What's the best tire pressure for stock tires & stock rims general all around spirited driving?

What's the best tire pressure for stock tires & stock rims general all around spirited driving?

Well, make sure you don't have the front tire pressure to high. My left front tire lost the outside rubber a couple of weeks ago. Going about 140 in 105+ weather, I found myself looking at a white ring afterwards.

I had adjusted my tire pressure, but i don't believe I went over 35lbs.
My rear tires are close to threadless. So, I suggest you keep it to the 32lbs that GM suggests.

I'm going to try the hankook tires next. C/D gave it a reasonably good rating in their tests of PS2 alternatives.

Hans.

OK, sounds reasonable, thanks. As from the factory / dealer, mine are between 31.5 to 34.5.

Here in 100+ texas I do 29 cold, as it heats up it goes to 33-34, in about 2.37 secs lol!!!

jwa999:
How many miles were on the tires?
Do you feel that one went from pressure or factory defective?

Here in 100+ texas I do 29 cold, as it heats up it goes to 33-34, in about 2.37 secs lol!!!

Yeah, my DIC readouts went upto 37.
Even now, it varies from 29-30 all the way up to 35.
My passenger front wheel does get a lot of torture... love those 1.2+ g left turns. Will get a new alignment. The car felt ok from the factory, but I can see from the wear it wasn't that good. I can recommend any new owner to get a alignment. I tried to prod my service advisor to get me a free one, but no sigar.

I do have to figure out the proper pressure and tire that's going to work for me in the long run. The car can put so much load on the front tires, i don't wanna keep replacing them every 8K. And the fricking thing gets to 140 so fast, I even have to work to get the 996tt up there. Makes me rethink my upgrade path for it. My Ruf guy just expanded his business to racperformance.com, and they have a lot of goodies. 600+ hammer.

Hans.

jwa999:
How many miles were on the tires?
Do you feel that one went from pressure or factory defective?

i'm at 7800 miles. The dealer had provided N2 which did reduce the pressure variations a little.

On my fronts, both outside edges where starting to show a lot of wear. The inside edges and rest of the tires are ok. So i'm thinking I had too much tire pressure. Will ask for a little front toe in on the alignment. The goodyear alignment guy here in the colony does a good job. I had 2 other cars aligned and i was very happy with those.
The back tires where wearing pretty evenly, don't do burnouts, but my quick takeoffs and general aggressive driving did them in.
I'm now following a strict regiment of non-sport tranny below 3000 rpm driving until the new set comes in. And i'm still enjoying the heck out of the car at low speeds.

Hans.

If the outer edge wore more on the fronts and not from cornering then I would think:
A:) To much camber (Wears outside edge excessively)
B:) To much toe in (plowing)
C:) Under inflated (if both the outside and inside edge wore down more then the center)

85 degrees at the road course - 41 lbs., they never got over 43 after a 20 minute session on a 13 corner track
Daily driving in 95 degrees - 32 lbs. - the tire likes to turn in a little better at high pressure around town, and under heat it will go up to 36 or 37 lbs.

104 degrees at the track - started at 38 lbs. on a 2 mile track with 16 turns, and after 1-20 minute session, I was up to 46 lbs. I bled down to 42 lbs. hot, and they had no issue. When cold I had to re-pressure, as I forgot on one session, and It felt like a sidewall was rolling over. I rolled almost half way down. Always check before going back out oon the track, and don't trust the TPMS.

Hans - I heard the same things about the Hankooks, and the new Yokohamas. I will give them a try in about a month, as this set will be done after one or two more track days.

Granted I have 20's but I run 33 cold in the front and 31 in the back.

I like to run a bit higher...around 37-ish....reduces wear on the outside edges of the tires. If you like to do twisties and higher-g turns on a regular basis, then your driving style should be considered into your tire pressure decision. Also, for our friends who have access to the autobahn :) there is a warning in the owners manual that higher tire pressures are needed for sustained high speed driving.

What's the best tire pressure for stock tires & stock rims general all around spirited driving? I keep all 4 tires 33 - 34 psi cold, but don't run the car hard very often.

Anyone try the Nittos?

Anyone try the Nittos?

Yep...No moisture in the tires (which can damage the inside of the wheel and tire) and less fluctuation in pressure. Great for a hot climate.

OK, dumb noob question time:
When you say cold, do you mean car has not been run, or do you mean cold as in temperature.
I just dropped mine to 32 PSI all of the way around, and I am going to try that for a while. It is about 80* out, but the car has not been run since Sun morn.

OK, dumb noob question time:
When you say cold, do you mean car has not been run, or do you mean cold as in temperature.
I just dropped mine to 32 PSI all of the way around, and I am going to try that for a while. It is about 80* out, but the car has not been run since Sun morn.

First of all Gary, don't believe your DIC (Driver Information Center) on tire pressures. Buy a good digital tire guage (about $25-$30) and use that to determine pressure. Cold tires are when the car has been sitting for some time.

I haven't even figured out how to get into the DIC yet, I am using a proven mechanical tire pressure gage and a proven digital tire pressure gage, and they read within .5 of each other. Thanks.

Yep...No moisture in the tires (which can damage the inside of the wheel and tire) and less fluctuation in pressure. Great for a hot climate.

It seems you are referring to nitrogen to fill the tires, but SlvrBullIT asked about Nittos. Not sure if he meant nitrogen or the brand of tire.:confused:

It seems you are referring to nitrogen to fill the tires, but SlvrBullIT asked about Nittos. Not sure if he meant nitrogen or the brand of tire.:confused:

OOPS...:canttalk:

PS2 replacement tests.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparisons/09q2/tire_test_nine_affordable_summer_tires_take_on_the _michelin_ps2-comparison_tests

The nittos don't come out very well. I hear the sidewalls are kinda soft.

The hankook frontsare rated 100y, a little stiffer than the 96y of the PS2.
The rears are the same weight.

What's the best tire pressure for stock tires & stock rims general all around spirited driving?I asked a seasoned tech/track enthusiast to educate me on the proper tire inflations. I will omit name and location to avoid incrimination. His response:

Daily driving is suggested to 34 p.s.i. to accept 1 or 2 p.s.i. increases in warm tires and ambient temperature and still maintain the optimum 35 p.s.i. range to prolong wear.

Spirited to performance driving should be set at 40 p.s.i. to avoid understeer and still allow heat absorption nearing 43-44 p.s.i. from not only the tire friction but the brake system heat dispersion. Not suggested if wear is an issue.

For those bold enough to play at the 1/4 mile, 44 in the front to reduce tire surface friction, and 40 in the rear for maximum footprint on the starting line.

Anything over 44 could throw a sensor warning at an unwanted time in your fun.
:thumbsup:

It seems you are referring to nitrogen to fill the tires, but SlvrBullIT asked about Nittos. Not sure if he meant nitrogen or the brand of tire.:confused:

I was talking about Nitto brand tires, I'm still looking for Nitrogen fill here in New Braunfels Texas.

I was talking about Nitto brand tires, I'm still looking for Nitrogen fill here in New Braunfels Texas.

http://www.costco.com/Warehouse/WarehouseDetails.aspx?WarehouseNumber=1006

Has a Tire Service Center, might support N2.

Hans.

Yeah, my DIC readouts went upto 37.
Even now, it varies from 29-30 all the way up to 35.
My passenger front wheel does get a lot of torture... love those 1.2+ g left turns. Will get a new alignment. The car felt ok from the factory, but I can see from the wear it wasn't that good. I can recommend any new owner to get a alignment. I tried to prod my service advisor to get me a free one, but no sigar.

I do have to figure out the proper pressure and tire that's going to work for me in the long run. The car can put so much load on the front tires, i don't wanna keep replacing them every 8K. And the fricking thing gets to 140 so fast, I even have to work to get the 996tt up there. Makes me rethink my upgrade path for it. My Ruf guy just expanded his business to racperformance.com, and they have a lot of goodies. 600+ hammer.

Hans.
^^^^

I second the recommendation to have the alignment checked early. At 1100 miles on my V I took it to my brother (Goodyear shop owner and car enthusiast)

My car had no handling concerns....I just wanted to help insure as many miles as possible from these expensive tires. The print out from the alignment machine revealed a couple angles to be less than optimal. Caster is a non tire wearing angle so I won't go into detail about it. The front camber spec is -1.1 +/- .1 degree and total toe of 0.00 to +.40 degree. My car was at the low end of the camber range (Causing inside edge wear) and the total toe was out of spec positive (Causing outside edge wear.) The combined effect was that each angle was counteracting the other and tire wear (Across the whole tread) was being sacrificed.

Since I am not intending to track my car and don't usually corner terribly hard we set my camber to -.5 degree (.5 degree closer to straight up and down than spec) and total toe to +.20. This will reduce tire wear and still provide enough stability for me.

The rear angles were close and needed less tweeking to make them just right.

I also have N2 filled tires and keep them at 32psi cold (Ambient temp)

I was talking about Nitto brand tires, I'm still looking for Nitrogen fill here in New Braunfels Texas.

If you have a local Costco, they should have the nitrogen.

OK, dumb noob question time:
When you say cold, do you mean car has not been run, or do you mean cold as in temperature.
I just dropped mine to 32 PSI all of the way around, and I am going to try that for a while. It is about 80* out, but the car has not been run since Sun morn.

Gary:
Would you report back to us regarding your impressions of running your tires at 32 PSI vs. the higher pressure you were using previously? My V arrived from Scott’s Superior dealership with 35 PSI at all 4 corners. The V corners like a go-kart (Whee!!!). But I am picking up a little harshness and occasional “tire noise” on some freeway road services. I realize, of course, that the (wider) performance tires and sport suspension are not going to make the V ride like a limo. I’m just curious if you notice any softer/quieter ride and corresponding reduction in cornering ability.

On the other hand, Nutz’s subsequent post would seem to make a compelling case for 34 PSI for “daily driving.”

I have to admit that maximizing tire life is not my highest priority, given that tire technology appears to advance so rapidly. I understand that there is or will be a PS-3 upgrade to the PS-2. Has anyone heard whether the 2010 V will have these more advanced tires?

Kyle

I've had best results with 32 cold all around. They all get up to 35 after they warm up, and the car rides/handles very well.

I've found that increasing rear pressure above 32 results in less traction, as in big time wheelspin, under 30 mph, while going under 32 does not help traction much, if at all, but results on less crisp handling.

http://www.costco.com/Warehouse/WarehouseDetails.aspx?WarehouseNumber=1006

Has a Tire Service Center, might support N2.

Hans.

Went to costco but they would only do N2 fill on tires you BOUGHT from them...grrrrrrr

Kyle:
I will keep the forum posted, and I am aware that I owe you an E-mail. I haven't forgotten.