Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: $Revision: 1.6.2.14 $; site siemens.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!princeton!siemens!bhs From: bhs@siemens.UUCP Newsgroups: net.auto Subject: Re: tire inflation pressures Message-ID: <25300052@siemens.UUCP> Date: Wed, 10-Jul-85 09:08:00 EDT Article-I.D.: siemens.25300052 Posted: Wed Jul 10 09:08:00 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 12-Jul-85 01:36:29 EDT References: <572@hlwpc.UUCP> Lines: 40 Nf-ID: #R:hlwpc:-57200:siemens:25300052:000:2027 Nf-From: siemens!bhs Jul 10 09:08:00 1985 peoplethinkthatthislineiseatenbutitisnot,isit?youcanseeitafterall,canyounot? There is no cardinal rule on tire pressure It is a good idea to consider the manufacturers max. pressure as the upper permissible cold limit. However, it is not a must to obey that pressure setting. Car manufacturers will post a pressure recommendation which will give what they consider to be an appropriate ride/handling balance for the given car. So, for example, it seems that Chevrolet is trying to tell you to run lower tire pressures in order to give you a softer ride over small bumps, expansion joints, etc. Instead of blindly obeying either the tire merchant's recommendation or Chevrolet's recommendation, you should really find a setting that you like for your personal driving. For example, you could experiment with various settings between the manuf. max. and Chevrolet's setting. Set the tire pressure to maximum pressure, and drive around like that for two days. Then, try out Chevrolet's setting. Notice how the car got smoother, but flabbier in the corners? Then, after a few days, try out a pressure setting in between- say 31 front, 29 rear. What I am trying to say is : juggle the figures around until you like the ride. On my car, I run 32 front, 35 rear (cold). By the by: the correct procedure for checking tire pressure: before you leave the driveway in the morning, right after breakfast, you should check the tire pressure. Then, note how much each tire is off by. Later on at the gas station, check the pressure again, and then start adding the missing amount into the tires. For example, tommorrow morning your front right tire might show 27 psi instead of 29, which means that you are 2 psi short. Later on, at the gas station, your tire may show 30 psi, because of tire heating. Now you could say that the tire is over 29 psi, and you could leave it. However, you should still add more air into it until you have added in the missing 2 psi, thus making it 32 psi. Bernard H. Schwab Siemens RTL, Princeton, NJ