How much pressure do my tires need, please

[explorer98eddie]

I am new driver. Somebody told me to see the label on the car door. I got a label, but not sure what it means. I took a picture of the label and tried to upload it to this forum. Unfortunately, this forum can not allow users to upload pictures, right?

One line of characters on the label is like this:

AT/A KPa/PSI/LPC 207/30 COLD/A FROID 207/30

What does this mean? If I pump my tires, the pressure is supposed to be 30 PSI? is that correct?

I saw, a pump with a gauge is sold for $20, is it necessary to buy a pump at home? I heard, at the gas stations, pumping is free. Some people say, the gauges at the stations are not accurate, because they are often used to measure big truck. So, do I need a gauge at home? Those things can be used for the rest my life

 

[corkey]

The sticker is wrong

i would put the tires at what the manufacturer recommends on the sidewall of the tire, it is molded right into the rubber by the rim lip,

Usually 35 is a good pressure to put them at as the recommended pressure is usually not much above that,

as for buying a pump , i would take the money and get a good tire pressure gauge instead, than fill them at the gas station, but use your own gauge , that way you know what the pressure really is.

 

[SoNic67]

For Explorers the pressure with the OEM tires is the one marked on the door. In this case 30 psi.
You can pump it with any pump you want - the gas station pumps are not free - I know only the Wawa stores to have a free air pump.
To check the pressure you can buy a pressure gauge at the local auto parts store - should be a few bucks only.

Some fancy tire shops will fill the tires with nitrogen (green caps on tire valves) - that suposelly have some advantages (lower moisture content in the tire, better maintaing the pressure on hot/cold situations).

 

[corkey]

THE STICKER IS WRONG !!!!

look on the sidewall of the tires, the recommended pressure is on the tire,


running tires under pressure will cause the sidewalls to get hot and blow out,
the reason for the whole Firestone fiasco was partly to blame on these stickers which recommended unsafe tire pressures,,

 

[SoNic67]

On the tire is the MAXIMUM inflation pressure! They can "recomand" a pressure but, the tire manufacturer doesn't know on what vehicle the tire will be mounted (how heavy, what suspension, etc).
Firestone tires where crap and inflated at 26psi (in 1990). The Explorers with Goodyear tires (or other brands) never had a problem with the 30 psi pressure.
Inflate them at higher PSI and you might roll over...

 

[explorer98eddie]

The sticker is wrong

i would put the tires at what the manufacturer recommends on the sidewall of the tire, it is molded right into the rubber by the rim lip,

Usually 35 is a good pressure to put them at as the recommended pressure is usually not much above that,

as for buying a pump , i would take the money and get a good tire pressure gauge instead, than fill them at the gas station, but use your own gauge , that way you know what the pressure really is.

Thanks. If tat sticker is wrong. I checked my tire. The data on my tire is like this:

Max load 1090 Kg (2403 LBS.)
Max press 300 kpa (44 PSI)
(E4) 0216982
National LTR
M+S 255/70R16
COMMANDO
DOT U90k WH7 1408
mount only on 16 inch rim
111S standard load


So, my tires max pressure is 44 PSI, and according to what you said, are these tires supposed to be 35 PSI? Besides, I am second owner, knowing nothing about the tires. Are they made by National company? Are these tires good or bad for safety concern?

Thank you so much

 

[MikeCallery]

Unfortunately Corkey is incorrect and needs to check his facts before typing in 36pt and yelling at everyone. He also needs to substantiate his claim if in fact he has found factual data to back it up.

All tires are stamped with their maximum pressure as well as other significant data. That maximum pressure is what allows it to hold additional weight bearing.

The manufacturer of the automobile determines the weight range wet and with passengers and then determines the proper air pressure on the tire to provide the safest tire contact patch and ride.

There is a reason that the manufacturer puts a sticker inside the door and that is to note what tires are supposed to be on that vehicle and what air pressure is recommended.

Going higher will reduce your contact patch, lesson your traction and provide a harsher and unsafe ride. Now if you are carrying a large amount of weight in the cargo area, then you might want to compensate with additional psi.

 

[SoNic67]

Thanks. If tat sticker is wrong. I checked my tire.

NO, the sticker is not wrong! Anybody can make claims on the net, but only the engineers that MANUFACTURED the vehicle know what is the proper pressure. And they are legally binded to post that pressure on the door when that vehicle is approved by DOT.

 

[explorer98eddie]

Unfortunately Corkey is incorrect and needs to check his facts before typing in 36pt and yelling at everyone. He also needs to substantiate his claim if in fact he has found factual data to back it up.

All tires are stamped with their maximum pressure as well as other significant data. That maximum pressure is what allows it to hold additional weight bearing.

The manufacturer of the automobile determines the weight range wet and with passengers and then determines the proper air pressure on the tire to provide the safest tire contact patch and ride.

There is a reason that the manufacturer puts a sticker inside the door and that is to note what tires are supposed to be on that vehicle and what air pressure is recommended.

Going higher will reduce your contact patch, lesson your traction and provide a harsher and unsafe ride. Now if you are carrying a large amount of weight in the cargo area, then you might want to compensate with additional psi.

All right, so, according to what you said, for my car, the label on the door suggest 30 PSI, so, if I do not have much cargo, the pressure is supposed to be 30 PSI. Is that correct? Thanks.

 

[SoNic67]

That sticker is not just a "suggestion".
If you roll over and the insurance discoveres that you had 35 psi in the tires you will be denied any insurance payments based on that (even if you wasn't speeding) and you might even get a ticket for operating a vehicle with improper pressure (the same like you will drive it with defective brakes, direction or other mechanical malfunctions of the safety systems).

 

[MikeCallery]

Correct, if the sticker says 30, then that is what you should put in your tires.

I've overloaded my truck with weight and added pressure to get it to my destination, but you should always aim for the weight on the door sticker.

Also, that psi should be measured when the tire is cold, meaning say first thing in the morning when it has sat. The tire is going to build pressure as it runs so you don't want to drive on it and then measure. I actually check my tires cold, every Saturday morning .

 

[yavapaires]

OK here's my thought. on a 96 Explorer 4.0 4x4 two people (the dog only weighs 10 lbs) with P235x75r15 all season tires, I run 32 in front,30 in rear. Don't carry heavy loads, so am looking for balance between good ride,(Nebraska streets are terrible) and safe handling and tread wear. Buy yourself a GOOD tire gauge. You can get a good digital gauge from Wally World for around 10 bucks or so. Check pressures every couple weeks, and buy a portable tire inflator to keep in your vehicle. My old Coleman is about 30 years old, and is better than any of the newer ones on the market that are affordable. Experiment with different pressures until you find what works for you. Ask 10 people, get 10 different answers. Hope this helps. Gary

 

[my98nnj]

look on the sidewall of the tires, the recommended pressure is on the tire,

That's incorrect. The tire markings are related to it's max load condition.
You should always follow the vehicles mfg. suggested tire pressure setting, not the tire.

Over inflating a tire is just a bad as under inflating it. An over inflated tire will have a smaller contact patch and cause poor handling, especially in wet weather.

Tirerack.com has some good info in their technical pages regarding tire pressure.

 

[Carguy3J]

THE STICKER ON THE DOOR IS WRONG!!!!!!
A.) That tire pressure, on the "sticker" was developed by the Ford engineers for the OEM tire. I doubt you can even buy an OEM make/model tire anymore. Replacement tires will have different requirements, depending on load rating, speed rating, size (if changed from stock), manufacturing methods and materials, and other design characteristics.

B.) That tire pressure on the "sticker" was developed by Ford engineers to achieve the design/marketing goals of the vehicle when new. (ride quality, noise, vibration,etc...) It does not necessarily represent a tire pressure that will result in the best handling, lowest tire wear, greatest load carrying capacity, greatest tire life (heat/speed related), or best fuel economy.

C.) Ford knows/knew nothing about the characteristics of the tire(s) likely to be on the vehicle now, when that almighty sticker was printed. On the other hand, the tire manufacturer knows about their product when they build it, with the information stamped right on the side. No, I wouldn't necessarily run the MAX pressure on every vehicle, but I would never run 30psi, in anything. That's too low.

To the OP:
Stop listening to these "tools" trying to scare you with talk of liability if you don't listen to them, insurance companies checking your tire pressure, roll over,etc..... On a big, top heavy vehicle (like an Explorer), 30psi or lower could actually lead to greater instability in emergency maneuvering, vs 35psi or higher. Lower tire pressure tends to act like a softer spring. It'll give you a "gentler", more comfortable ride (think Cadillac), which is why Ford spec'd 30psi when new, for ride quality. However, it will make for more "boat like" handling (also think Cadillac).

Set the pressure at 35psi. Where you get the air from isn't too big a deal. You may have to try several gas stations, but I'm sure you can find one with free air. Unless you have a leak, this is something you only need to check once every couple of weeks. I would suggest buying your own decent quality air-pressure gauge, preferably one with a digital display (for accuracy). If you end up towing something, or put a really heavy load in the cargo area, you may want to temporarily increase the rear tire pressures up to maybe 38psi. Also, remember to set your pressure when the tire (and air is inside) is cold. Preferably, no more then about 5 miles of driving (to get to the air source), after sitting for several hours (overnight is better).

That's incorrect. The tire markings are related to it's max load condition. --True

You should always follow the vehicles mfg. suggested tire pressure setting, not the tire. --Wrong, see above

Over inflating a tire is just a bad as under inflating it. An over inflated tire will have a smaller contact patch and cause poor handling, especially in wet weather. --True, but 35psi is not over inflating. For that matter, neither is 44psi if that is at/below the tire manf. recommended max. Granted, it will be too high for an unloaded Explorer, and would likely give a bumpy ride. However, a tire stamped 44psi max tends to indicate that it is a higher load capacity and/or a performance oriented tire. In that case, 30psi would likely produce symptoms of under inflation.

Tirerack.com has some good info in their technical pages regarding tire pressure. --True

 

[Carguy3J]

That sticker is not just a "suggestion".
If you roll over and the insurance discoveres that you had 35 psi in the tires you will be denied any insurance payments based on that (even if you wasn't speeding) and you might even get a ticket for operating a vehicle with improper pressure (the same like you will drive it with defective brakes, direction or other mechanical malfunctions of the safety systems).

Ummmmm????? Seriously? Are you really so far out of touch with reality that you believe what you just wrote?

A.) It is a "suggestion". Ford relinquished ownership (and control over) this guy's Explorer a loooonnnng time ago; as in the day it rolled of the assembly line and left the factory on a transport. There is no law requiring one to "obey" the almighty sticker. I outlined the reason why the sticker is mostly wrong, at least on tire pressure, in my post above.

B.) Ummm, again. Cuckoo, cuckooo. Insurance adjusters aren't walking around with tire gauges, just itching to deny claims for tires inflated to a "deadly" and "irresponsible" pressure of a whopping 35psi. 35psi is NOT going to instantly flip the vehicle over like magic. Really, to flip in a non-emergency situation, you mostly have to be a real dumb ass behind the wheel, doing real dumb ass things. Of course, said "dumb-assery" may result in tickets (careless/reckless driving,etc...), but "Tires inflated too high for Ford's (or Sonic67's) liking" is not a ticketable offense in any jurisdiction I know of.
Now, that said, I would like to see people pulled over (and perhaps ticketed) for driving around on BALD/underinflated tires. By the way, from my casual parking lot observations, most bald/partially bald tires I see appear to be the result of severely UNDER inflated tires. I'm talking visually obvious. I don't understand how people can still be allowed to drive, who are so oblivious that they don't "feel" that one or more tires are nearly flat.

 

[Joe Dirt]

 

[A Wise Guy]

Yup

 

[dcdyd]

I always use 33PSI no matter what tire I have put on my 98 EB 5L. Too higher PSI will make the ride bumpy. Too low PSI will make the fuel efficiency suffer.

 

[justinf89]

fwiw, I run 35 in the front and 32 in the rear. I went as high as 50 in the front(max on tire is 55), just to see how it wore, and down to 40, it showed feathering at the edges. 35 in the front seems like a perfect wear pattern for me, and 32 in the rear where there isn't as much weight.

 

[gavin]

I agree.

but I will add my input.

The correct tire pressure is the pressure that gives the best, and most even, contact between the tire and the pavement.

30 may be too low, but the max pressure listed on the tire's sidewall is just that; the maximum air pressure. The correct number will be somewhere between those 2 numbers.