Should I be airing down on trails with sharp rocks?

Just want to know if I should be airing down when going on trails with an increased risk to get a flat due to sharp rocks. Originally, I thought airing down was always good offroad for traction and ride comfort, but I just saw a Scotty kilmer short where he said that airing up to the proper psi helps prevent flats and reject nails better.

I know that getting a more offroady tire is probably better for this, but I'm on the Wrangler stockers for now.
Inb4 someone says "if the trail has sharp rocks, don't go"

 

Yes airing down helps the tire . At street pressures the tire cannot flex and gives rocks, trail stuff an easier time to cut the sidewalls. Is like having a full balloon vs a half inflated one. You can stick your finger/hazard etc in further on the low psi one before it pops. The sidewall flex works similar. You don’t want to go down to 8lbs. But 18-20 should give you enough to allow tire to deform and grip better. I’m running 10 ply tires and always air down off-road.

 

What about the rolling part of the tire (top and bottom)? Does airing down or up help things not puncture it?

Not super concerned about sidewall damage since I just run them over instead of trying to straddle around.

Still so confused why Scotty would say that.

 

Air down

 

Yes airing down makes a difference. Airing down helps with puncture resistance all around.

 

Airing down is better. I want to see Scotty pop a deflated balloon

 

Because there are so many nails on the tracks you'll be driving..?

 

Yes airing down helps with puncture resistance:



Same holds true on pavement as well, but you'd be limited to below 45 mph or so to avoid overheating the tire.

 

Having sadly watched a couple of his videos, that guy says a lot of things...

 

Do you believe everything you saw on the internet?
Air down to 20 psi or so.

 

I'm not OP, but sometimes...well, sort of.... lol. There's a fair amount of forest roads/routes that were once rail road tracks. It's not that uncommon to get a flat from a run in with an old rail road spike. Was a big enough problem in some areas that when they groom a trail they now follow it up with a magnet sweep for them.

I don't really have anything else to add to the thread, just felt compelled to chime in with that useless info that nobody asked for. I also disagree with airing up for puncture resistance, def need to air down.

 

According to Scotty we're dumbasses for lifting our trucks and not driving a '90s Toyota...

Be sure to make a grunting sound every time you turn a wrench

 

When it's a 70yr old car mechanic, I tend to pay attention

Ahahaha he ain't wrong, a lift always spells bad news mechanically (even a db) and he is a mechanic...