Tire pressure
 

Does everyone use the tire pressure rating that is on the sticker on the SVX or the tire itself, I have the stock tires and all 225/50/16 it says 28lbs in the rear and 33lbs in the front to me that is sort of low tire pressure for the weight of this vehicle, is there a update on this somewhere or is this correct.
Thanks Art

I run a little higher than spec: 38 front/33 rear. That's with a stock-sized, all-season touring tire.

dcb

I run about the same pressure as you do. (38 front/33 rear) That seems to be about right. :)

Mine says 29 in the rear. I run them at 31/35.;)

I use the numbers on the tire itself, which are around 40psi, but if I had stock diameter tires I would still use the tire's numbers.

You can always eyeball the sidewalls to see if your pressure is good.

Ohh ok ohh boy i deal with this every day at my tire shop...

1. NEVER inflate your tire to the pressure it says on the tire! that is a very bad idea... early seporation will occor that number is the MAX the tire it self can handle

2. you can NOT tell by eyeballing the side wall that is a bad idea that leads people to fill their tires with 60+ pounds of air (no joke i see it once a week)

3. dont even think of going over 35 psi unless you own a 3/4 ton truck when your tires get hot the pressure can increase to over 40 psi (the max psi the tire can handle.. at this point a blow out may occur)

IF you really think the stock tire pressure is inacurate then there is a test that can be done

put a puddle of water down on a level surface like a drive way or parking lot start with the stock recomendations and drive over the water.. messure the tred width it should match up with the width of the tire (225 mm) if its too wide add air and repeat if its too narrow drop the pressure and repeat.. do the same thing with the back tires.. this test is a little pointless because you should get the same numbers as the factory did because they ran simalir tests when figuring out proper air pressure

Separation of what?
When?
You can tell if they are as low as 25lbs, and no one with sense would over pump their tires by 20-30lbs. :rolleyes:
These tires are tall enough the sidewalls flare at less than 36psi. I could tell by looking at my front left tire it was low. I went to the pump and it was indeed 4-5lbs low. I brought it up to 40psi, which is what Sears filled it to when they installed them.

I assumed we were talking to people that aren't stupid about tires.

[QUOTE=NikFu S.]Separation of what?
When?
the tire is made up of diffent lairs of tred they can separate and cause what looks like a baseball coming out of your tire

You can tell if they are as low as 25lbs, and no one with sense would over pump their tires by 20-30lbs. :rolleyes:

its a conundrum.. any one with sence should have a tire guage in their car to begin with...

These tires are tall enough the sidewalls flare at less than 36psi. I could tell by looking at my front left tire it was low. I went to the pump and it was indeed 4-5lbs low. I brought it up to 40psi, which is what Sears filled it to when they installed them.

its not the hight of a tire... i could tell when my geo tires were low easyer then my svx tires... why? because svxs have a lower profile tire... that makes the side wall harder... so you are able to tell when the tire is underinflated but not when it is over inflated

I assumed we were talking to people that aren't stupid about tires.

the thing is that 99% of the population is ingnorant about tires... its a very unknowen thing in the automotive industry... even the most skilled master techs really dont know squat about tires...

Based on years of experience racing cars on normal production tyres I believe I can state with authority :-

Published figures are only a very broad guide and should not be strictly adhered to. These figures can at best be nothing more than a guide.

Factors relating to, car weight, loading, road surfaces, city commuting/highway driving, racing, driver preferences, wear factor, rim width, etc. all come into the equation. The sales pitch of sellers is of no account, the wear factor being their major interest.

Observing the side wall deflection most certainly IS a very good method of accessing the results of ones judgement. It is a true indication of the expected deflection of the side walls. An accurate final assessment and choice can not be made by anyone other than the driver. Accepted that this should be made intelligently.

Higher
 

I run 40lbs in my Z rated tires.
Lee

Most certainly you can inflate to the maximum pressure and run them there for the entire life span of the tire. (which will be quite lengthy if you keep them there) The 32psi rule went out with the subaru brat.

I would NEVER run a tire at 32 psi if the maximum inflation is higher. (this is my personal choice)

Now as Trevor suggested if your personal taste if different then adjust them down but not too much. Underinflation can cause the tire to overheat and fail.

Case in point. The original tires on my wifes galant clocked 64k miles before I replaced them. I ran them at the max pressure. These were 50k tires. No signs of any problem other than normal treadwear.

I should add that my advice was meant for the street, not a race car. Racing is an entirely different story.

An important point has been made. If in doubt, lean towards a higher pressure. In fact you will probably enjoy the experience if you appreciate the feel of better handling.

the main issue im seeing here is every one is running to high of pressure causing reduced traction when a tire is over inflated it dosent make full contact with the ground

Not exacly so. Motor racing teaches that raising the pressure within reason, reduces the sidewall flexing and keeps more effectivec tread on the road. What is more, a car with under inflated tyres (tires) is a very nasty beast liable to kill. One can always do something via the steering wheel in a case of over inflation. A car rolling on the rims, via the tyres is very bad news.