Tire Pressure, LS LX Focus

[vverewolf]

Hey Guys! I recently got new tires all round on my LS on the stock 205/55 R16 rims. I thought they were a bit hard and checked them cool the next morning at 40 PSI. I read the tire place back and they reckon for that size tire you really want 38-40 PSI for tire life, and 36 PSI would be the lowest you run. The manual for the car says from 30-36, (light - heavy load). I used to run 32 or so all round.

What does everything else run? Is 40 too high?

cheers
wwolf

[elgreko]

Hi 40 psi is fine, my tyre bloke puts nitrogen in my tyres and puts noth[CODE]ing less than 40psi. I used to run less and the inner and outer edges srubbed out!!!

[svo supporter]

Tire pressures can only be decided by you and your driving style.

Question time. Did you take any notice to how your previous set of tyres wore? Did you check the pressures reguarly?

If so, if the edges wore more that the centre of the tyre, that means your tyre pressures were too low for you. If it was the centre of the tyre, the pressures were too high. If the tyre wore fairly evenly over the face of the tyre, the pressure you had will be fine.

Manufacturers pressures and other peoples pressures don't mean a great deal. The only sure fire way to know what's suitable is to read the tyre's wear pattern. Otherwise it could turn sour for you

[vverewolf]

What size tire are you running elgreko?

SVO, I used to run 32 in the front and 34 in the rear (checked and adjusted every few weeks), and the reason that I had to replace them was due to inner wear on all four tires, but more noticeable at the front. The tire guys suggested an alignment issue (the rears were on the front earlier on), but after hearing their recommendation of much higher pressure, I'm starting to wonder whether part of the problem was tire pressure.

I also had a small amount of vibration at highway speeds on some road surfaces with the stock tire from new. Had the wheels balanced under warranty which fixed most the vibration and I thought the small amount that remained that I could only feel now and then was just they way a focus was. With the new tires and alignment front and rear, it is the smoothest it has ever been, so possibly my alignment has always been a smidgen out.

Soooo I'm not sure whether alignment or tire pressure is the cause of my inner tire wear, but they both would have helped.

Still keen to hear what pressure everyone runs in their LS LX on the stock rims?

[svo supporter]

If it's only inner edge wear, stick with the pressures you previously ran.

The inner edge wear would be caused from an alignment issue. Nothing more.