How far over MFR recommended for pressure is ok w/o destroying tires?
 

I obviously want high MPG 's. I want to pump up my tires a bit but not ruin them. What is considered a safe PSI increase without making the tires bald in the center as a result and not setting off the tire pressure monitoring system.

Factory specs: 32 PSI

Maximum sidewall pressure. It will have this rating on the tire itself.

If I am not mistaken, I believe the folks around here recommend to inflate to the maximum recommended number found on the sidewall of the tires on your vehicle, or there abouts. AFAIK no one recommends overinflation as this is actually dangerous and could cause injury or even death should a tire fail. Raise pressure yes but don't exceed max pressure on your sidewalls.:D

As for what pressure to run. There definitely is a diminishing effect as you raise it higher. Darin did some testing a while back that illustrates this very well.

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tire-2721.html

Crikes it says 44 PSI. Seems like a lot? But I'll try half that amount, split the difference..... Thx

I've read a few times that tires are burst tested to ~200 psi. Not that you want to drive around at that because bumps might be an issue, but they can handle a lot more than we give them credit for. I know at least a few people who have ran around at 70 psi in their tires...

I've been running 44 in mine since I got it. Feels great.

Alright... I'm going all out. With 25k on the tires I can't lose much... So it's 44 PSI. I just wonder about the tire pressure monitoring system going off? Thoughts?

YIKES!!!:turtle:

I've reprogrammed a couple 1500 silverados that people put LT tires on so that it treats 50psi as the correct pressure. If it's possible on your car I would assume you will have to have a dealership set up the module watching the monitors with the pressure you want. If they can, I'm guessing they'll probably want to charge you an hour labor to do it. Alternatively, you could set your tires to 44, and let a pound out a day until your tire light goes out.

Have 60 in the Cobalt, my Harbor Freight filter/gauge said 50 when I topped them off last weekend. Tpms says closer to 60, guess I need a new gauge.

The tires can handle a lot of pressure. The rating stamped on the tire is perfectly safe. If even 0.1% couldn't handle that pressure, the tire makers would be facing hundreds or thousands of lawsuits. So they overbuild them on purpose.

Right now I'm down to 50 psi all around.

I know several racers who will race on conventional V, Z, and ZR-rated tires at up to 90psi. While I wouldn't recommend that on city streets, it does make me a little more comfortable going a few psi over the sidewall max.

I periodically thought my tires looked low, as radials tend to, with my first car, around 2,001. I did not have a tire gauge and the gas stations that I used did not either. After a while, someone that one of my tires was splitting. It turned out that I had it at 50 psi, the steel radials were exposed in the middle, and one side of the tire was larger than the other.

Maybe they were only rated for 32 PSI, like my Forester tires.

Someone on here figured out that wearing out the tires slightly faster was more than compensated by improved mileage, but I do not know that I would be able to find that thread now.

they are STEEL belted, they wont wear in the center.
I ran 44psi on the Q45 for 4 sets of tires over 200,000 miles. Never had inappropriate wear.

On my 2011 Fiesta I ran sidewall max, 44 PSI, on the original tires (Kuhmo Solus) that came on the car new. At just over 30k miles, when I sold the car, the tires looked to me that they would easily do another 30k and there was no sign of any uneven tire wear. Thats 27k miles with no problem whatsoever.

regards
mech

I run the tires on my F-250 at 70 PSI. (sidewall max is 80) It rides like a wagon on dirt roads, but it handles quite well on smooth pavement. Can't tell if it's improved my fuel economy. I only drive it about 3K miles/year.
I've been running the tires on my Mustang @ 50 PSI (sidewall max is 51) for the last 3 months. It hasn't made a significant difference in MPG vs 40 PSI. (less than 0.06 MPG - 0.19% difference; and there was even less difference between 35 and 40 PSI) I'll be setting them at 35 PSI before I go to work Monday morning. A harsh ride isn't worth an improvement of less than 0.1 MPG.

I set our tires to about 10% below sidewall max to account for the pressure increase when warm.

Last time I had the wifes car to discount tire they were amazed at the wear. Right at 2/32 in 18k miles.

Mine say 44 but I run 48 cold and they sit 50-52 when it's 100F+ outside.

In my camaro I run recommended on all 4. It's more of a spirited driving car so I prefer some sidewall movement

In my wife's 2006 silverado 2500 4x4 we run 60 psi which is low for the 285/75/16 tires if I remember correctly. I have tried to over inflate them but the truck feels like its going to fall apart on rough roads because there is no sidewall cushion for all the weight of the chassis.

My first hx was running 45 psi on Douglas tires and felt like the silverado did, harsh ride on small bumps. These michelin defenders on my current hx ride amazing at 45psi and feel like I'm still driving on stock pressure.


When I first started reading here it was recommended no more than 10% over max psi, so that's usually what I go with

First, I am not a fan of using elevated inflation pressures, but I understand why some are.

Second, there isn't a solid answer to your question. Some folks have reported center wear on elevated inflation pressures below the max pressure - and some have reported even wear on considerably higher pressures. I think this means there is some additional factor driving the wear (in addition to the inflation pressure) .

I would urge caution. There have been reports of traction issues as well when using elevated inflation pressures.

Sidewall max in the winter 5-10psi over in the summer.