Tire over inflation problem
 

I've been running 60psi for the past few weeks and noticed this tonight:
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...n/IMG_1381.jpg

So deflate or see how long I can go without issue? :p

What is it? I can't really tell, does the tire dip in?

if the tire is just dipping in (like a valley) then it is nothing to worry about, that is where the material inside the tire overlaps and so it restricts the outward expansion of the sidewall. if that is a bulge that we are seeing than the plies in the sidewall might be seperating or have an internal leak at which point you would need the tires to be replaced

I had two tires split at the valve stem. One actually started to leak so badly that I had to change the tire.
My max PSI is rated at 44PSI on the sidewall, and I was running 55 PSI, but on the day of the tire failure, I filled them to around 55 or so ........... and found out later how inaccurate that tire guages can be. I was actually at around 65- 70 + PSI.
( So it's a good idea to check the pressure with more than one guage. )

In my particular case, both tires failed at the valve stem. In your case, it appears to be the tire itself. I would deflate to normal levels and have a tire shop check the tire.
Better to do that then to put you life, as well as others in danger for a few pennies worth of gas.

I have seen similar marks on tires before that were at normal PSI levels. It may be common actually , and something that you only notice in certain lighting conditions.
I actually had this sort of mark on the tires that I used before my current set.
It always bothered me.
I would get a second opinion from an expert.

Stay safe !

60 PSI ? What is the max. sidewall rating ?

All of my Sumitomo tires have had that bump on their sides from day one, just an artifact of the manufacturing process. I've been running 60 psi in them since I got them last June with no problems.

Sidewall max temperature is 51 psi.
The two pressure gauges I have read the same amount, albeit they are both rather shoddy.

Sorry I couldn't manage to get a better picture of it, but yes it's just a little dip in the sidewall that runs the height of the tire.

nothing to worry about then, i've seen thousands of tires do that (used to work in a tire shop), its all in how its made and not a defect.

a good gauge is a must ,,, i like to look at cold and warm/hot readings on my truck

I'd like to correct the terminology a bit: I wouldn't say that was a tire failure at all. The valve stem and tires themselves are physically separate items. Sounds like a valve stem failure, not a tire failure.

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My Accord also had a set of tires with the "dip" in all four sidewalls. I don't think the Goodyears on the Flea have them though.

Out of curiosity, have you checked the pressure when hot?

I would like to see that figure too. But the higher the cold state pressure, the lower the hot state pressure differential, as there is less deformation thus less heat.

You could also say that the higher pressure would cause less grip and more sliding thus more heat.

But this is why I'd love to see the cold and hot pressures

Yesterday 3 tires were at 60, rear right was at 58.
Upon arrival (26 miles later) I was at 62-63 on the 3 and about 60-61 on the rear right.
Didn't check cool taking off, but measured when I arrived home and it had remained consistent with earlier that afternoon.

This is using your typical freebie pen style air pressure gauge.

Looking to buy a dial or digital styled one, but its hard to find one with good reviews for accuracy. The highest rated one I've found maxes out at 60 so a lot of good that will do me.

I use a Accutire digital pressure gauge. Its very nice and I hear very accurate.

Campbell Hausfeld au1100
 

I just picked this up at Wal-Mart (only $7) this weekend and I love it! I know it's pretty cheap, but it tests well against my other gauges. It ranges from 5-99 PSI in .1 PSI increments although, I've only tested it in the 40-50 PSI range.

Differences from CH gauge:
stick: +/- .5 PSI
dial: - 2-3 PSI
digital gauge on my Craftsman air compressor: + 4-5 PSI
tire pressure sensors in the Jeep: + 1-2 PSI

I went a little overboard when you guys started talking about your gauges being inaccurate, but I only purchased this gauge and the dial recently. (~$15 for the two) I've been gradually raising the pressure in my tires over the last several weeks. The sidewall rating is 35 PSI. They started at about 34, then I raised them to 44-45 after about a week. Recently I raised them up to 48-49. When I was running 44-45 I did a one way trip of ~60 miles about 90% interstate @70MPH. Warm pressure was 47-48.

I thought you all might find a couple of my experiences helpful.

I just noticed the sides on a couple of my truck tires have that ripple in the side at four unequally spaced places. These are rated 85 PSI. But it looks suspicious to me.
Gage accuracy is a big deal. I find most are off at least 5 psi.

Now I know it has been said that modern tires resist deforming due to higher pressures, having to do with the steel belts and all, but after raising my current tires to just 45psi Cold I have noticed that I am no longer riding on the full tread pattern. The furthermost tread on the tire is only riding half on and half off the road. I can tell because the tread is darker on the outside and lighter on the rest of the tire.

At what point will this affect my tire wear?

Right on !:cool:

Well, you have way more weight on the middle of the tire so it is wearing out faster. Now tires these days last an incredibley long time, the hard slippery tires on my tracker have 65,000 miles on them and might have lost 1/3 of their original depth. Realistically I think tires should be replaced more often so "prematurely" wearing out the middle isn't a bad thing, it gives you an excuse to buy new tires again.
Ian