Glad you’re happy with your tires. Although with the rent in your area, seems like a couple hundred bucks for a pair of tires is a drop in the bucket.
@ok4450 I always wonder about wages in areas where housing costs are so low. At $50,000 fora house like you describe it would seem like any $25/hr flat rate mechanic could afford a house and a stay at home wife. What does an average, garden-variety decent tech with 10-15 years experience earn around there?
I worked at a tire shop years ago. We would look at the driver and decide how much pressure to put in. If he was an old fart he got 26 or 28 psi for a softer ride and a young person got 32 psi. Personally I always inflate my tires to the pressure molded into the rubber sidewall. That and rotating the tires with every oil change usually gives me 90k miles on even a 70k rated tire. I’m on my third set of tires on my 2000 Chevy Venture minivan with 210k on it now.
“I worked at a tire shop years ago. We would look at the driver and decide how much pressure to put in. If he was an old fart he got 26 or 28 psi for a softer ride and a young person got 32 psi.”
That is extremely disappointing
People pay good money for the tire shop to install a set of new tires . . . and then they won’t even put in the car manufacturer’s recommended tire pressure, which is listed on the door jamb AND in the owner’s manual
Setting tire pressure according to what the driver looks like is about as unscientific as it gets
That is exactly why you need to double check everything after any work is done . . . if you are able to double check it, that is
Did I miss you saying you would do regular tire rotations with your new tires ? . Even if you do it just once a year, it helps. Instead of just a replacement strategy, a new maintenance strategy would be helpful too that included regular rotations.
I agree it isn’t approved anymore. This was back in the 1970’s and I don’t remember if cars had the pressure posted on the driver door back then. We did it to avoid call backs and it seemed effective. The older folks would complain about a harsh ride and lower pressure always solved it.
I think it’s odd that people post to follow manufacturer PSI settings…and then use the Explorer fiasco as an illustration. That was a case of the mfr being wrong, and the tire mfr being right, about PSI!
What nobody mentioned is thatoad rating is based on TIRE psi: if your tire says “2200lbs at 44psi,” then every PSI below 44 you go, you LOSE 50#!
If I’m towing heavy in my truck, HECK YEAH I’m pumping my tires up to the sidewall PSI, no matter the doorjam! Not to do so compromises my load carrying capacity.
I’m glad to hear this occurred 40 years ago
Meanjoe75fan said: “…I think it’s odd that people post to follow manufacturer PSI settings…and then use the Explorer fiasco as an illustration. That was a case of the mfr being wrong, and the tire mfr being right, about PSI!..”
Sorry, but while the pressure was arguably low it was still within the bounds of what was being used at the time. I discuss the whole issue here and even show that the placard inflation pressure was capable of handling the load:
Barry’s Tire Tech - The Ford / Firestone Controversy
Ergo, while it could be argued that Ford could have done a better job on the inflation pressure, the inflation pressure was NOT the cause of the tire problems.
Fender1325 said: "…Woweeeee! I did say never ever inflate over max pressure - that does not mean “inflate it to what it says on the sidewall…”
No, but you did say: “…I think you should follow what it says on the sidewall of the tire…”
And that is what people were pointing to as wrong.
Fender1325 said: “…I suppose my thinking is because on my old mustang i went from a 16 inch rim to an 18 with lower profile tires and that changed the whole thing. I can see if you go with OEM sizing itd be better to follow the door jamb pressure instructions. I still however disagree with adding 2-3 lbs over the manufacturer’s instructions on this one. …”
And you are correct about changing tire sizes - that it changes the inflation pressure - but you are wrong about using the sidewall pressure even in that case. The whole procedure is way too complicated to explain in a single post. Let’s just leave it at: If you change tire size, you need to recalculate the inflation pressure, but if you are using the same size, use what is on the placard.
It’s been my experience that auto repair shops and tire shops in general don’t bother to look up the specified pressure, they just use the number they have been using for the last 10 years!, be it 28 or 30 or 32 PSI.
My repair shop uses 32 PSI always. The local JiffyLube uses 28 PSI (back when I was foolish enough to go there) and they argued that that was the correct procedure. etc.
Bottom line, always check the pressure after any service and correct it.
b
“It’s been my experience that auto repair shops and tire shops in general don’t bother to look up the specified pressure, they just use the number they have been using for the last 10 years!, be it 28 or 30 or 32 PSI.”
Absolutely correct, and therein lies the source of some of the handling issues and resulting accidents with the old Corvairs. Owing to both the rear engine design and the unfortunate decision to use swing axles, the Corvair only handled curves and wet roads safely if the tires were inflated as specified by GM, ergo 18 lbs front/30 lbs rear–which was a VERY unusual inflation bias.
Most cars in those days called for 26 lbs all around, and as a result mechanics–and even most Chevrolet dealerships–tended to inflate a Corvair’s tires to 26 lbs all around. The result was that the steering response was very good, and this led to drivers taking turns faster than they would have if the steering response had been the slowed-down version that GM intended with that very low 18 lbs in the front. Then, while taking a curve a bit too fast, the underinflated rear tires had a tendency to roll-over from the tread to the sidewall, thus losing traction.
These problems were eliminated to a very great extent with the second generation Corvairs, which had articulated rear axles, but it was still at least somewhat important to maintain an unusual front/rear inflation bias if you wanted optimum handling.
In those days, there was no requirement for a door jamb label listing inflation pressures (You know–one of those “onerous” government regulations), so those critically important inflation pressures were buried in the Owner’s Manual, which everyone–including GM–knew that many people never read. In the case of the Corvair, GM should have placed a notice on the driver’s sun visor regarding tire pressures, but they failed to do this–despite the fact that they saw fit to place notifications about much more trivial issues (such as how to operate the heater) on the sun visor of many of their cars.
So, the “dangerous” Corvair could have been rendered into a much safer car if GM had seen fit to spend…maybe…20 cents per car on a cardboard sun visor sleeve listing inflation pressures, and if mechanics and tire shops had been more diligent, rather than just using the same tire pressures that they put into everyone’s car.
"In those days, there was no requirement for a door jamb label listing inflation pressures (You know–one of those “onerous” government regulations), so those critically important inflation pressures were buried in the Owner’s Manual, which everyone–including GM–knew that many people never read."
Sorry, I 100% disagree with you.
It is simple folly to say…oh, you can’t expect people to read the OWNERS MANUAL. Give me a break!
What if a pilot aguered in a 777 due to not reading the MUCH LARGER volume of information he’s required to commit to memory…probably about 15% of his own body weight in standard print, is my estimate? What about a CDL holder who takes out a school bus due to unfamiliarity with the intricacies of air brakes?
The problem with “idiot-proofing” everything is that God just starts making better idiots. It also creates a dangerous scenario in which people stop taking affirmative steps to promote their own safety, assuming that “somebody’s” got it covered.
I would rather have an interior uncluttered with boilerplate, and would gladly assume ALL of the inherent duties of assuring my and my passengers’ safety. (In return I’d want a higher degree of authority, akin to a captain of a ship or aircraft.)
USAAS was the beginnig of the dumbing down of the American motorist, and all of the relinquishing of personal responsibilty, autonomy, and authority since.
“It is simple folly to say…oh, you can’t expect people to read the OWNERS MANUAL”
I am very disappointed in you, meanjoe.
If you have been in this forum as long as I have, you should know that I am VERY critical of people who don’t read their Owner’s Manual, and who don’t adhere to the advice contained therein. In fact, I have little tolerance for those people.
I DO expect people to read their Owner’s Manual, and I find it very sad and dismaying that so many folks fail to do so, and–as a result–never get the proper service that their vehicle is capable of providing for them.
However, the reality of the situation is that all-too-many folks do not open that manual or the mfr’s maintenance schedule. I know that “you can’t fix stupid”, but when something is as critical as the tire pressure differential on a Corvair clearly was, and in light of the well-known reality that most folks can’t be bothered to open that manual, I really think that it behooved GM to spend…maybe…20 cents extra to provide a very visible notice about the critical nature of tire inflation on the Corvair.
You may differ–as I expect you will–but I am just as firm in my belief that GM could have taken greater steps regarding the importance of maintaining the correct–and unorthodox–tire pressures on the Corvair than they did.
It could be that GM just threw in the towel. There was a story in a trade publication several decades back when the head of GM’s service division stated: (not verbatim, but close)
“We here at GM have just about given up all hope in convincing people to read their owners manuals…”.
I can just imagine how many complaints per day roll in over something that was easily preventable and I would also imagine that the GM official used considerably more profane language about it during drinks after work… 
@VDCdriver: I wasn’t putting you down personally, just venting my frustration over the “victim mentality” epitomized by USAAS.
If you read that book, you realize Nader is arguing that:
-It is unreasonable to expect motorists to read owner’s manuals.
-It is unreasonable to expect motorists to exhibit ANY level of professionalism or expertise.
-It is unreasonable to expect motorists to figure out how to correct for oversteer, and that ALL cars sold in the US should be front-biased, understeering tugboats.
A lot of the busybody regulations W/R/T autos, like TPMS, mandatory traction control, and not getting to decide which axle to put the new tires on, stem from this book, and the mentality it embodies. I posted before that RN’s better days are behind him, but “his time” is finally here.
I think you’re looking at the Corvair issue in a vacuum, and I’m getting the “big picture.” I also think that the Corvair had the same basic handling quirks (aft CG/axle setup) that the Beetle had…and RN conveniently left it alone (for the most part); bashing foreign auto makes not part of the progressive agenda at the time. To the extent the Corvair actually had a problem, it was one readily solvable with a sway bar and a pair of u-joints.
I also think USAAS was a reason the big 3 took a step away from building “import-beaters” and stuck to building the big, RWD body-on-frame cars that were there core competency. I think they would have been (somewhat) less flat-footed, and had somewhat less of their lunch eaten, when the import wave crested.
(Gad, TPMS…“how DARE you expect motorists to actually check their own tire pressures!!”)
@meanjoe75fan
Ralph Nader did NOT leave VW and the Beetle alone
He tried to go after them too, but VW spanked him, and that was the end of it
Isn’t complaining about people who don’t read owners manuals like complaining about the weather? Neither is something that can be changed.
And for millions of vehicle owners, it works fine for them. They get rid of the vehicle before any problems surface. It may not be the way I’d recommend, but it is their right.
I think the real question is: Why do people come to this forum to ask a question that can be answered if they read their owners manual?
I have come to the conclusion that this is part of human nature. We aren’t going to change that, but I still think it is fair to point out that the owners manual has a lot of really good info and it ought to be used.
Now if we could only get the vehicle manufacturers to update their owners manuals regularly. GM still refers to bias ply tires which haven’t been around for a very long time!
"TPMS…“how DARE you expect motorists to actually check their own tire pressures!!”
Now I think that you are looking at things in a vacuum, rather than the “big picture”.
Nobody who is a responsible person has ever suggested that TPMS is a substitute for manual checking of tire pressures. Yes, there are lots of people who have interpreted that system in that manner, but-- then again–those are probably the same people who don’t think that you ever need to lift the hood and check fluid levels periodically.
TPMS was intended to warn of sudden catastrophic pressure loss in your tires, and–despite my obsessiveness with checking my tire pressure frequently–I could easily wind up with a puncture while on an expressway and as a result, could wind up with compromised handling in the course of an avoidance maneuver. As a result, I am glad that I have TPMS.
Could I live without it?
Sure I could, just as I lived without many other gizmos for most of my motoring life.
However, I just might live longer if that TPMS warns me of something that is potentially life-threatening, and that I couldn’t possibly monitor manually while I am driving.
TPMS just met reality for me. My check TPMS system message and light recently came on. (Not my check tire pressure message. My tire pressures were fine.) Honda quoted $138 to replace one TPMS sensor. Now at 50K with new tires last fall. The replacement of that sensor will be a bit more than the new tire I had put on. (I know you can get cheaper sensors and run around getting them installed and synced with the computer…more hassle.) I got out my Click and Clack black electrician’s tape. Problem solved. This does not affect any other warning systems. It does, however, make it not possible for me to turn off traction control. I’ll deal with it.