Ford F-350 (2017 year). Manual — part 94

Inflating Your Tires

Safe operation of your vehicle
requires that your tires are
properly inflated. Remember that
a tire can lose up to half of its air
pressure without appearing flat.

Every day before you drive, check
your tires. If one looks lower than
the others, use a tire gauge to
check pressure of all tires and
adjust if required.

At least once a month and before
long trips, inspect each tire and
check the tire pressure with a tire
gauge (including spare, if
equipped). Inflate all tires to the
inflation pressure recommended
by Ford Motor Company.

You are strongly urged to buy a
reliable tire pressure gauge, as
automatic service station gauges
may be inaccurate. Ford
recommends the use of a digital
or dial-type tire pressure gauge
rather than a stick-type tire
pressure gauge.

Use the recommended cold
inflation pressure for optimum tire
performance and wear.
Under-inflation or over-inflation
may cause uneven treadwear
patterns.

WARNING

Under-inflation is the most
common cause of tire failures

and may result in severe tire
cracking, tread separation or
blowout, with unexpected loss of
vehicle control and increased risk
of injury. Under-inflation increases
sidewall flexing and rolling
resistance, resulting in heat
buildup and internal damage to
the tire. It also may result in
unnecessary tire stress, irregular
wear, loss of vehicle control and
accidents. A tire can lose up to
half of its air pressure and not
appear to be flat!

Always inflate your tires to the
Ford recommended inflation
pressure even if it is less than the
maximum inflation pressure
information found on the tire. The
Ford recommended tire inflation
pressure is found on the Safety
Compliance Certification Label or
Tire Label (affixed to either the
door hinge pillar, door-latch post,
or the door edge that meets the
door-latch post, next to the
driver's seating position), or Tire
Label located on the B-pillar or
the edge of the driver's door.
Failure to follow the tire pressure
recommendations can cause
uneven treadwear patterns and
adversely affect the way your
vehicle handles.

Note: Do not reduce tire pressure
to change the ride characteristics
of the vehicle. If you do not
maintain the inflation pressure at
the levels specified by Ford, your
vehicle may experience a condition
known as shimmy. Shimmy is a
severe vibration and oscillation in
the steering wheel after the vehicle
travels over a bump or dip in the
road that does not dampen out by
itself. Shimmy may result from
significant under-inflation of the
tires, improper tires (load range,
size, or type), or vehicle
modifications such as lift-kits. In
the event that your vehicle
experiences shimmy, you should
slowly reduce speed by either lifting
off the accelerator pedal or lightly
applying the brakes. The shimmy
will cease as the vehicle speed
decreases.

Maximum Inflation Pressure is

the tire manufacturer's maximum
permissible pressure and the
pressure at which the maximum
load can be carried by the tire. This
pressure is normally higher than
the manufacturer’s recommended
cold inflation pressure which can
be found on the Safety
Compliance Certification Label
(affixed to either the door hinge
pillar, door-latch post, or the door
edge that meets the door-latch
post, next to the driver's seating
position), or Tire Label located on

the B-pillar or the edge of the
driver's door. The cold inflation
pressure should never be set lower
than the recommended pressure
on the Safety Compliance
Certification Label or Tire Label.

When weather temperature
changes occur, tire inflation
pressures also change. A 10°F
(6°C) temperature drop can
cause a corresponding drop of 1
psi (7 kPa) in inflation pressure.
Check your tire pressures
frequently and adjust them to the
proper pressure which can be
found on the Safety Compliance
Certification Label or Tire Label.

To check the pressure in your
tire(s):

1. Make sure the tires are cool,
meaning they are not hot from
driving even a mile.

Note: If you are checking tire
pressure when the tire is hot, (for
example, driven more than 1 mile
[1.6 kilometers]), never bleed or
reduce air pressure. The tires are
hot from driving and it is normal for
pressures to increase above
recommended cold pressures. A
hot tire at or below recommended
cold inflation pressure could be
significantly under-inflated.

Note: If you have to drive a
distance to get air for your tire(s),
check and record the tire pressure
first and add the appropriate air
pressure when you get to the
pump. It is normal for tires to heat
up and the air pressure inside to go
up as you drive.

2. Remove the cap from the valve
on one tire, then firmly press the
tire gauge onto the valve and
measure the pressure.

3. Add enough air to reach the
recommended air pressure.

Note: If you overfill the tire, release
air by pressing on the metal stem
in the center of the valve. Then
recheck the pressure with your tire
gauge.

4. Replace the valve cap.

5. Repeat this procedure for each
tire, including the spare.

Note: Some spare tires operate at
a higher inflation pressure than the
other tires. For T type mini-spare
tires, (see the Dissimilar spare
wheel and tire assembly
information for a description. Store
and maintain at 60 psi (4.15 bar).
For full-size and dissimilar spare
tires, see the Dissimilar spare wheel
and tire assembly information for
a description. Store and maintain
at the higher of the front and rear
inflation pressure as shown on the
Safety Compliance Certification
Label or Tire Label.

6. Visually inspect the tires to
make sure there are no nails or
other objects embedded that
could poke a hole in the tire and
cause an air leak.

7. Check the sidewalls to make
sure there are no gouges, cuts or
bulges.

Tire Inflation Information

WARNING

An inflated tire and rim can
be very dangerous if

improperly used, serviced or
maintained. To reduce the risk of
serious injury, never attempt to
re-inflate a tire which has been run
flat or seriously under-inflated
without first removing the tire
from the wheel assembly for
inspection. Do not attempt to add
air to tires or replace tires or
wheels without first taking
precautions to protect persons
and property.

All tires with Steel Carcass Plies
(if equipped):

This type of tire utilizes steel cords
in the sidewalls. As such, they
cannot be treated like normal light
truck tires. Tire service, including
adjusting tire pressure, must be
performed by personnel trained,
supervised and equipped
according to Federal Occupational
Safety and Health Administration
regulations. For example, during

any procedure involving tire
inflation, the technician or
individual must utilize a remote
inflation device, and ensure that
all persons are clear of the
trajectory area.

WARNING

Always inflate steel carcass
tires with a remote air fill with

the person inflating standing at a
minimum of 12 ft (3.66 m) away
from the wheel and tire assembly.

E161437

Inspecting Your Tires and
Wheel Valve Stems

Periodically inspect the tire treads
for uneven or excessive wear and
remove objects such as stones,

nails or glass that may be wedged
in the tread grooves. Check the tire
and valve stems for holes, cracks,
or cuts that may permit air

leakage and repair or replace the
tire and replace the valve stem.
Inspect the tire sidewalls for
cracking, cuts, bruises and other
signs of damage or excessive
wear. If internal damage to the tire
is suspected, have the tire
demounted and inspected in case