How do I determine the correct air pressure for my tires?

Let's stop the confusion. I guarantee you I am the only one here truly qualified to answer this question. I've been working in the tire industry for 5 years and I am a tire geek in the worst sense. I know my stuff.

Never, ever go by what it says on the tires sidewall when trying to determine the correct inflation pressure for your vehicle.

The information on the tire sidewall only tells you the MAXIMUM cold inflation pressure for that particular tire. That's even what it says; "Max Inflation Pressure ...." Notice it does not say "Recommended Inflation Pressure..." or "Inflate this tire to...." The information is only there to show the maximum pressure that particular tire can be inflated to. Remember, the tire manufacturer has no way of knowing what vehicle the tire will be mounted on and not all vehicles using the same tire size will have the same inflation pressures.

Also, the maximum inflation pressure is often considerably higher than the pressures actually recommended for your vehicle by the vehicle manufacturer for your particular vehicle. Over-inflation can cause a number of problems and reduce safety as it reduces traction and makes the tire more susceptible to damage from impacts.

Vehicle manufacturers spend a lot of time and money to determine the correct inflation pressure for the tires installed on your vehicle. In determining this pressure they consider load carrying capacity, ride, handling, braking, wet traction and tire wear.

On most vehicles there will be a sticker or metal plate on the inside of the drivers door or door frame with the correct front and rear inflation pressures for your year/make/model of vehicle when fitted with the original equipment tire size. If this is not present, check the inside of the glovebox door. It may also be in your owners manual but may not be as many vehicles can be fitted with a variety of different tire sizes depending on equipment and options that may require different pressure settings.

So long as your vehicle is equipped with tires that are the exact same size and load index as those that originally came on the car the same inflation pressures appy, irregardless of the brand of tire you put on. Load capacity is determined by size, not brand.

If you are using a tire of a different size and different load index than what originally came on the vehicle you may need to adjust the tire pressures to compensate for the load chacteristics of the new tire size. But that's a subject for another post...

You can also check this out if you don't believe me...

http://www.tiresafety.com/maint/maint_ipressure.as...

ASE Certified Service Advisor and Tire Expert

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Look at the sticker on the door, or possible in the glove box. Always follow the manufacturers recommendations. The correct pressure is determined by the car, not the tire. The pressure on the sidewall is the MAXIMUM pressure for the tire! Do not inflate to this pressure. Check and Adjust First Thing In The Morning. Set according to the vehicle manufacturer's cold tire pressure(s) recommended on the vehicle's tire placard or in its owner's manual. This must be done before rising ambient temperatures, the sun's radiant heat or even driving short distances temporarily warms the tires.

Tire Inflation Pressure

If you are using tires of a different size than what the manufacturer installed, you can use this simple rule to get you into the ballpark for ride, traction and safety. Take the maximum tire pressure stamped on the tire and subtract 10%. For example if your max tire pressure is 50 PSI, subtract 5 pounds and start out with 45 pounds. You can adjust up or down a couple pounds to see what pressure works best for handling and wear.

the correct tire pressure per car is listed on the inside of the cars door. the tire pressure for the tire is on the side of the tire but for your car read what the manufacturer of the car requires that is set for proper handling. example some p/u trucks have different air pressure for the front and the rear tires.. good luck..

Proper Tire Inflation

For the best ride and handling, go with the pressure on the door label or owner's manual---for best economy. go with the max pressure on the tire but ride and handling may suffer a bit. You may have to play with the pressure settings to find a good middle ground.

the pressures on the side of the tire is relative to the brands and composition of the tire itself, but if you look inside door frame ( drivers side) the mfg puts the exact tire size and recommended pressures for that model of car

always go by the manual. If the car is fully loaded near its weight limits go another 2 or 3 PSI more, but NEVER more than the limit on the tire.

Normally, 32-34 psi works. The door jamb sticker has the exact info.