Tire pressure.

[Mavster Mechanic]

Bit of a catch-22.

higher pressure = better fuel economy
and longer tread life

lower pressure = better traction on snow & ice

A lot of times, leaving it to mother nature is just perfect.

I'd prefer 38 psi on dry pavement and wet summer pavement and 32 psi during the snow and ice season.

But about 10 years ago I gave up the snow & ice season.

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[HeyBales]

Had to fill a tire on a friend’s GMC Acadia. The horn beeped when the tire pressure sensor detected the correct pressure as I was inflating it. Wow ! Real easy to get all four tires up to and indicating the correct TP on the dash.
Wish my Fords had that feature !

I wonder what the price difference is between a TPS that attempts as good an accuracy as a handheld gauge, and one that is closer to Ford's where the manual says do NOT use this as a gauge.

I wonder on the Acadia if you overfill - will it beep as you let some air out?
Because that's the winter to summer direction.

 

[HeyBales]

Bit of a catch-22.

higher pressure = better fuel economy
and longer tread life

lower pressure = better traction on snow & ice

A lot of times, leaving it to mother nature is just perfect.

I'd prefer 38 psi on dry pavement and wet summer pavement and 32 psi during the snow and ice season.

But about 10 years ago I gave up the snow & ice season.

Gave up, or lost the enjoyment?
Do you merely need to see pictures to be like - "ya, that's why!"

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

Moved for work.
Didn't mind having a winter.

 

[sajohnson]

I wonder what the price difference is between a TPS that attempts as good an accuracy as a handheld gauge, and one that is closer to Ford's where the manual says do NOT use this as a gauge.

I wonder on the Acadia if you overfill - will it beep as you let some air out?
Because that's the winter to summer direction.

We have a Viair 88. It looks a lot like the typical "As seen on TV!" $19.95 POS, but it is well made and does a good job. It has an analog pressure gauge that is pretty accurate. It's maybe 1-2 psi off, but it's consistent so it's easy to get the psi spot-on.

It does not have any sort of alarm or auto shut-off, but it is pretty fast so you don't have to watch it for long:
https://www.amazon.com/Viair-00088-88P-Portable-Compressor/dp/B005ASY23I?th=1

 

[Jah.]

Have a tire pressure gauge that came with my honda goldwing motorcycle and has been very accurate . sold the goldwing but kept the gauge . always double check air pressure after using a air compressor .

 

[Cancunbadlands]

All around for better economy
235/65R17 Falken Wildpeak AT tires
Tremor 2.0l

 

[pigsareus]

Looks like Ford could put something like this under the hood and automatically maintain air pressure in the tires with an airline to each tire!! They could make it an option and make $50 to $100 on each system sold.

Probably only an option on the EB as it would take too much current and put hybrids to "sleep"!!!

one of these and a lithium power brick - $125 total - imagine the benefits of having both of them, take care of your 'no start' if batt probs, could fit both under your rear seat. I imagined it - and bought them both.

 

[Deleted member 45110]

Three days ago my highs were 60, lows were 48
Today the high was 28 and tomorrow morning will be 20, all this in 7-12 mph breezes.

I added 3 psi, Anyone else remember ?
With a 10 degree drop in air temp tire PSI will drop one.
Just sayin'
High functioning ADHD at It's finest. :'P

High functioning
Good heads up!

 

[Deleted member 45110]

I wonder what the price difference is between a TPS that attempts as good an accuracy as a handheld gauge, and one that is closer to Ford's where the manual says do NOT use this as a gauge.

Hahaaa the equiptment vs the manual. IT happens

Price difference? Easily $100 bucks between a good handheld gauge and a TPS for one tire.
Maybe im weird to still always have handheld gauge in glove box to use.
Weird does keep my tires how i like them tho

 

[Phimosis]

Three days ago my highs were 60, lows were 48
Today the high was 28 and tomorrow morning will be 20, all this in 7-12 mph breezes.

I added 3 psi, Anyone else remember ?
With a 10 degree drop in air temp tire PSI will drop one.
Just sayin'
High functioning ADHD at It's finest. :'P

I just leave it alone. Been running 38-39 psi all summer. Now that it’s colder, it’s down to about 35, which is still fine for colder and wetter weather.

 

[Cherokee]

I just leave it alone. Been running 38-39 psi all summer. Now that it’s colder, it’s down to about 35, which is still fine for colder and wetter weather.

At 36-37 psi cold my tread depth gage showed I was wearing down the center third of the tire faster than the outer two thirds.
That’s over inflation.
I like 90% of truck owners haul only air most of the time.

Back in the day when I always had 500-800 pounds in my Tacoma’s bed I ran 1 psi above door plate recommended pressures in the Florida heat and always had even tread wear. Go figure right ?

For even tread wear in warmer weather 34-35 gives me even tread wear in my Maverick with regular tire rotations. That are included in my service visits to Ford. My service intervals are every 5,000 miles. So often because of my dirty turbo.

IMO everyone should be using a tread depth gage to get the most performance and life out of these expensive tires we all have.

On that first 30 degree morning my tires showed 32 psi.
So I added three psi.

Over inflated tires are
Noisy,
Give sub par performance in wet weather,
Are more prone to punctures,
Can make the vehicle handle poorly, most never notice this because they are driving in town at city speeds.
Wear patterns show this as fact .
If you monitor this it’s quite obvious.

My tread depth gauge was $3.99 at Wally World.
It has helped me extend the service life of my tires often far past the warranty miles.
In this it has saved me hundreds of dollars on each vehicle.
I was taught how and why to use one by a mechanic that took pitty on a poor kid that was eating up tires too fast some fifty years ago.

 

[sajohnson]

At 36-37 psi cold my tread depth gage showed I was wearing down the center third of the tire faster than the outer two thirds.
That’s over inflation.
I like 90% of truck owners haul only air most of the time.

Back in the day when I always had 500-800 pounds in my Tacoma’s bed I ran 1 psi above door plate recommended pressures in the Florida heat and always had even tread wear. Go figure right ?

For even tread wear in warmer weather 34-35 gives me even tread wear in my Maverick with regular tire rotations. That are included in my service visits to Ford. My service intervals are every 5,000 miles. So often because of my dirty turbo.

IMO everyone should be using a tread depth gage to get the most performance and life out of these expensive tires we all have.

On that first 30 degree morning my tires showed 32 psi.
So I added three psi.

Over inflated tires are
Noisy,
Give sub par performance in wet weather,
Are more prone to punctures,
Can make the vehicle handle poorly, most never notice this because they are driving in town at city speeds.
Wear patterns show this as fact .
If you monitor this it’s quite obvious.

My tread depth gauge was $3.99 at Wally World.
It has helped me extend the service life of my tires often far past the warranty miles.
In this it has saved me hundreds of dollars on each vehicle.
I was taught how and why to use one by a mechanic that took pitty on a poor kid that was eating up tires too fast some fifty years ago.

Excellent post!

Overinflation often creates the sensation of better handling because there is less sidewall flex so turn-in is quicker.

To add to what you said, overinflation causes:

* Increased tramlining
* Greater likelihood of blowouts from impacts
* Less rubber on the road, leading to poorer braking and cornering
* Shorter tire life

You mentioned having 500-800 pounds in the bed of your truck. Weight, the load on each tire, is really the key factor that determines psi recommendations. RV owners are used to weighing their rig and inflating the tires based on a "Load and Inflation Table." Very few people will weigh a passenger vehicle, but anticipated gross weight is how mfrs set the psi spec on the door plate.

Any one recommendation is a compromise. In the past, I've seen up to three (3) sets of psi recommendations on European cars:

1) Driver only (or moderate load)
2) Full load
3) Full load and sustained speeds above 100 mph

Most owners are familiar with the risks of *low* tire pressure. It seems some overcompensate by overinflating their tires.

Something that continues to be a problem (generally speaking, not here) is the idea that the maximum cold pressure embossed on the sidewall is the correct pressure. I've read multiple stories about tire shop employees who held that false belief. This results in tires being grossly, dangerously overinflated.

More is not always better.

 

[Phimosis]

At 36-37 psi cold my tread depth gage showed I was wearing down the center third of the tire faster than the outer two thirds.
That’s over inflation.
I like 90% of truck owners haul only air most of the time.

Back in the day when I always had 500-800 pounds in my Tacoma’s bed I ran 1 psi above door plate recommended pressures in the Florida heat and always had even tread wear. Go figure right ?

For even tread wear in warmer weather 34-35 gives me even tread wear in my Maverick with regular tire rotations. That are included in my service visits to Ford. My service intervals are every 5,000 miles. So often because of my dirty turbo.

IMO everyone should be using a tread depth gage to get the most performance and life out of these expensive tires we all have.

On that first 30 degree morning my tires showed 32 psi.
So I added three psi.

Over inflated tires are
Noisy,
Give sub par performance in wet weather,
Are more prone to punctures,
Can make the vehicle handle poorly, most never notice this because they are driving in town at city speeds.
Wear patterns show this as fact .
If you monitor this it’s quite obvious.

My tread depth gauge was $3.99 at Wally World.
It has helped me extend the service life of my tires often far past the warranty miles.
In this it has saved me hundreds of dollars on each vehicle.
I was taught how and why to use one by a mechanic that took pitty on a poor kid that was eating up tires too fast some fifty years ago.

Yeah, I don’t get that problem. On the front, I wear down the outside edge faster from cornering hard. On the rears, I wear down the inside edge faster from the -0.8 degree camber and doing a lot of acceleration and braking. By running the pressure at 37-38 psi, I’m basically at factory spec of 35 psi cold. Because I live in SoCal and it’s never cold enough to get a true “cold” reading.

When my tires need to be replaced, it will be from the outside shoulders being worn the fastest. My center tread is the least worn.

 

[Cherokee]

Yeah, I don’t get that problem. On the front, I wear down the outside edge faster from cornering hard. On the rears, I wear down the inside edge faster from the -0.8 degree camber and doing a lot of acceleration and braking. By running the pressure at 37-38 psi, I’m basically at factory spec of 35 psi cold. Because I live in SoCal and it’s never cold enough to get a true “cold” reading.

When my tires need to be replaced, it will be from the outside shoulders being worn the fastest. My center tread is the least worn.

I’m a fast corner guy, my Nav scoots in the switchbacks,
I’ve always replaced my tires at or before I hit 3 mm tread depth and have always ended the tires service life with the same even tread depth across the entire tire.
5k rotation keeps my edge treads looking good on all fours.

The higher pressure of a warmed up tire is what they need to corner and wear best.
Hot on the summer my Michelins dance around 38 or 39 from a cold psi of about 35.

Spring and fall 36 cold gives me 38-39 running at temp psi.
I do shit like that.
:’P

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