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Discussion Starter · #1 ·
My TPMS is looking for pressures higher than I want to use in my truck.
Is there a way to use different devices than it came with to be able to run the pressures I want without the nag light coming on?

Can I get different sensors, set to lower pressures, and program them to be recognized by the truck? Or are the sensors only sending pressure info, and the limit/desired pressure is set in the ECU? If so, is there a way to change the numbers it is looking for?

My truck is using E rated tires, but I don't tow anything, and would like to use a lower pressure, and/or a lower rated tire to get an improved ride on the rocky rutty roads I drive often. It feels like I am on solid rubber tires, currently.

2012 is the year of my truck.
 

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You could check with the dealer to see if they can change the pressure threshold.
 

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Discussion Starter · #3 ·
Ok, so I discovered it isn't possible. They said it's all controlled by the BCM, Body Control Module. I asked about swapping that with one from a vehicle with similar specs, but different pressures, and they said it's married to the ECM, and registered to the VIN. It also controls the anti theft stuff too, it seems.
Ah well. I will just get used to the light, I guess.
 

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How low are you trying to set the pressure?
 

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Seriously, you can run P-rated tires (which are OEM on Titans, if I recall correctly) and run pressures down below 30psi without tripping the light. Can't imagine needing lower than that, except in soft sand.
 

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I think 28 PSI was about as low as I could go before tripping the warning light. But if there is a large pressure differential between one tire and the others then it will trip then too.
 

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Speaking from experience, that large differential will have to be greater than 8psi, as I've seen mine shift that much (had a nail in one tire) and was at 44 in the rears, 46 in one front, and 38 in the one with the nail.
 

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That sounds about right.
 

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Those may not fit on truck wheels. The valve stems on trailer wheels may not be the same diameter as on truck wheels. Just a word of caution.
 

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Not sure what you've encountered in valve stems...all non-commercial Shraeders are standard bore and diam. There is another standard called Presta, but I'm not aware of any highway applications in use.

I've used the same system interchangeably on my race car and my travel trailer without any conflicts. On both, the temperature reading tells me more than pressure. Race tire compounds 'activate' at specific temp ranges. Trailer tires (ST) deteriorate real fast when operating outside of the 100-120F range. The most influencing factor on tire temp....pressure.

Other than commercial applications like heavy equip, etc. all shraeder valves are the same dia. and thread. and bore. Two different base sizes are standardized in auto and trailer rims. That said, there are some old Ford trucks from way back, that had 'fat' valves. All TPMS sensors used by OEM at the factory are rated to 65PSI...Max. and according to my NAPA rep, he's not aware of any replacement sensors that are in-wheel like the OEM that are rated higher.

65 PSI is an industry standard rating known as TR413 and TR415. Those TR numbers are applied to all the stems you will find in virtually every tire installation bay for replacement NON TPMS stems, whether rubber or metal. There are two other ratings for NON TPMS use (TR600 and TR800 series) and are used in light truck, high pressure apps. These stems are rated to 95PSI. They do have the same external and bore diam and thread as the all the others. There are after market standard shraeder cores from companies like Tru-Flate rated to 200PSI that can be used in high pressure stems that are installed with nuts inside and outside the rim...but never with rubber snap in stems of any rating.

As a follow up, here's some nerd specifics that don't apply to off road applications, but are extremely important to on road. A lot of angst in the real world about tire life. Short of the constant jack rabbit starts, poor rotation habits and high speed ramp entry, the number one contributor to tire life expectancy is a function of age and heat. I've seen PU work trucks that were constantly loaded heavier on one side of the bed than the other without adjusting for that .... and the increased pressure causes increase heat cycling which in turn makes that one tire subject to early failure when not rotated. There's a tire 'wear' algorithm called the Ahrennious equation that says the rate of aging doubles for each 16 deg. F increase in temperature. For example, a tire (actually the elastomer) that would last a year at 100 deg. F would only last three months at 132 deg. F. (132-100=32, divide by 16, equals 12 mos. divide by 4, equals 3 months). The predicted seven year life expectancy of a tire is actually based mostly on seven years at some average temperature. Increase that temperature by 16 deg. F and the life expectancy becomes 3-1/2 years.
All of this says keeping your tires cool equals longer life expectancy. The way to do that is maintain proper pressures and avoid overloading them.

Back to my trailer experience....on the mechanical's side of the trailer where the furnace, stove, ref etc. sit, I've seen the tires on that side run 18 degrees higher than the other side when on the highway. I drop pressure one pound at a time until I get them in range.
 

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The issue of different valve stem diameters, specifically on trailers, came up on a different forum. Maybe I misinterpreted what they meant.
 
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