Question about tire presssure

[weister42]

On the side of the driver's door the label indicates optimal tire pressure to be 30 psi all around when cold, and 35 psi when hot. My car had vouge tires and now I have Goodyear's Assurance TripleTred, do I still inflate to the same exact psi? It's not giving me problems but I lost 3/10mm tread on the two front tires in the first six months, and in high crosswind I can literally feel my car whobble as if the tirewalls are flexing.

[JimD]

The door sticker information is GM legal department's minimum pressure recommendation.

The tire manufacturer molds a maximum pressure into the sidewall.

Somewhere between those two numbers you should be able to find a compromise for ride, safety, tread life, and fuel economy.

[weister42]

Are you serious? The Goodyear store followed the door guidelines and they inflated to 30 psi when cold too. So what's a good pressure value then?

[thu]

I pumped up the tires on my Deville to 41 psi COLD (the sidewalls stated 44 psi max cold). Did that through an entire set of tires. They lasted 105,000 miles and the wear was COMPLETELY even. It worked so well, I did that again on the next set of tires.

[weister42]

Ya my tires max pressure is 44 psi cold, so I should inflate it to around 37 cold then?

[JPL189]

Like everything else in life, tire pressure is a matter of compromise. The manufacturer's recommended pressure is an excellent compromise of ride, handling, wear and safety. You can't go wrong with this pressure. Under inflation will result in increased tire wear, decreased gas mileage (additional drag), and additional heat which could be dangerous at the extreme and has the potential to cause a blow out. However over inflation is not without drawbacks. The maximum pressure on the sidewall is just that. It is the maximum tire pressure generally for use only with the maximum rated load in the vehicle. Otherwise, ride suffers as well as the suspension which can suffer additional wear and tear from the increased hardness of the tires and transmission of shock to suspension parts. In addition, at the extreme tests have actually shown the vehicle can have reduced handling on surfaces that are less than perfect (i.e. public roads) because the suspension is not designed for the higher tire pressures and resultling hardness, and small bumps and irregularities may cause the tires to bounce sufficiently to actually reduce adhesion. This effect can be seen albeit somewhat exaggerated on higher speed turns, such as highway ramps, which have frost heaves or other bumps affecting both right and left side tires. Hope this helps!

[carnut]

Think of it as a basketball. More inflation, it bounces better and higher, lower inflation bounces not as high. I fully agree with the prior post.

[jadcock]

You can also experience an increased risk of hydroplaning with overly-inflated tires.

I have usually found that about 35-37 psi is good on the fronts, with an even 30 psi on the rears.