Hi,
Just remember that NHTSA mandates that the Manufacturers Stickers list the Tire Pressures
ONLY for a
Fully Loaded Vehicle - an aftermath of the Firestone/Ford Explorer fiasco.
All the Ford Explorer claims were from Cars which were running Underinflated Tires - common to clearly 40% of all cars on the Road today. Apparently, the NHTSA wants us all to err on the High Side.
This means it assumes an Adult Driver and Passenger,
Full Fuel Tank and both Trunks
loaded to capacity, incl. Tools and Spare. As much as 600-700lbs. heavier than you may actually be running.
If you're not consistently running with this Load, your Tires will be waay Overinflated for your Daily Use and the Car will not Handle the way it was intended.
Tire pressure, once beyond the minimum, is truly a matter of Personal Choice, There is no Right or Wrong. You need to find a Pressure which satisfies You, your Driving Style, your usual Routes, and the Conditions of the Roads you drive. This means, you should experiment with several different Pressures within a range to see which one you like the most.
A couple of guidelines:
- 30PSI is the minimum Tire Pressure you should run (Personally, with 18" Turbo I Wheels and low profile Tires, I stay at 32PSI to minimize the risk of damaging a Rim from Pot Holes and other Road flaws).
You will want generally a minimum of 2PSI more in your Rear Tires than the Fronts to minimize Understeer.
Pressures up to 40PSI are OK, but the closer you get to this Mark, the more wear will occur to the Centerline of the Tire Tread vs the Sides, and the more Twitchy the Steering will feel, Braking may also be slightly adversely affected.
Use an accurate, digital gauge and always measure the Tires when Cold, meaning at least 5 hours since the Car was last driven, preferably overnight.
If consistently Driving mid-long distances in Hot weather, tend toward slightly lower pressures - 1-2PSI as your Tire Pressure increases as the Tires heat up. This also applies to sessions where you'll be Rockin' & Rollin', say spirited drives through the Twistys
Hope this helps...
Happy Motoring!... Jim'99