Tire Pressure: How much?
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So I've had the new car since October and just got the tire low warning the other day. Checked the pressure and they were way low. The Conti's say 51 psi max, so I inflated to 45 all the way around, but now the ride seems a little harsh.
I'm thinking of dropping back to 40. What's the general consensus?
I'm driving form Phoenix to San Diego tomorrow so I'd like to dial it in.
Thanks.
I'm thinking of dropping back to 40. What's the general consensus?
I'm driving form Phoenix to San Diego tomorrow so I'd like to dial it in.
Thanks.
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Originally Posted by tbone' post='510566' date='Dec 25 2007, 10:58 PM
So I've had the new car since October and just got the tire low warning the other day. Checked the pressure and they were way low. The Conti's say 51 psi max, so I inflated to 45 all the way around, but now the ride seems a little harsh.
I'm thinking of dropping back to 40. What's the general consensus?
I'm driving form Phoenix to San Diego tomorrow so I'd like to dial it in.
Thanks.
I'm thinking of dropping back to 40. What's the general consensus?
I'm driving form Phoenix to San Diego tomorrow so I'd like to dial it in.
Thanks.
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I think that 45 psi is way to high. The 51 psi is meant to be the maximum pressure for a safe drive (so the tire will not explode).
Everything comes down to feel. Lower pressure means more flex on the sidewalls to remove the harshness. On the other hand, it can feel sluggish as the same flex means more rubber contact with the road, and your fuel economy goes down.
Most people here go between 32psi and 40psi. If you were going on a long trip, you would want to go to the higher end of the range as you do not need to worry about the feel so much on highways. On the other hand, if you are in the city, a lower psi setting may be better.
I am not so sure of the staggered setting that many have here. The manufacturer also recommends the staggerred setting, but I am not sure of why some use 6psi differences and others use 2psi differences.
Air pressure is one of those nice things that you can do by trial and error at low cost. Good luck with the issues. Oh yeah, I use 36psi in the rear and 34psi in the front. I will probably go a little higher as most of my driving is mixed highway/city.
Everything comes down to feel. Lower pressure means more flex on the sidewalls to remove the harshness. On the other hand, it can feel sluggish as the same flex means more rubber contact with the road, and your fuel economy goes down.
Most people here go between 32psi and 40psi. If you were going on a long trip, you would want to go to the higher end of the range as you do not need to worry about the feel so much on highways. On the other hand, if you are in the city, a lower psi setting may be better.
I am not so sure of the staggered setting that many have here. The manufacturer also recommends the staggerred setting, but I am not sure of why some use 6psi differences and others use 2psi differences.
Air pressure is one of those nice things that you can do by trial and error at low cost. Good luck with the issues. Oh yeah, I use 36psi in the rear and 34psi in the front. I will probably go a little higher as most of my driving is mixed highway/city.
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Originally Posted by monacobmw' post='511000' date='Dec 27 2007, 09:53 AM
I think that 45 psi is way to high. The 51 psi is meant to be the maximum pressure for a safe drive (so the tire will not explode).
I've hardly broken in my 19" tires on my e60 (as it is wearing snows right now) so I haven't formed an opinion on what I prefer.
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Originally Posted by EBMCS03' post='510569' date='Dec 25 2007, 11:08 PM
Check the door jam.
Considering that you are in AZ, you don't have to worry about potholes, but rule of thumb here in the Great Northeast is to run winter tires higher to accommodate cold temps and psi contraction as well as protect those rims from potholes.
Cheers,
Ray Hull
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