What PSI do you run on your tires?

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by Daschicken

Buying bulk gas cheap sounds like a pretty good idea, but that requires preparation, a large initial investment, and continuous maintenance of a large gas tank. I'm sure it could save money given a long enough payoff period, but its probably more than most want to do.

Also, the manufacturer recommended tire pressure is usually set to optimize comfort above all else. If I followed the recommended pressure, the edges of my tires would be bald by now. I run 51 front, 47 rear. The tire pictured is a front tire with 3-4 /32nds of tread remaining. The edge wear is still outpacing the center tread. It has been run its whole life at high pressures, but has been rotated several times already.






Unsafe handling is on a per vehicle basis. I get plenty of grip and predictability at high pressures.

Underinflation also ruins tires and can screw up handling.

Tire tread edge wear is poor driving.

No one advocates underinflation. This isn’t 1973. Nor should overinflation be promoted. There’s no savings involved.

How often do you rotate tire position? In over 100k miles I might rotate once.

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[slowmover]

Originally Posted by Fat Charlie

You mean like the dangerously low pressure that Ford specified for the Explorer?

Ancient history. The industry (car & tire makers) changed standards more than a decade ago.

You may as well tell us about Firestone 500 tires for all the relevance involved.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by RedDevil

I just wrote what I experienced. I don't see anything wrong with it.
Car tires are typically run at way lower pressure than truck tires, hence, the effect on wear can be way different than what you believe.
The advised pressure on my car is way below max tire wall. I don't advise going above max tire wall.

I think my (heart related only) medication is fine. If you have reason to believe medication affects post quality, why don't you take your own advice?

The amount of pressure is per vehicle and tire type. But the goal is the same: pressure equalization.

The absolute values don’t have relevance as a comparison.

Over or under isn't good. There’s a minimum, to be sure. One tests for it. Do you not know the values for your vehicle tires? Empty, or loaded to maximum there is a valid range of corrected pressure. What are the highs and lows?

1). Tire manufacturers Load & Pressure Table.
2). Vehicle manufacturers range of acceptable pressures.

#1 is a reference for #2. Put the vehicle on a segmented scale (weigh bridge) and get the values per axle. Better, get them for each wheel position. As the heaviest wheel determines the axle value.

Which tire on each axle was heaviest? Under what condition of vehicle load?

There is a baseline. Valid testing can’t be done otherwise. Just setting to a number isn’t acceptable where longest life, lowest cost per mile, and greatest risk reduction are the key factors.

FE isn’t valid. It’s an only an outcome.

FE is tire design. Then operator skill (to promote longest life). “Skill” is in knowing first the pressure envelope, then adjusting operationally.

Must be nice to be able to afford to throw away tires.

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[Daschicken]

Originally Posted by slowmover

How often do you rotate tire position? In over 100k miles I might rotate once.

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For this set it ended up being every 10K miles.

[Fat Charlie]

Originally Posted by slowmover

Ancient history. The industry (car & tire makers) changed standards more than a decade ago.

If manufacturers cared about efficiency or safety...

All these specifications are set by people who care more about the reactions of a focus group or the impact on their next quarterly report than anything else. The Explorer is just a well known, well documented example of the problem. Everything about the vehicle sucked on purpose and it turned fatal. The only thing that's really changed is that the suckage doesn't kill many people any more, but that's hardly a ringing endorsement.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by Fat Charlie

If manufacturers cared about efficiency or safety...

All these specifications are set by people who care more about the reactions of a focus group or the impact on their next quarterly report than anything else. The Explorer is just a well known, well documented example of the problem. Everything about the vehicle sucked on purpose and it turned fatal. The only thing that's really changed is that the suckage doesn't kill many people any more, but that's hardly a ringing endorsement.

You might try paying attention. (Second time). The current Explorer has no relation to the old one. It’s used as high speed pursuit across the country. It’s not a Charger, but next to nothing is. As an SUV, it’s impressive against any style vehicle.

Looking for ways to endorse an ancient opinion needs better examples.

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[Fat Charlie]

A different generation of an overweight, unmaneuverable vehicle does not indicate a change in corporate philosophy, especially when that corporation and most of its peers have gone more deeply into the overweight and unmaneuverable segment.

I just pointed to the Explorer as a very well documented instance of where that thought process cost lives, not as a current vehicle that's dangerous.

[IsaacCarlson]

Legal issues aside, tire pressure can have significant effect on fuel economy.

If I set my tires to 32-34 psi, I get 20 mpg if I'm lucky.
At 38 psi, I can get about 22mpg.
At 44 I get 24-25 mpg.
These are winter numbers. Summer mpg figures are a bit better, sometimes touching 30 mpg.

This has been the case with every vehicle I have had. Not the exact numbers, but the relation of psi and mpg. Handling and responsiveness also increased with psi.

[101Volts]

35 Cold, 39 Hot in the 1990 Grand Marquis Wagon. Not much but it's a rare pleasure cruise driver in which I want to feel relaxed.

41 Cold, 45 Hot for my Explorer.

36 Cold, 40 Hot in the Impala since it's Mom's Car.

76 Cold, 80 Hot in the Suburban all around (they're truck tires) but I should lower that; the tread wear was too much in the center.

[Piotrsko]

70 front 55 rear unloaded in F250, 40 front 36 rear Golf, 45 all 4 in Ranger.

All based on actual 100% tread contact with road.