PDA

View Full Version : Is 30psi too much for daily driving?


DSC
03-06-2002, 01:51 PM
You may have seen my thread a couple weeks ago about getting too much outside tire wear. Well I was running about 23-25psi, thinking maybe that was the problem instead of alignment I put my tire pressure up to 30. I definately like the improved roadfeel of 30psi and hard cornering feels better. But, is it ok to run that high all the time? I know 30-35+ or so is more for when your at the track but I like 30...it feels good. So anything bad about running that much pressure?

BadMoJo
03-06-2002, 01:58 PM
I say thats just about right. It should be right around 30-32 for daily driving. http://www.walserrz.com/trffiles/smilies/biggthumpup.gif

LanceS13
03-06-2002, 02:49 PM
no problem at all...I run 34 in mine.  And I use to run 32f/38r in my Accord to somewhat alleviate the mushy understeer of the high-sidewalled stock tires.  Never had a problem.  You'll be fine as long as you don't exceed the tires max psi, which should be written on the tire's sidewall...usually 44psi.

Ni5mo180SX
03-06-2002, 03:59 PM
35psi is what I had on my tires, which was what is said. You lose handling capability with more psi, btw.

LanceS13
03-06-2002, 04:46 PM
Not necessarily.
You lose contact patch with high pressure.
You lose sidewall response with low pressure.
As usual in automotive tuning, you have to find the compromise that works best...usually the lowest pressure that keeps the tire from rolling onto the sidewall under max corner load.

Ni5mo180SX
03-06-2002, 04:48 PM
It seems like contact patch would be the larger factor in turning.

DSC
03-06-2002, 05:35 PM
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Ni5mo180SX @ Mar. 04 2002,7:48)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">It seems like contact patch would be the larger factor in turning.</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
Go corner hard with 5psi less in each tire and you'll see. It feels really bad. I sloped whiteout on my tires to see where my wear was. I think low tire pressure really was my problem, cauz its wearing less on the edges now, and none on the top of the sidewall/end of tread part where it used to rollover onto under extreme cornering. I read on overboost that you were supposed to run at 25psi for daily driving, so I thought maybe there was a reason for that.

LanceS13
03-06-2002, 05:49 PM
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Ni5mo180SX @ Mar. 06 2002,4:48)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">It seems like contact patch would be the larger factor in turning.</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
Actually, a too-low pressure will begin to decrease contact patch. &nbsp; The tire will be concave in the middle. &nbsp;Also the more the outside of the tire rolls over, the more the inside of the tire is pulled up off the tarmac. &nbsp; It's actually all about maximizing contact patch...but sidewall flex is a factor of contact patch.

LanceS13
03-06-2002, 05:54 PM
DSC:
If you aren't using every bit of tread on the tire under max cornering load, you can stand to lower the pressure. &nbsp;
Weren't your tires chunking? &nbsp;If they were, then it's very possible that the tire compound simply can't take the heat of extreme cornering and they get a little brittle and chunk off.

DSC
03-06-2002, 06:08 PM
Yeah, they were chunking. <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='???'> My tires suck.
http://www.steamymirror.com/dsc240sx/images/slide/tiresmall.jpg

Ni5mo180SX
03-06-2002, 06:44 PM
Yea and if you overinflate the tire, it'll explode. Im not talking about extremes. Just that I always noticed less tire pressure as an advantage when it came to grip.

DSC
03-06-2002, 08:01 PM
I think Turnfast (http://www.turnfast.com/tech_handling/handling_pressure4.lasso) explains it best <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'> here's some pictures from the article linked to the left.
Good pressure(top)
High pressure(middle)
Low pressure (bottom)
http://www.turnfast.com/tech_handling/handling_images/tire_psi_profile.gif