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From: cat@tommif.UUCP (Catherine Mikkelsen)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: tire inflation pressures
Message-ID: <118@tommif.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 16-Jul-85 02:37:46 EDT
Article-I.D.: tommif.118
Posted: Tue Jul 16 02:37:46 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 18-Jul-85 06:51:05 EDT
References: <572@hlwpc.UUCP> <1916@sunybcs.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Lines: 42
Summary: re: red sharks and tire pressures

In article <1916@sunybcs.UUCP>, uggoodjm@sunybcs.UUCP (a Model I) writes:
> > I just bought new Michelin XH tires for my not-very-sporty
> > 1980 Chevrolet Malibu, and the guy who installed them told
> > me to keep the pressure at 34-35 pounds cold.  That's the
> > pressure listed on the sidewall as maximum....  
> > When I questioned the tire installer about his, he said
> > in no uncertain terms to ignore the mfgrs. recommendation
> > and keep them filled to the tire maker's maximum.
> > 
> > Seems to me the installer should know his tires, but I'm
> > reluctant to believe him without further comments.
> > Can anyone confirm or deny this recommendation?
> > 
> > Carl Blesch


Dear Carl:  I'm sitting here and couldn't resist the following 
sage advice from Hunter Thompson himself [no permission for the
following excerpt but too bad]:

*At first I thought it was only because the tires were soft, so I took
it into the Texaco station ... and had the tires pumped up to fifty
pounds each -- which alarmed the attendant, until I explained that these
were *experimental* tires.

But fifty pounds each didn't help the cornering, so I went back a few
hours later and told him I wanted to try seventy-five.  He shook his
head nervously.  *Not me.* he said, handing me the air hose.  *Here, 
they're your tires.  You do it...  You won't even get to the corner.*

*We'll see,* I said, moving around to the rear with the airhose.  In truth,
I was nervous.  The two front ones were tighter than snare drums; they felt
like teak wood when I tapped on them with the rod.  But what the hell? I
thought.  If they explode, so what?  It isn't often that a man gets a chance
to run terminal experiments on a virgin Cadillac and four brand-new $80
tires.  For all I know the thing might start cornering like a Lotus Elan...*

Fear and Loathing from the Silicon Valley

Catherine

*Whatever gets you through the night*