Tire Pressure?

[Outlaw_6]

I have always put the tire pressure at 3-4psi below the max psi rating listed on the tire (44psi max in this case), but the tire rotation place keeps only putting it at 35psi.

What is the correct psi?

Thanks in advance for the input.

[Artos]

Are the tires original to the vehicle??

Should say on the sticker on the driver's door & the tire itself.

[8pointer]

So many factors to take into consideration.

[oktx]

They do it to CYA. It doesn't hurt to run them a few under or over. The ride will be a little better.

[Richard S.]

My understanding is that with Max tire pressure you achieve Max load capacity.

[Outlaw_6]

Are the tires original to the vehicle??

Should say on the sticker on the driver's door & the tire itself.

No, the vehicle is a 2002 Honda Accord with Continentals.

My 2004 Tundra has Michelin's, also with a max rating of 44psi.

I figure the rotation place is just putting in a standard air pressure because they don't want to take the time to check each tire that comes into the shop, but I don't want to be running too high a pressure and risk a blow out.

[Artos]

Tell them what poundage to put them at when you take it in...40psi will take them to around 44 when they warm up.

Your 44 max is most likely a cold temp & safe.

35 is ok but they are going to wear a little more.

[demtx]

tire pressure

Did some reading on this a while back. There are methods to figure optimal pressure. One was mathematical calculations( pretty complicated), another was chalk a stripe across tread, drive down road a little, then look how chalk wore off. More middle, less sides=too much psi, more sides less middle=too little. Also read 10% less than max is good rule of thumb pressure for regular use. Guess a lot would depend on particular tire, particular vehicle, and how it is mostly used.

[Outlaw_6]

Your 44 max is most likely a cold temp & safe.

35 is ok but they are going to wear a little more.

That's been my thinking as well.

In fact, I have even ran into some excessive wear issue when I changed brand of tires from the original and hadn't paid attention to what the tire place was putting in them.

We are the original owners of both vehicles. I'm just asking for second opinions to prove to the Mrs. that I am right (again). [emoji6]

[Goldeneagle]

My ex neighbor was a retired regional rep for Pirelli. He said if you get tires that are comparable to what came on it, run what the stickers on the door frame say. When I go with something stouter, I use the chalk method.

[BBReezen]

I have gone round and round with oil change place idiots and other places like that. They do not look at what the tires are rated for, they look on the door to what the factory had listed for the original tires. Argued for about 5 minutes one day with a young kid because he was letting the air out of my tires. I had a 1/2 ton with 10 ply tires that I ran at 65-70 lbs. he said that it was too much cause the door said so. Now a days I tell them to leave my tires alone, I have tpms and I have them where I want them.

It's mainly a CYA for them, most likely they can go by the door and get it right 99% of the time. Same with discount tire not wanting to fix tires that are outside their specs.

[AJMag]

No, the vehicle is a 2002 Honda Accord with Continentals.

My 2004 Tundra has Michelin's, also with a max rating of 44psi.

I figure the rotation place is just putting in a standard air pressure because they don't want to take the time to check each tire that comes into the shop, but I don't want to be running too high a pressure and risk a blow out.

The sticker should recommend around 32 psi. Running closer to 40-44 on that, you will very likely see excessive tire wear in the middle of the tire over the life of the tire. Running it closer to recommended pressure will give better wear as well a a smoother ride. More air means less cushion = stiffer ride. On a passenger vehicle like that, there's no reason to be concerned about running closer to max tire pressure. It only has to do with how much weight the tire can sustain, and more important for trucks that actually get used as trucks. It's a bigger danger to run less than 30 psi. The sticker inside the drivers door jam tells you the manufacturer suggested pressures. For that vehicle, I'd follow it, for a truck it depends.

[tigerscowboy]

We run our large SUVs and trucks at 38-40 lbs. I also use the chalk method when we 1st buy a vehicle and determine what the optimal pressure is to be.

It's normal for us to get 60-70,000 miles out of a set of tires.

[muzzlebrake]

Tell them what poundage to put them at when you take it in...40psi will take them to around 44 when they warm up.

Your 44 max is most likely a cold temp & safe.

35 is ok but they are going to wear a little more.

This and low pressure will hurt fuel mileage a bit. Hard cornering might also see the vehicle want to wallow and roll up on the edges of the tread.