Tire pressure should be what?

[jb_cb900]

Generally, cold tire pressure is based on an ambeint temperature of 68°F. The +/- 1 psi per 10° difference in actual temperature is a pretty good rule of thumb. Just be aware that tires heat quickly when exposed to sunshine and even short exposures can easily skew your readings by several psi.
The Maximum tire pressure allows you to safely operate the tire at its maximum load rating. The higher pressure prevents the tire from excessive sidewall flexing which can cause the tire to overheat and fail when under maximum load.
That door jam sticker pressure represent a combination of comfort, handling, construction of tires, and max gross weight of the vehicle. There is margin built into that number. Unless you're hauling a yard of gravel in the bed, its a pretty good value to start at.

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[Master Blaster]

What ever the side wall of the tire says!

Errrp, Wrong. That's max tire pressure before risking a blowout, not the proper pressure for the vehicle weight. For the Maverick it is specified on the door jamb at 35psi for all loads.

 

[Master Blaster]

50 in mine too. Gives a nice rough ride. I lowered it to 40 in each and the ride is a lot smoother.

The vehicle was shipped at 45psi, to avoid flatspotting the tires during the month-long train ride. You dealer failed to do the Ford-standard and mandatory PL/PD work before handing it to you, and left the tire pressure at the storage-only pressure. Take it back to the dealer and have them do the specified PL/PD work. You may also have loose lugnuts, fluids not correctly topped up, quality and safety checks not done, etc. Then think about switching to a more competent dealer.

 

[Master Blaster]

A few years ago (let's call it four and a half) I took my RAV4 to a semi-retired guy who does wheel alignments out of his shop on his home property. He came recommended by the repair shop who put new tires on my RAV.

ANYWAY, this gentleman told me the recommended PSI on the door is for like...ideal midwestern conditions where roads are flat and straight. Here in PA, lots of hills and windy roads, he said the PSI should be higher. So even though the RAV4 door stick said something quite like low 25 PSI or something, he said to run them at 38 PSI. The repair shop had them inflated at close to 45 PSI which I thought was way too high.

Is there any sense/logic/truth in what the alignment guy told me?

No, the alignment guy is a moron, and so is the guy at the tire shop. The ONLY specification that you should be following is the one on the doorjamb (calculated for best roadhandling, traction and tire life), or 35psi on the Maverick. Anything else is just wrong.

 

[Exranger]

35psi cold is fords recommended pressure to balance out tire wear, suspension, handling and mpg's personally I tend to run 38psi cold it seems to be the sweet spot. Keep in mind that engineers have to build to the average.

NEVER inflate to the max psi listed on the sidewall. Bad things will happen

Yes 37-38 is where I run as well.

 

[Tom 71 Maverick 24]

Yeah, the door jamb sticker is the one to use. You can go a pinch higher if you're carrying heavier loads. Also keep in mind that a lot of air pressure gauges are not very accurate, so there could be a couple of pounds higher or lower than it reads.

I had a place change my oil a couple of times. They used a different air hose on each side of the car. The right side was always 3-4 psi higher after the service than the left. I'd adjust when I got home to even things out.

 

[Mr.EdzBluMav]

Correct, 35psi on door jamb, but when I picked mine up with 50psi in each tire. Makes you wonder what the hell these techs are thinking.

It's those $2 stick tire gauges they use. Same thing at the quick oil change or tire shops. I carry a calibrated gauge to with 1/10 of a pound, but that's probably overkill!
Also, air expands or contracts to outside temps, so always check regularly...when the tire is cold.

 

[inline_five]

I run 41 psi as I drive on smooth, well paved roads 99.9% of the time.

Modern steel belted tires should not wear the centers out when adding psi up to sidewall limits.

You will experience loss in traction especially if pushing it up to max psi vs Ford recommended 35. Also a harsher ride.

For my own purposes I would not run more than 45 psi when hot (ie checked after driving highway speeds in current temps).

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