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All my cars books recommend to inflate tires at about 32psi. When I purchased new tires, they come with 45psi recommendation. The difference in driving comfort is very big. Which figure is correct?
higher tire pressure will give a tiny bit better gas mileage, tire wear and better handling,downside is a harder ride. I keep my everyday drivers at 40 psi
You mean car books specific to your car recommend 32psi?
I do not know which is correct, but your car handbook or a plate on the car itself should tell you.
Sorry if this sounds obvious.
What car are we talking about?
45 psi sounds high for normal motoring to me.
Almost every sedan. Mine are a Honda Accord and Subaru Legacy. Both car handbooks recommend 32psi and this is the figure on the plate in the car.
Now, new tires come with their manufacturer recommendation and the tire dealer follows this figure - 45psi (Goodyear in my case). The result was an unbelievably stiff ride.
I also checked my neighbor's car - toyota Camry which book's recommended 35psi, definitely not 45.
What is stamped on the tire has to do with maximum load not normal driving. You car comes with a recommendation, usually shown inside the door frame, that is what you want to use. Using too high or too low a pressure will compromise handling, tire wear, and comfort. 45 psi is simply too high 99% of the time.
What is stamped on the tire has to do with maximum load not normal driving. You car comes with a recommendation, usually shown inside the door frame, that is what you want to use. Using too high or too low a pressure will compromise handling, tire wear, and comfort. 45 psi is simply too high 99% of the time.
I absolutely agree, but that is how tire dealers (I asked in 3 different places) release your car after installing new tires.
I'd also like to know if anyone else had a similar experience.
The *car* mfg's recommendations are in the owner's manual and on a sticker inside your driver's door jamb.
The maximum pressure for the *tire* is moulded into the sidewall. This is the max. inflation pressure for that tire in any application.
Most car manufacturer's recommendations do include a caveat that you can and should add about 3 PSI more for "high speed, high load" driving.
You wouldn't want to buy a tire with a max inflation pressure *less* than the car manufacturer's recommended pressure, although, I don't think you could find such tires if you looked.
What you actually want to do is look at your tires, on your car, the way you drive it. If the tires are wearing out more in the middle of the tread, you may want to decrease pressure a little, if the edges, particularly the edges of the front tires are wearing more, maybe a few more PSI for you.
Unless you are driving a Lincoln Town Car as if it were a Miata, or vice versa, usually the manufacturer's recommendations are pretty close to optimal.
The pressure listed on the placard in the vehicle tells you what to set the pressure at if you are using the same brand/model of tires as the manufacturer. Changing styles or types of tires can change your optimum pressure, as can lighter/heavier loads in the vehicle (more variable in a truck than a car).
Got a little time and a smooth surface (and a piece of chalk)? This will tell you your optimum pressures:
1. Park the car on a smooth, level surface such as a nicely paved parking lot.
2. Mark stripes with the chalk across the tread surface of the tire in several locations around the circumference.
3. Drive the car forward about ten feet or so.
4. Get out and look at your chalk stripes. If they wore off more in the middle of the tread, you are overinflated. If they wore off more on the outside, you are underinflated. Experiment with various pressures until you find the range of largest, most even contact patch. This is your ideal pressure range.
Front and rear pressures will likely be different, depending on the type of vehicle. Differences in sidewall construction between brands will give different ideal pressures.
I predict that few people are willing to take the time to follow my recommendation.
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