Quote:
Originally Posted by orange4boy
That Tire and Rim Association paper lists the MINIMUM pressures for each load. MINIMUM. Then in a note on the very next page it states this:
In other words up to max sidewall is perfectly safe. Black and White from the Tire and Rim Association.
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It's safe to over-inflate, as long as you don't take it to extremes.
Typically my tires are rated at either 28 or 32 PSI and I inflate to about 35. With any more than that the ride becomes too harsh for our bumpy roads.
There are two drawbacks to over-inflation: one is the ride, which will be harder, the more the tires are over-inflated. (If you don't live in pothole land, this may not bother you.) The other is that the car may not handle properly. About 15 years ago I bought a used '89 Celica. The car was very well maintained, but after owning it a few days I noticed the handling was weird; mechanical checks showed nothing wrong. Within the first month I checked the tire pressures and found they were inflated to around 45 PSI. I reduced the pressure to about 35 and then the car handled perfectly. (And I kept the car happily for the next 16 years.)