44 psi vs. 32 psi and costs

[KrautBurner]

I've noticed that most cars running "factory" pressure have tires that indicate underinflation (heavy wear on both the inside and outside shoulder)
but 44psi (when the car calls for 32) seems high

my GTi got great wear at 36 front 38 rear
my GTO is doing well at 36/36

[Fat Charlie]

The car can call for anything it wants. 44 psi is only high if the sidewall number is below it.

[Saskwatchian]

Originally Posted by Fat Charlie

The car can call for anything it wants. 44 psi is only high if the sidewall number is below it.

No, 44 psi is high if tires don't have enough load on them and/or your suspension relies on some tire deformation. 35 psi worked better than 45 psi for me, that's on tires rated for 65 PSI. At 50 psi they were getting so bouncy it was dangerous so I backed them off.

[ecomodded]

for me 35lbs in the tires is like having a parachute on, i have been using 50psi in my 44psi tires for 25000km and my tires are worn perfectly - even without tire rotations.

I suspect the added agility and coasting abilities of a 50psi tire is to much of a change for some people after slugging around at 35 psi for years and years.
When I first moved my tires to 50psi it felt like the car had way too much sensitivity, now that I'm used to it(it does take 1 or 2 weeks) I feel secure and nimble on the road.

I credit my great fuel economy to 50psi in the tires and my low rpm driving technique.

[SoobieOut]

I wonder about the safety of old tires with these 80K+ mile warrantees. Remember the actor killed in a Porsche accident, they are now blaming the crash on 9 year old tires (and driving too fast).

So replacing the tires every 4 or 5 years is a good thing for safety.

[euromodder]

I'm running 43.5 psi on a 2050 lbs car - over that and it gets bouncy.

The 32 psi recommended by VW felt like driving around with a supertanker's anchor dragging on 5 miles of chain.

Even wear so far.

[Xist]

Originally Posted by MorphDaCivic

I wonder about the safety of old tires with these 80K+ mile warrantees. Remember the actor killed in a Porsche accident, they are now blaming the crash on 9 year old tires (and driving too fast).

So replacing the tires every 4 or 5 years is a good thing for safety.

That and not driving too fast.

[serialk11r]

I think it depends on the car. My MR2 doesn't seem to coast much better from adding more psi, so I keep it about 8 psi higher than the door sticker (26/32 front/rear I'm at 35/40 ish), which is about the worst ride comfort I'll tolerate. I don't think it really saves much gas but the psychological effect that makes me think I'm saving gas is good enough that I will tolerate the bumpier ride.

My parent's Honda Pilot calls for something stupidly low like 26psi, and one time I secretly pumped them up to 35. Coasting distance was way better, but ride quality did suffer a little, not much though.

[Xist]

My problem is that whenever I take my car somewhere, they "fix" my tire pressure.

[Joggernot]

Originally Posted by Xist

My problem is that whenever I take my car somewhere, they "fix" my tire pressure.

=
+1
I've gotten the checking and filling of my tires down to a 5 minute or less job at the local station. That is, after I find the $1 in quarters...