air down at this point. Knowing when and how much to air down under these conditions is partially a matter of preference and something that you should experiment with to find your comfort zone. It is also worth considering the depth of snow that you expect to find further up the trail. If you know that it will get deeper you may want to reduce to those pressures early.
Deep snow with limited clearance and/or occasional tire Spinning (12”+)
This is the point when airding down goes from optional to critical. If any part of your vehicle (other than your tires) starts to make contact with the snow, or your wheels start to spin due to loss of traction, then you need to achieve greater flotation and traction by reducing your tire pressure. In these conditions we recommend reducing pressure to a range of 10-18 PSI.
Many experienced snow wheelers will routinely go below this point into the single digit PSI range, but doing so comes with its own risk. Pressures this low dramatically increase your chance of slipping/losing a tire bead because there is no longer enough pressure in the tire to keep the bead in place. If this happens you will need to stop driving immediately to avoid further tire damage. Recovering from this situation either requires the installation of a spare tire, or a reset of the bead in the field. Reseting a bead takes specific equipment and knowledge to accomplish. For that reason unless you are an experienced snow wheeler, or driving with a group of experienced snow wheelers, we highly recommend that you stay above 10 PSI.
Should I air down when driving on ice?
Airing down slightly can improve traction when driving on ice as the tire will have a larger contact patch for the rubber to grip the road. The main consideration here is speed, particularly when cornering. As stated above airing down increases the chances that you will slip a tire bead. Off-road this is less of an issue as the road surface is typically softer and doesn’t provide as much grip. On pavement (where you are likely to encounter patches of ice) the risk of bead slippage while aired down goes up. For that reason it is best to limit how much you air down to drive on icy pavement, and the top speed that you plan on driving (which you should do anyway under icy conditions).
Traction boards are a very handy piece of gear for low traction surfaces. They are particularly helpful when driving off-road in deep snow or sand. Traction boards make recoveries easy when you are mildly stuck and simply lacking traction. For more difficult scenarios (typically when your frame is high centered) they may not be able to get you out on their own, but can be used in conjunction with a winch or snatch strap to reduce the force required for the recovery. For more information on the other recovery equipment that you should keep in your rig checkout our post on the 10 Essentials For Off-Roading in the Snow.
What gear do I need to air down my tires for snow?
We covered critical gear for driving in snow in our 10 Essentials For Off-Roading in the Snow article, but here are the three items that you really need to have:
Tires capable of being operated at reduced pressures.
A tool to air down your tires like the ARB Tire Deflator.
An air compressor that is powerful enough to inflate your specific tire size.