Max PSI question

[BlakestaExpo]

Okay so i just got some new Yokohama Geolanders At-s (255-65-R16) and my question is on the tire it says (Max cold psi 51)

should i fill them to 51? i feel like this is such a stupid question but its been puzzling me and the more people i ask the more variation in answers i get.


They put 35 out of the shop, but they seem to buckle a bit at the bottom as if there under inflated, so after getting stuck on the beach and airing way down i filled them up to 51 with my compressor at home and now there full with a way rougher ride.

PS. Had to call a tow company to come pull me off the beach since i was below the high tide marker and high tide was in 1 hr, my car was about 15 minutes from being a bouie out in the ocean. $450 dollars later my truck is safe and my pockets are empty . To my advantage i fell in a whole someone else got stuck in and it was 1am so no one was around to help me . My truck was about a slight push to rolling over, shoulda snapped a photo. :roll:

 

[Jd0gg919]

You shouldn't fill the tires to the max psi. Try to find a good medium between 35-45 psi.

 

[CDW6212R]

Most of what you are going to read and hear is wrong. There are more don't s than dos. Lots of tires operate better very close to the MAX rating, but others need to be farther below that MAX rating. I had Geolander's on two trucks about two years ago. They were all 44psi tires and needed to be within about 5-10psi of that. I had 38-40psi in the fronts, and 34-38psi in the back tires.

Every vehicle is different and each tire is different for each vehicle, as well as the driver and the usage making a big difference.

The best guide is this, adjust the pressure to obtain the best tire handling and wear. As the pressure goes down, fuel mileage goes down, and the tire edges wear faster. Higher pressures, different for each tire at each position, that will raise fuel mileage, but the center of the tire will wear faster.

Never go over the MAX pressure listed on the tire. Ignore the door jamb sticker and any owners manual or anyone who does not know your tire and your vehicle. There are many different tires made with different MAX pressures. As long as you stay under that MAX pressure, when the tire is cold, you are safe.

There is more to hurt or damage with too low of pressure, which is what most stickers and manuals will tend to advise you to do. The higher pressures are stiffer for the ride, but less likely to pick up nails, or let the vehicle roll over. Lower pressures are better for sand at low speeds.

Most vehicles need higher tire pressures on the end which weighs more. For almost everything that means put more air in the front tires. When any vehicle gets new tires, the tire labeled MAX pressure should be checked immediately. If you install 32psi(as some idiot here is going to tell you to do), in a 51psi tire, you will wear the edges too fast, and have less fuel mileage, but a nice soft mushy ride.

So, given you have new tires and need a place to start, I'd suggest about 45psi in the front tires and 42psi in back. Do not leave them unchecked for ages. Check the tire wear and pressures very often. With new tires you should carefully monitor the pressures and tire wear about once a week for two or more months. Do that until you know that the pressures stay as you set them, and until you are sure that the tire wear is even. You can alter the pressure if needed because you can see a wear trend that is not good, or the ride is noticeably too soft or rough. Don't get it to ride and handle as you like it and forget about the tires. As much as they cost now you need to monitor them to know that the pressure is correct for the wear and handling that you want. Regards,

 

[BlakestaExpo]

CDW , thanks so much for taking your time to write all that out for me i appreciate it.

I completely agree, i had 35 out of the shop and they seemed a little low and had a really mushy soft ride, not what i expected out of an AT-S tire.

so then after getting stuck and airing down, i put them all the way up to 50, and the ride was hard as a rock, felt every bump in the road and it was real tight handling, it even seemed like a little over kill.

Now im down to 43PSI all around and it seems to be happy medium, maybe even just a tad to soft, i think i may bring it up to 45 and leave it there for now, maybe drop it a bit in the winter.

Thanks so much and happy trails.

Blake

 

[CDW6212R]

Very good, keep a close eye on the tire wear, every few psi affects how the tire wears along the tread. Some little tires are under $50 and it doesn't cost much per year for those. But some people spend $200 or more per tire and they may or may not last long. Tire pressure is a big deal to save money if you watch it. It will not save the planet, but watch the pressures for you, not everybody else. Regards,