Correct tire pressure

Maintenance/Repairs
1

Question: What are the recommend tire pressure for a: tire with a max psi of 35 psi, tire with a max psi of 44psi. I have a mid-size car, nothing high performance, average load and use. One opinion is to keep the pressure around 32 on all tires. I like to keep it 3-4 lbs under max psi for allowance for heat expansion. And a litter closer to max in the winter times. Thank you for any comments.

2

[b]The pressure you see on the tires is the max pressure the tire manufacturer recommends for that tire. That’s because that tire can be used on many different vehicles. And different vehicles have different tire pressure specs from the car manufacturer. So what you see on the sidewall of tire for max pressure is not what what the tire pressure should be for your vehicle.

Somewhere on the vehicle is a placard that reflects what the tire pressures should be from the vehicle manufacturer. This can usually be found on the drivers door jamb. So open the drivers door and see if there’s a placard that reflects the proper tire pressures. And these are the pressures to follow.

Tester

3

Why not just follow manufacturer’s recommendations?

4

The correct tyre pressure is based on the car and the tyre size and not the make or model tyre.

The car’s owner’s manual should list the recommended pressure for the standard size(s) tyres. It may also be listed on a sticker in the glove box or under the gas filler lid.

The [b]maximum[/b] number you see on the tyre only tells you that if you need to put more pressure in the tyre than listed on the side of the tyre, you have a tyres that are not safe for your car.
5

It also appears that you have another misconception:

ALL tire pressures are “cold” - tire has not been operated for at least 1 1/2 hours and the temperature of the tire is the same as the surrounding air.

There is one exception to this: Pressure buildup - the difference between “cold” and the operating pressure. This is the only time that hot pressure is refered to. What is printed on the sidewall is a maximum “cold” pressure - and it includes consideration for pressure buildup.