I was told by the tire department at Sam's Club a while back that I should keep my tire pressure at 3 lbs less than the stated "max tire pressure". Is this right, or should the pressure be the same as what the tire says on it? I want it to be right since being off by even a pound affects tire wear, gas mileage and maybe even the front suspension wear. Pat
Depends on the load, and personal preference, when it comes to ride. A tire has a certain load capacity when it is inflated to a specific pressure. Maximum pressure, maximum load capacity. Maximum pressure, harsher ride. I generally use 32 psi on 35 psi max tires.
No, that is not right. Your tire pressure has nothing to do with the maximum rating on the tire. Pressure depends on the car, not the tire. Generally you can follow the vehicles recommended tire pressure, unless you have changed something. If I am going to do a lot of highway driving, I generally add a couple of PSI- on my Buick, I run 32/32 for most driving. That might hurt my handling a bit, but I am trying for a bit of extra gas mileage. Some tires have a max rating as high as 44 PSI. You don't want to run at 41 PSI. -Bob C.
I just traded a 1999 Z71. I had Michelin 265's on it for over 60,000 miles, using 41# as a guide on a 44# rating. Tires had at least another 10,000 left in them. Jim
Bob, What I meant is the maximum pressure listed on the tire, is the pressure required to carry the maximum load of the tire. See here: http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/tp/tp2823/systems.htm This maximum load is also stated on the tire right next to the maximum inflation pressure. you can make improvements to ride and handling, by experimenting with tire pressure. Lower pressures and high loads will overheat a tire.
