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Sion · 12-18-2003, 10:46 PM

J,

the one thing that just about everyone in this thread seems to be forgetting is that with tires, everything is a compromise, a trade-off. This applies to tire pressures as well as tire selection in the first place.

for example, if you want the longest lasting tires there are, you WILL be sacrificing in other areas, most noticeably wet traction.

if you want the best traction, you WILL be sacrificing longevity.

the same kinds of considerations apply when determining the best pressure at which to run a given set of tires. the final and most important factor is (I think) this: what do you want out of the tires? do you want them to last long, grip best, or give you the smoothest ride?

other factors that come into play include:
-exactly what tire do you have on the vehicle (brand, model and size)
-how you drive (aggressive vs passive)
-where you drive (climate considerations)
-how much and how often do you load the vehicle (including both the rear cargo area as well as towing)
-how much of your driving is city vs highway vs offroad
-the nature of the roads you drive most often (straight vs curvy, flat vs hilly) as well as their general conditions (smooth or pothole filled)

with the relatively small amount of info that you have provided here, I'd say your best bet is to put the fronts at 35 and the rears at 32. (this assumes that you have a tire brand/model/size on the vehicle that is appropriate to your needs).

as for the debate as to who knows better, the tire or vehicle manufacturers, I can say from my five years in the tire business that I have absolutely NO DOUBT that the tire companies know better. the vehicle manufacturers primary concern regarding tire pressures is usually comfort. they want their customers to experience a smooth comfortable ride when test driving and during the warranty period. this explains why the sticker suggests a mere 30 psi for the fronts, where the driver is. meanwhile, the combined stresses of both steering and supporting the weight of the engine, when applied to any tire running at least 2 psi low (ie at 30 instead of 32 - on a tire with a 35 max psi, 32 is considered minimum for most conditions) means that the front tires will wear out significantly sooner than the rears (that is, if you never rotate them). if you follow proper rotating maintenance, then you will shorten the lives of all 4 tires by some degree, as each tire will spend about half of its time up front and underinflated.

final note: the maximum tire pressure as stated on a given tire is also generally the optimum pressure for longest life and best traction. however, there is some leeway: you can drop the pressure by about 10% if you feel you want a smoother ride (ie from 35 to 32). but again, all the above factors should be taken into consideration to determine appropriate pressures.

also J, there was a long thread about tire pressures in this forum some months back. I know the search function is disabled, but you should look back through the back pages and find it, there was some good info there.

12-18-2003, 10:46 PM	#23 (permalink)
Sion Dumb all over...a little ugly on the side Location: In the room where the giant fire puffer works, and the torture never stops.	J, the one thing that just about everyone in this thread seems to be forgetting is that with tires, everything is a compromise, a trade-off. This applies to tire pressures as well as tire selection in the first place. for example, if you want the longest lasting tires there are, you WILL be sacrificing in other areas, most noticeably wet traction. if you want the best traction, you WILL be sacrificing longevity. the same kinds of considerations apply when determining the best pressure at which to run a given set of tires. the final and most important factor is (I think) this: what do you want out of the tires? do you want them to last long, grip best, or give you the smoothest ride? other factors that come into play include: -exactly what tire do you have on the vehicle (brand, model and size) -how you drive (aggressive vs passive) -where you drive (climate considerations) -how much and how often do you load the vehicle (including both the rear cargo area as well as towing) -how much of your driving is city vs highway vs offroad -the nature of the roads you drive most often (straight vs curvy, flat vs hilly) as well as their general conditions (smooth or pothole filled) with the relatively small amount of info that you have provided here, I'd say your best bet is to put the fronts at 35 and the rears at 32. (this assumes that you have a tire brand/model/size on the vehicle that is appropriate to your needs). as for the debate as to who knows better, the tire or vehicle manufacturers, I can say from my five years in the tire business that I have absolutely NO DOUBT that the tire companies know better. the vehicle manufacturers primary concern regarding tire pressures is usually comfort. they want their customers to experience a smooth comfortable ride when test driving and during the warranty period. this explains why the sticker suggests a mere 30 psi for the fronts, where the driver is. meanwhile, the combined stresses of both steering and supporting the weight of the engine, when applied to any tire running at least 2 psi low (ie at 30 instead of 32 - on a tire with a 35 max psi, 32 is considered minimum for most conditions) means that the front tires will wear out significantly sooner than the rears (that is, if you never rotate them). if you follow proper rotating maintenance, then you will shorten the lives of all 4 tires by some degree, as each tire will spend about half of its time up front and underinflated. final note: the maximum tire pressure as stated on a given tire is also generally the optimum pressure for longest life and best traction. however, there is some leeway: you can drop the pressure by about 10% if you feel you want a smoother ride (ie from 35 to 32). but again, all the above factors should be taken into consideration to determine appropriate pressures. also J, there was a long thread about tire pressures in this forum some months back. I know the search function is disabled, but you should look back through the back pages and find it, there was some good info there. __________________ He's the best, of course, of all the worst. Some wrong been done, he done it first. -fz I jus' want ta thank you...falettinme...be mice elf...agin...