Tyres Look Squashed But Right Pressure?

[karlos1987]

Not quite as tyres have a load rating so should only be on similar rated cars.

Karlos, I would say you've been doing it wrong for 10 years I'm afraid lol. Way I'd have done it is see what Ford recommend for your tyre size, then if they don't feel right or wear right change the pressure slightly until they do. The maximum is just the maximum pressure that they can take without exploding, it doesn't have any bearing on how they will work on your car.

Oh. I see. I better get out there and let some pressure out. Lol. Where's the recommended pressure from ford? On the door sticker?

[CharlieFarlie]

Is it really 3 points? I never knew that.

My tyres say max 44psi so have always gone just below at 40.

Surely if you change your tyres you should go with what the tyre says because they are not the same as original. Or have I been doing it wrong in the 10 years I've been driving lol.?

Ignore what it says on the tyre. That is an advisory for the maximum pressure the tyre will work under on many many cars.

What is vitally important is the pressure that tyre should be inflated to too suit the car its on .

A manufacturer will have worked out the pressures tyres fitted to a certain model require. This will be based on many things for example the weight of the car. Its car type and suspension IE does the car have sports suspension. How fast and what loading's will be placed on the tyre on this particular car. There are many variables but trust me Ford will know exactly what they were doing.

Over-inflation is dangerous ! Get into a corner to hot and you have to pull really hard on the wheel to get round and if the tyre is over inflated it can so easily lose grip ! It also cannot conform to the roads surface when the tyre walls are so hard so in this case you may end up going straight on and not make the corner !

To soft and the tyre will overheat in no time. A soft tyre will be crap to drive and wont corner anything like it it should or is capable of doing.

Tyres heat up as you drive, A tyre can typically go up 4 to 6 PSI as it gets up to optimum temperature . This is taken into consideration by the manufacturers when they give the recommended COLD pressures. Remember tyres should be checked ans set while the tyres are cold.

Anyone who thinks they know better should remember if they are in an accident with under or over inflated tyres could end up in very serious trouble !

40 PSI is nearly 20% over inflated. That is plain silly ...

[karlos1987]

Ok thanks for the insight. Just goes to show you shouldn't presume. Lol.

[cjay1]

think i'm in the same boat always inflated to full load pressures. which is no big deal on the front as its only 2 psi difference but the rear is 20 psi difference but 3-4 times a month i have a full load so dont know what to do for the best don't want to constantly adjust the pressures up and down. what do others think?

[CharlieFarlie]

think i'm in the same boat always inflated to full load pressures. which is no big deal on the front as its only 2 psi difference but the rear is 20 psi difference but 3-4 times a month i have a full load so dont know what to do for the best don't want to constantly adjust the pressures up and down. what do others think?

If carrying a full load and by that I imagine you mean four or five passengers then increase by 2 or so PSI. Honestly you should stick closely to the car manufacturer's specification.

The tyres on your cars are the most important thing on the cars !

[Phil 87]

I had the same sized tyres on my MK6 and I remember them looking a bit flat too. But as long as the pressure is correct it's fine. Think of it this way, if the tyre looks like it's squashed, that means there's a lot of rubber in contact with the road which means you have lots of grip. The more you inflate the tyre the less rubber is in contact with the road, and that could really make a difference in an emergency.

[TomsFocus]

think i'm in the same boat always inflated to full load pressures. which is no big deal on the front as its only 2 psi difference but the rear is 20 psi difference but 3-4 times a month i have a full load so dont know what to do for the best don't want to constantly adjust the pressures up and down. what do others think?

This is exactly the problem with RECOMMENDED tyre pressures...that they are worked out in lab conditions with say half a tank of fuel and 2 65kg adult up front for 'normal' or 4 65g adults and 20kg of luggage for 'heavy'. Now as you use a tank of fuel, the weight will drop by 50kg... Once a week you probably put 10kg of shopping in the boot. You may be driving alone most of the time (I do and I'm only 55kg!!) or you and your 4 passengers may be obese even.

The recommended criteria will probably never happen in a real world situation, even if it does it'll be changing a lot and you can't be expected to change your tyre pressures every day. Personally I'd probably go half way between normal and heavy if you're doing frequent but no daily heavy trips. It is up to you to decide the best compromise though.

[David73]

David what does that mean? Do you think its the wrong sticker on my car or something? I'm a bit worried now!!

It is a bit odd. Did your car come with a paper manual to give a second opinion? You could also put your registration into the Kwik Fit site -

http://www.kwik-fit.com/tyre-pressure-search.asp

The other possibility is that your tyres really are low in pressure because your gauge is wrong. (What you think is 29psi might actually be 25psi.) Try going up 3 or 4 psi to see what happens. If the gauge is not wrong and this puts the pressure high, it really isn't critical.

[Sweetx]

I didnt get a paper manual no, Kwik fit site has confirmed 29psi front and 26 rear. I have been using the air gauge at my local tesco though, so maybe thats the problem as I've heard they're not very accurate!

[David73]

Oh. I see. I better get out there and let some pressure out. Lol. Where's the recommended pressure from ford? On the door sticker?

Definitely consider doing something about it. For correct pressure you can also use http://www.kwik-fit.com/tyre-pressure-search.asp

[David73]

I didnt get a paper manual no, Kwik fit site has confirmed 29psi front and 26 rear. I have been using the air gauge at my local tesco though, so maybe thats the problem as I've heard they're not very accurate!

Well, that's one issue resolved. Try somewhere else or just put a bit more in. If it is coming out low, a bit more might make the steering feel sharper.

When I got my Fiesta home after buying it, one of the first things I did was check the pressures; they were 32/32. This was from a main dealer so their Herbert obviously only operates on autopilot. I was surprised they were all the same, though - when I have a car serviced I usually have to reset them because they come back with four different values.

[David73]

I have been using the air gauge at my local tesco though, so maybe thats the problem as I've heard they're not very accurate!

I just realised that you should have a nice electric inflator in the boot. It will connect directly to the tyre without the gunge tank and it doesn't need to be connected to the 12V socket just to get a pressure reading.

[Philf1]

Yes but not very accurate. Get a pressure reader to be sure

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[CharlieUK]

I have uniroyal rain sport 3 195 50 r15 on my mk6 fiesta and they do look saggy at 29. My tyre fitter said they should be minimum 34 but it's up to you. All I can guess is the tyres rated a+ for wet grip have to have more road contact. Plus maybe when ford calculate they tyre pressures, they go with their recommended tyre manufactures, I'm my case it's mitchelin.

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