YACT: higher tire pressure = crappier handling??

[z0mb13]

Some of u guys might remember my tire pressure thread here

so I felt that my tire pressure was too low (it was at 25psi), then I increased it to 35 psi.

There are lots of noticable differences, one being that the car doesnt handle as well as before. my commute each day entail going over a road that has a lot of curves, and I notice a lot more body roll on these turns.

 

[Howard]

Mmm, it shouldn't.

 

[Eli]

It shouldn't, at least unless we're talking about extremes here.

 

[isekii]

You're prolly rolling faster.

 

[z0mb13]

maybe its all in my mind....

 

[virtueixi]

I would only stay at 35 if you regularly do driving at 70+ MPH. Otherwise step down to 32psi.

 

[z0mb13]

Originally posted by: virtueixi
I would only stay at 35 if you regularly do driving at 70+ MPH. Otherwise step down to 32psi.

does 3 psi difference really matters??

 

[Aharami]

thats odd. i notice better, crisper handling when i set my tires to 36psi as opposed to 32psi

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

I have no experience with 18"ers only 16"ers.

What you MIGHT have done, by running them at 25psi the edges of the tires have worn more than the center.
Now they are up at 35psi and the center of the tire is proud of the edges. The contact patch or footprint has been reduced. In time they will wear even and you will be back in the game.

Contact the dealer or Bridgestone's web site for what they recommend for inflation pressure, not ATOT.

On a personal note, I prefer tires to be all the same size, so I can rotate them to balance wear.

 

[CrackaLackaZe]

lower psi = worse handling at higher speeds for me

 

[z0mb13]

Originally posted by: galvanizedyankee
I have no experience with 18"ers only 16"ers.

What you MIGHT have done, by running them at 25psi the edges of the tires have worn more than the center.
Now they are up at 35psi and the center of the tire is proud of the edges. The contact patch or footprint has been reduced. In time they will wear even and you will be back in the game.

Contact the dealer or Bridgestone's web site for what they recommend for inflation pressure, not ATOT.

On a personal note, I prefer tires to be all the same size, so I can rotate them to balance wear.

thank you.. I will wait for a bit then

 

[boyRacer]

maybe you're going faster thats why you have more rolll...

but i think galvanizedyankee got it...

 

[Vic]

Open driver's door. Read tire pressures on plate in door jam. Fill tires to specified psi. There is a reason that is there.

Do not fill to max psi on tire. Most people inflate their tires when the tires are cold. In addition, the air going into the tire is cold. Agressive driving will heat up a tire and can increase the pressure, and if you are filling cold to the max psi listed on the sidewall, that maximum will be exceeded when the tires get warm.

Once again, manufacturers have high-paid engineers who have done extensive testing over decades to determine the ideal tire pressure in order to acheive a combination of safety, performance, comfort, realibility, and longer tire life. They put that ideal on your driver's door jam. Unless you foolishly believe that you know better than them, follow their advice.

 

[sillymofo]

Lower psi for better traction, not necessarily better handling, and vice versa. I think the relationship is inversely effective.

 

[NeoPTLD]

What's the temperature they specify for measuring tire pressure?

They say after you haven't driven for hours, but even then there's a great difference.

Someone in TX who parks their car on the street and let it get sun baked for hours and someone parking in the garage will quite a bit of difference.

 

[DivideBYZero]

Originally posted by: Vic
Open driver's door. Read tire pressures on plate in door jam. Fill tires to specified psi. There is a reason that is there.

Do not fill to max psi on tire. Most people inflate their tires when the tires are cold. In addition, the air going into the tire is cold. Agressive driving will heat up a tire and can increase the pressure, and if you are filling cold to the max psi listed on the sidewall, that maximum will be exceeded when the tires get warm.

Once again, manufacturers have high-paid engineers who have done extensive testing over decades to determine the ideal tire pressure in order to acheive a combination of safety, performance, comfort, realibility, and longer tire life. They put that ideal on your driver's door jam. Unless you foolishly believe that you know better than them, follow their advice.

This adds a little confusion, so here is what I have been told:

- Fill tyres when cold only
- Fill to Door jam pressures

 

[Ness]

It seems worse because the car needs less effort now to keep its momentum and also has less surface area contacting the road.

Aside from that, it's probably more of a matter of you just not being used to it.

 

[TechnoKid]

Originally posted by: cr4zymofo
Lower psi for better traction, not necessarily better handling, and vice versa. I think the relationship is inversely effective.

This may be true for dry conditions, but incorrect for wet conditions. See this for why. Some good visual pictures.

 

[0roo0roo]

go read this months motor trend, has an article about tires. they took pics of tires set at 25psi and 35~(car company suggested psi) running at 60mph over a clear patch of road with a camera underneath. the contact patch of the 25psi was rather pathetic, mostly the side walls. while the 30+ had a full solid contact patch. handling tests also confirmed. the micheline(sp) engineers also say that under inflation is more dangerous/worse traction then even over inflation.

esp since under inflated tires flex more as they roll.., flexing creates heat...heat does bad things to rubber.

 

[z0mb13]

actually the car drives much better now, I think what galvanizedyankee said is correct