I run my tires by how the tread is wearing. I have found that the 32 front and 30 rear is too much air for my wife's car, she barely ever carries a full load. I measure the center tread of each tire and the end treads. If the tires are wearing more in the center, it means, like a balloon, they have too much air. I run about 28 in the front and 26 in the rear to make the tires wear even.
Now, if she is going to be hauling a full-load, I will go up to the door placard of 32/30.
The front takes more pressure to keep the tires the same height off the ground as the rear, as the front is a lot heavier.
If I ever need to bump the pressure up to, say, 36 front, 34, rear, I will do so, if I notice that the cornering (outside) tread is getting shallower than the middle tread.
Measure in various spots as there are typically high spots made across the tires (perpendicular to the tread lines) that are supposed to indicate when you need new tires (called wear indicators). Just don't measure where they are.
If you have a caliper, you can get really accurate readings.
I have been "Reading" my tire wear and adjusting pressure accordingly for over 40 years and it has always resulted in my tires wearing extremely evenly across the treads on all of them.
Some people think the numbers on the door post and on the tires are cast in stone and you should not alter that at all. Of course, they want you to buy new tires when you still have 1/4" tread depth in the center and your cornering treads have steel cords hanging out (I have seen it)!:gasp:
I HATE driving a car with maximum pressure in the tires, as every single little pebble in the road hurts my lower back problem - not to mention if you hit a pot hole! Not only that, all that hard hitting with hard tires has to wear the suspension parts faster (especially on any rough roads) than if the tires are more spongy!
I know, less air means not as good fuel mileage.
For how little it affects my fuel mileage, I will continue to keep doing what I am doing and NOT TRUST ANYONE who works on my car, as they typically automatically fill them to WHATEVER! When I get home, I re-check using an accurate gauge, most times having to let a lot of air out! Maybe I could sell the air.
Just remember, whatever the pressures, keep the front about 2-3 PSI more than the rear on these cars to help prevent torque-bind problems related to tires spinning at (a lot of) different speeds.
Now, if she is going to be hauling a full-load, I will go up to the door placard of 32/30.
The front takes more pressure to keep the tires the same height off the ground as the rear, as the front is a lot heavier.
If I ever need to bump the pressure up to, say, 36 front, 34, rear, I will do so, if I notice that the cornering (outside) tread is getting shallower than the middle tread.
Measure in various spots as there are typically high spots made across the tires (perpendicular to the tread lines) that are supposed to indicate when you need new tires (called wear indicators). Just don't measure where they are.
If you have a caliper, you can get really accurate readings.
I have been "Reading" my tire wear and adjusting pressure accordingly for over 40 years and it has always resulted in my tires wearing extremely evenly across the treads on all of them.
Some people think the numbers on the door post and on the tires are cast in stone and you should not alter that at all. Of course, they want you to buy new tires when you still have 1/4" tread depth in the center and your cornering treads have steel cords hanging out (I have seen it)!:gasp:
I HATE driving a car with maximum pressure in the tires, as every single little pebble in the road hurts my lower back problem - not to mention if you hit a pot hole! Not only that, all that hard hitting with hard tires has to wear the suspension parts faster (especially on any rough roads) than if the tires are more spongy!
I know, less air means not as good fuel mileage.
For how little it affects my fuel mileage, I will continue to keep doing what I am doing and NOT TRUST ANYONE who works on my car, as they typically automatically fill them to WHATEVER! When I get home, I re-check using an accurate gauge, most times having to let a lot of air out! Maybe I could sell the air.
Just remember, whatever the pressures, keep the front about 2-3 PSI more than the rear on these cars to help prevent torque-bind problems related to tires spinning at (a lot of) different speeds.