Quote:
Originally Posted by bikin' Ed
Years ago, when employed by a certain US tire maker headquartered in Akron, OH, I was told that passenger tires had to be able to withstand 15% mor load and 15% more pressure than what is posted on the sidewall. This was not the manufacturer's, but rather DOT"s testing requirement. Based on that info I have always pumped my tires to the max on the sidewall.  |
Sorry, but the DOT regulations specify a test that uses the load that is written on the sidewall (called the rated load) and its corresponding pressure (called the rated pressure), but the regulations only specify the tire has to MEET that rated load / rated pressure combination per the conditions of the test. It is common for tire manufacturers to have an internal acceptance level that is higher for the load (once the test starts, you don't change the pressure), but the regulations are moot on this point.
BTW, there is a disagreement between tire manufacturers concerning what the regulations say about what pressure should be imprinted on the sidewall of a tire. As a result, you will see different pressures for what are essentially the same tires. What is written on the sidewall of a tire is also based on a note in the tire standardizing load tables and is usually higher than the rated pressure (keeping in mind the disagreement mentioned above).