Hey Guys,

I've got a set of Winter Tires on my G, and i have them inflated to 33psi, which is what the sticker on the door says. But the tires still look to be soft. I was told by a guy at a tire shop, that you should always inflate your tires to whatever the manufacture sticker says, regardless if you've changed tires etc. Is this Correct? Do you guys put more air in your Winter Tires? I just don't want to eat up the snows if they are underinflated. But i'm confused as to what tire pressure to use.

Thanks.

 

what does it say on the side of the tire? sometimes they have a recommended PSI

its possible that it may need a few more lbs due to softer rubber and sidewalls

 

I'd leave them at 33psi, but it wouldn't hurt to add another 10% if you set them to 36psi. Keep an eye on the thread wear regardless.
I'm fairly **** on keeping my tires at the proper psi and use a thread gauge to make sure the tires are wearing evenly.
By putting too much air in your tires they will probably wear out faster in the middle, then toward the edges and the tread is more susceptible to damage. You will also get a little harsher ride.
The plus side is you may get a few tenths more miles per gallon and a bit quicker steering response.
Tom

 

I run 35psi cold. It's really personal preference.

 

The psi on the side of the tires refers to the heaviest weight the tires will sustain at that maximum psi. The tires on most vehicles are used on various other vehicles. Those different vehicles may require different psi, due to their weight,setup,usage,etc.
Tom

 

good point.

but isn't it possible that the recommended psi inside the door of your cars is meant for the OEM summer tires...but if you but some other tire... especially a winter tire that may not be z rated and such.... don't you think the psi might be different?

if it looks low im sure an extra few psi wont hurt...i wouldn't go over 35 though.

plus you don't want a snow tire sitting up real high and being over inflated.

 

35psi cold is probably about right, you can always add a little more to the snow tires cause they have softer/larger sidewalls.

 

Thanks for the info guys, i will inflate them to 35psi. That's kind of what i was thinking also, always good to hear othe opinions just to confirm my thoughts.

 

Get a calibrated pressure guage, a tread depth guage and a pyrometer. Run the tires hard and measure the temperatures on the inside edge, outside edge and in the middle. Adjust psi until the three temps are balanced. Do this same test for various types of driving, pavement types and temperature conditions. Keep a log so you know what to set them at before you leave the garage for one of the above conditions. Keep in mind a tire takes 30-60 min to cool to ambient so if you want to take pressures when they are cold then wait.

Otherwise just follow the sticker on the door jamb. Sorry to be a wise *** but there's a lot of science in the number on the door jamb and not a lot of science in the advice you've been given on this forum.

Different tires will have a different optimal psi but without the above testing you'll never know what that is.