How to inflat car tires!?!

[BillyBatson]

I drive a 95 Nissan Altima. The front tires read max pressure 35PSI, back tires read max pressure 44PSI.
First off someone said that it is weird for the tires to be of diff max pressure ex. all 4 tires should be 44psi, is this true!?!?
2nd when filling the tires how close do I need to get to the max PSI, I am going for better gas mileage and not traction.
As usual all help is greatly appreciated!!!

 

[toekramp]

front should be higher than the back...but 44psi seems kinda high, i typically do 30/35

 

[glugglug]

Higher pressure will give you higher gas mileage due to the car's weight being able to distort the shape of the tires less while in motion. Up until the point the tires burst.

But higher pressure also gives you a better chance of a blowout or developing a leak.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Check the car's spec, not the tires. And the fronts should be higher than the back if anything (more weight there).

 

[AdamSnow]

I have all 4 of my tires at 32 psi...

Been workin fine for 2 years, and I use them on the street as well as the race track... so they see normal conditions right up to extreme conditions...

Meh.

 

[Jombo]

check the driver side door for tire pressure guide, or call your local dealer, and ask them.

44psi is pretty high for a passenger car imo.

higher pressure does net you a slightly better gas milage, but it'll also wear out the middle of the tire much quicker, as that will be the only contact point. also due to lesser contact patch, it maybe easier to lose control of your car.

also remember that as temp drops, the tire pressure also drops, 1 psi drop per 10F drop. check your tire pressure at least once a month, and make sure to do a "cold temp" reading, which means check the tire pressure before driving it, as driving on it will warm the tires up inflating the psi numbers. all the manufac psi guidelines are for cold temp readings.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

What the aim of the tire pressure is to get the ideal contact patch. Too little pressure and the tires will drag and create too much heat, as well as wear excessively on the outside. Too much pressure and the tires will wear on the inside excessively. High pressures are more likely to have a blowout, while too little is likely to have the tread peel off (Ford Explorers). Higher than normal pressures tend to help for handling, and lower than normal pressures help for acceleration and breaking.

 

[FoBoT]

for that size car the tire pressure is normally about 30-32 psi

you should check your owners manual, the door sticker not the side of the tire , it doesn't matter what the "max" pressure is listed at, you need to inflate them to what the car manufactorer recommends

your tires will wear out faster if you deviate from the recommended pressure

 

[spacejamz]

Are all 4 tires the same brand/model? Reading the car spec's will only apply to the tires that came with the car. If the tires were replaced, those specs will no longer apply...

You need to follow the PSI specs on the tire itself measured when the tires are cold...

Simply stating that the back tires should be higher than the front doesn't make any sense (what are you supposed to do when you rotate your tires - certain tires need to be rotated front to back not side to side)....

 

[Soybomb]

I just inflate until it looks like I have a flat contact patch ...

 

[TheCorm]

Hmmm....no "inflat" comments.

I agree....44psi is too high for a regular car...I do mine to 32psi front and 30psi rear roughtly, I have a 15' 3" Saloon, 205 50 R16 Tyres....I remember this because having to get 2 new front ones tomorrow.

 

[dnuggett]

To inflat them... stick a nail in the tire. It should go flat.

Then you have an inflat.

 

[Quixfire]

Follow the manufactures recommend tire pressure found on of your door jams or even in the glove box. Check you owner's manual for proper location for this label.

As for the higher rated tires in the rear, some tires are built for higher loads and if so can handle increased pressure if need. Most likely the rear tires are rated for higher loads, thus the higher maximum pressure limit.

 

[Spencer278]

If you have low profile tires then you need to increase the tire pressure.

 

[toekramp]

Originally posted by: dnuggett
To inflat them... stick a nail in the tire. It should go flat.

Then you have an inflat.

:beer:

 

[woodie1]

somewhere on the car (glove box lid, door jam, gas filler lid) there should be a label with the proper inflation pressures.

BTW: for those saying the front should have more pressure - BMW and Benz cars are designed for more in the rear. My car uses 33 front, 38 rear.

 

[TheCorm]

Originally posted by: toekramp

Originally posted by: dnuggett
To inflat them... stick a nail in the tire. It should go flat.

Then you have an inflat.

:beer:

Ah there we go....never change, ATOT lol....

 

[Vette73]

33 Front 31 Rear COLD

36 Front 33 Rear Warm. So if you have to drive somewhere to get air, use the warm setting (or add 2-4 PSI to waht your car says)

 

[BillyBatson]

I do believe the back tires are a different brand from my front tires. I think my dad bought new tires for the front and not the rear since they are in almost new condition which might explain the psi difference.
As it stands both back tires seem to be sitting at 25psi though their max is 44! But they look fully inflated.
Front left tire is at 26psi, front right is at 21psi though rated at 35 max.

 

[LS20]

dont go by look. after your car has been sitting for an hour or 2... (tires are cold)... pump it up to the specs on the car door

 

[duragezic]

You're fronts seem a bit low then. I would think around 30-32psi would be good, and usually the back is a little less (maybe only in case of FWD), so maybe wanna add a tad to the back tires.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Look below the glove box lid and doorjambs for the pressures you need to use. Mine are supposed to be 29 front and rear but I use 28 since my tires are bigger than stock... 215/55-16 instead of 205/55-16.

 

[slikmunks]

Originally posted by: glugglug
Higher pressure will give you higher gas mileage due to the car's weight being able to distort the shape of the tires less while in motion. Up until the point the tires burst.

But higher pressure also gives you a better chance of a blowout or developing a leak.

developing a leak, yeah, but actually, it's lower pressure that nets a better chance of developing a blowout... sounds weird, but true....

*goes to search for link*

edit: found

Text


While one might assume that all blowouts are caused by too much internal pressure bursting a weak spot in the tire, the main reason for them is just the opposite. Most blowouts are caused by too little air pressure allowing the tire to flex beyond its elastic limits until it overheats to the point where the rubber loses its bond to the internal fabric and steel cord reinforcement.

 

[rh71]

Some people are suggesting different PSI for front vs. back tires. Don't you people rotate your tires at all ? Do you adjust them back every time ?

 

[Hammer]

wtf 44 psi? that's high

front are 30, rear are 32 for me