Tire pressure

[cyclopathic]

Being aware of your tire pressure and its effects on handling are obviously important. Is over inflating or under inflating safe or dangerous? That is up to you and how you drive and how you expect your car to handle in any particular situation. You can not say X tire pressure is the best period because every tire pressure is a compromise between many different factors. Obviously, lower pressures can give you a bit more grip. However, lower pressures also allow more sidewall flex, so you get more sway if you have to swerve around something which could cause a problem. Autocross racers routinely run higher pressures for better handling. Does that make them safe or dangerous? Neither, they are tweaking their pressure for their situation. Obviously, increasing tire pressure reduces rolling resistance and leads to better fuel economy. If this is your goal, go ahead and do it. Just be aware that your handling and braking will be effected and drive accordingly. Not everyone buys a car based on its braking distance, nor do they buy a car based on how it handles through windy roads otherwise we would all be buying supercars. Yet, many people find minivans and pickups quite capable for daily driving. Why is that? Because they don't drive them like supercars. There are a group of drivers that routinely under inflate their tires as well, rock crawlers and off roaders. They do this to get maximum grip on rocky terrain. Is this dangerous or safe? Again, neither.

So, what tire pressure is best? You decide based off how you want to drive.

I would say that there is no right or wrong answer it is specific to the tire.

For example the 185/60 R14 RT-43 we have were really mushy until we got pressure to 48psi. The 4.5" OEM rim isn't wide enough and the tire would roll off.

[flatbroke]

I would say that there is no right or wrong answer it is specific to the tire.

For example the 185/60 R14 RT-43 we have were really mushy until we got pressure to 48psi. The 4.5" OEM rim isn't wide enough and the tire would roll off.

No there is a correct answer. Number one that tire isn't supposed to be mounted on a 4.5 inch wide rim. The range is 5-6.5 inches. Add to that the maximum tire pressure for the tire by the manufacturer is 44 psi. Bad situation all around.