Jump to content
Do Not Sell My Personal Information


What Tyre Pressure Do You Run?


AndiDote
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hey. I'm currently respraying my wheels and just thought what my tyre pressure it should be pumped to. There is no tyre pressure plate in the door jamb. So i was wondering what pressure is best.

I have pumped up one tyre so far to 32 PSI but looks a bit flat to me (at front), and one back tyre to 32 PSI. Maybe 34 PSI at front and 32 PSI at rear?

What do you run?

Oh my tyre size is 205/55 R16

Link to comment
Share on other sites


32 psi seem ok at that :)

same size as yours

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

225/40/18, run 34 all round........ 2008 tdci focus

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The recommended tyre pressure for our vehicle, a 2000 Ford Focus 1.8 LX Hatchback running 185/65 R14 tyres is 32PSI front and back but I always inflate them to 35PSI. In saying that though, by 35PSI I mean 35PSI on the tyre inflator at the fuel station, so considering the car has been driven over 10 miles to get there the tyres are probably at least 3PSI higher due to the heat, therefore making the "cold" tyre pressure around 32PSI which is correct.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah. I pumped mine up while hot. Maybe I will pump to 35 psi also and see how that goes. Finished spraying my 3rd wheel today so will do it tomorrow.

Sent from my S5

Link to comment
Share on other sites


1st your car has different size tyres on it, than when it was new.... the only 205/55/16 i can find is off a focus 2006 onward

yours should have 185/65/15 which state at 32 all round

205/55/16 should have 30 in the front, and 33 in the rear........... for petrol

205/55/16 should have 33 al round if its a diesel....

hope this helps

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1st your car has different size tyres on it, than when it was new.... the only 205/55/16 i can find is off a focus 2006 onward

yours should have 185/65/15 which state at 32 all round

205/55/16 should have 30 in the front, and 33 in the rear........... for petrol

205/55/16 should have 33 al round if its a diesel....

hope this helps

Thanks mate. That helps a lot. Wonder why the previous owner changed the wheel size? 30 at front and 33 at rear? Shouldn't it be the other way round?

Sent from my S5

Link to comment
Share on other sites

on mk2 focus with 205/55/16 i run front 2.1 bar / rear 2.3 bar. something like front 31 psi rear 33 psi

Link to comment
Share on other sites

32 psi all round 195/60/R15.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

the correct pressures from my door plate 33 rear when cold 31 at the front you dont need anymore than that

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I run 39 in the front and 41 at the back,(mk3 mondeo lightened, souped up) on previous cars i always ran 35-36psi, and could feel the difference in grip if the pressures were lower for any reason, i remember thinking i had damaged suspension because my car was sliding about so much after a 150mile lock-side run (along the Great Glen) - it turned out the garage that had just MOTd the car dropped the pressures (probably for the rollers) - after i put the pressures up the car was back up to its normal (great handling, lots of grip) self - it was autumn and the road was slippery with damp patches under the trees, the higher pressures helped get heat into the tyres (that was on my mk2 )

On the mk3 i put the fronts at 39PSI, and the rears at 41, with the weight of the engine and the torque going through the front wheels, the front tyres warm up faster and get warmer/ stay warmer han the rears, as they heat up the air expands and the pressures get higher, the warmer they get, the higher the pressure 39 is the cold pressure, this often rises about 3psi to 42PSI, the rears do not have as much weight on them, and do not have all thay torque going through them, so do not heat up hardly at all (or much slower) so it takes ages for the pressure to build up, it often does not go much above 41PSI even though starting with such a high pressure helps to warm the rears up more

The disadvantages of running such a high pressure are, you get a harsher ride, and you may wear out the middle part of your tyre faster than the "shoulders" especially if you drive a lot on M-ways, and not drive hard on twisty roads - i have read that very high pressures can put shock loads through the suspension, but so can low pressures if the rim is hit hard

The advantages of higher pressures are - less rolling resistance, so better MPG, and often even a higher top speed! (yes, really) better grip in cold/ wet conditions, less drag on the front wheels when parking (so the steering wheel is easier to turn, and/ or it puts less stress on the power steering/ components) - the steering / handling has a more "direct" feel, and the car is more responsive (eg, turn in, s-bends etc) the higher pressures help support the tyres sidewall, so the tyre maintains its shape better during very hard cornering, or in some emergency situations - if you corner hard you are less liable to wear out your outside front shoulder tread so quickly - your rims are protected better from pot-holes, kerbs etc

It depends on the car, tyre, drivers preference, load in the car, driving style - tyre pressures are only a guide, and only "recomended" and there may be one (low) set of pressures for "normal" driving (read, popping down to the shops) and another higher set of tyre pressures "high speed / heavily laden" (that would be for me, then) :lol:

Remember "recommended"

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I run 39 in the front and 41 at the back,(mk3 mondeo lightened, souped up) on previous cars i always ran 35-36psi, and could feel the difference in grip if the pressures were lower for any reason, i remember thinking i had damaged suspension because my car was sliding about so much after a 150mile lock-side run (along the Great Glen) - it turned out the garage that had just MOTd the car dropped the pressures (probably for the rollers) - after i put the pressures up the car was back up to its normal (great handling, lots of grip) self - it was autumn and the road was slippery with damp patches under the trees, the higher pressures helped get heat into the tyres (that was on my mk2 )......

Remember "recommended"

WoW great information. Thanks

Sent from my S5

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I use the same as you with the same tyre size.

Sent from my iPhone using Ford OC

what 32 PSI all round? Think I'll just stick with that then.

Sent from my S5

Link to comment
Share on other sites

over inflating is dangerous for one it will increase the risk of a blown tyre and the tyre will not grip properly on the road very hazardous in the wet it will also increase braking

at 32 front 33 rear thats with 3 adults each weighing 12 stone since its mainly only me i sit at 30 front 31 rear which gives me the best balance of extra grip in dry and wet

Link to comment
Share on other sites


over inflating is dangerous for one it will increase the risk of a blown tyre and the tyre will not grip properly on the road very hazardous in the wet it will also increase braking

at 32 front 33 rear thats with 3 adults each weighing 12 stone since its mainly only me i sit at 30 front 31 rear which gives me the best balance of extra grip in dry and wet

I have found that i get more grip from the higher pressures i run, better braking, shorter braking etc

One of the things i mentioned in one of my previous posts was the low pressures are ok for popping down to the shops, but not for high speed or heavily laden

This is a statement from a tyre manufacturer -

"Heavy loads or towing puts an extra strain on your tyres. So if your vehicle is fully loaded with passengers and luggage, the general rule is to add 28kpa (4PSI or 4lbs)

.

At high speed, (defined as driving at 120km/h for over one hour), your tyres will wear out twice as fast as when you drive at 70-80 km/h. If your tyres are under-inflated by twenty per cent tyre life can be reduced by thirty per cent. The rule here is to add 28Kpa (4PSI) from your Minimum Compliance Plate Pressure.

Believe it or not, checking your tyre pressure can have a big impact on our environment. An under-inflated tyre creates more rolling resistance and therefore more fuel consumption. By keeping your tyres inflated to their proper levels, you can help maximise your car's fuel economy and minimise its impact on our environment."

^^a quote from Bridgestone^^

So if the "Minimum Compliance Plate Pressure" is at 32 front 33 rear, thats at 50mph, at 70mph it should be +4PSI = 36 front 37 rear - thats Bridgestones' recommendation, (Focus - for high speed)

So an extra 4PSI over the plate if you don't drive like your granny

But of course, if you know better than Bridgestone.......

- i have also seen Ford recommend 40PSI for the rears when heavily laden, on another site, 41PSI is the recommended pressure for the fronts (thats on a Mondeo though) so in these cases, 40 and 41 PSI are not "over inflated"

It took me a long time and a lot of experimentation to find the "ideal" 39-front 41 rear (Mondeo) for me, im thinking of dropping these pressures a couple of PSI due to the warmer weather

At lower pressures you won't get any heat in the tyres so grip will be reduced,

and rolling resistance will increase (According to me, and Bridgestone, anyway )

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok some good information and its got me wondering maybe should I change my pressures and see how things go. I usually just had went with the sticker on the driers door but as mentioned above its only a "recommendation/Guide" and I have noticed a differance in the handing before when Tyre psi has been altered.

so whats the best Tyre pressure I should use? 98% of my driving the car will have 2 adults and 2 kids and a boot with a full size spare wheel and the odd bit of shopping again 90% of the driving would be twisty B roads and towns and the odd motorway drive in the summer.

and is it best to keep the front and rear different pressures (ie F31 R 33) or all the same (ie F32 R32)

Thanks guys.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Based on youre info any more than 37 rear on the focus and 35 front would be over inflated therefore potentially dangerous so no need to be rude in youre reply the pressures will depend on the factors but you should also remember they increase due to heat whilst driving so 40 psi when cold can increase to 43 psi or more when driving leaving only the centre of the tyre to grip with

2 adults 2 kids n shopping is 30 front 33 a fully laden car 2 adults 3 kids and luggage is max 33 front 36 rear when cold

Personally ill go by the sticker on my door from ford no way would i drive with 37 on the rear from cold nor do any tyre places recommend it even ford said thats over inflation causing damage and to stick to the tested tyre pressures on the cars sticker or book the mondeo is a bigger heavier car so not really relevant to the focus

A simple digital gauge is cheap enough and easy to check before you leave after 1 mile the tyres arent cold i use fords guide and check weekly i have no uneven tyre wear no handling issues both rears are 5mm both fronts 3.6mm the rears being newer at 2 years old

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=1

http://www.ford.co.uk/OwnerServices/VehicleServiceandRepair/Tyres/TyreSafety

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do 33 all round on mine. With a few passengers regularly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...

hi i had to replace front tyres. i was told by the tyre dealers front 32/rear 34. this is on 205 55 16. book says differenr

Link to comment
Share on other sites

just to throw a wee spanner in to the mix, isn't it safer to run in winter snow conditions with underinflated tyres? ive always ran them up higher then the plate during the summer an dropped them below when the snow starts to fall

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Based on youre info any more than 37 rear on the focus and 35 front would be over inflated therefore potentially dangerous so no need to be rude in youre reply the pressures will depend on the factors but you should also remember they increase due to heat whilst driving so 40 psi when cold can increase to 43 psi or more when driving leaving only the centre of the tyre to grip with

2 adults 2 kids n shopping is 30 front 33 a fully laden car 2 adults 3 kids and luggage is max 33 front 36 rear when cold

Personally ill go by the sticker on my door from ford no way would i drive with 37 on the rear from cold nor do any tyre places recommend it even ford said thats over inflation causing damage and to stick to the tested tyre pressures on the cars sticker or book the mondeo is a bigger heavier car so not really relevant to the focus

A simple digital gauge is cheap enough and easy to check before you leave after 1 mile the tyres arent cold i use fords guide and check weekly i have no uneven tyre wear no handling issues both rears are 5mm both fronts 3.6mm the rears being newer at 2 years old

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=1

http://www.ford.co.uk/OwnerServices/VehicleServiceandRepair/Tyres/TyreSafety

agree here with aurther.

I check mine weekly and go by the door label to ford spec.

I found that running my at higher psi caused the handling to be very jumpy and not as smooth as when i had the psi from the label.

its something Im always changing to try out different psi but I find I always go back to the ford recommended on the label. Maybe its just piece of mind lol!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

just to throw a wee spanner in to the mix, isn't it safer to run in winter snow conditions with underinflated tyres? ive always ran them up higher then the plate during the summer an dropped them below when the snow starts to fall

Not sure if you can actually lose grip by dropping pressures in wet/snowy conditions as it can let the treadblocks close up more and reducing their efficiency?

May be that you have to drop them significantly before you'd get to that stage.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have the standard Zetec 17'' alloys and I run mine at 34 at the front and 32 at the back.

I was always told with a diesel to have the front psi slightly higher than the back but no one else who has posted seems to do the same?!?...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share




×
×
  • Create New...

Forums


News


Membership