Importance of checking tire pressure

TransAm

New Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2009
Location
lawrenceburg ky.
#1
Believe it or not but the majority of the tire wear problems come from under/over inflated tires.Running a tire under inflated will cause the tire to wear on the inner an outer edges.It will also cause excessive"cupping of the tread.It will also cause you to have bad fuel economy.By running a tire low in air psi the will make more drag and cause excessive heat build up.
If enough heat is created then the tire will start breaking down and come apart.

If you over inflate a tire it will wear excessively in the center.I'm sure you all have seen a tire on the back of a truck or car that the center of the tire looks like a roll of bologna and the outside edges look like the have 20,000 miles left in them.That is an over inflated tire.It don't matter whether you drive like a papa or like a 16 year old in a souped up car,if your tires are over or under inflated they will wear this way.

Now with that said,I know that it is hard to check pressure all time and it is O.K because that is where tire rotation comes in to play.That is a whole other subject that I will be posting about next.Keep a check and I will get there.

Something to remember also is that the rating on the side of the tire is the maximum psi recommended.When towing long distances you may need more pressure in your rear tires than you would just driving back and forth to work.Always check you tire pressure when the tires are cold (outside air temp) because you may get a bad reading if the tire is hot from a long drive.I have seen tires that are run low get so hot that you can't touch them and for every 10* rise in temp = 1 lb rise in air pressure.That's why if you notice that in the winter your tires look low or are low(for those of you that check em).

I have a 3/4 ton Dodge 4x4 with a diesel and I have learned what it likes and when.During the winter months I run 65 psi in the front tires and 50 psi in the rear tires.If I am going to pull something that has a lot of tongue weight I will raise the rear tires to 60-65 psi.during the summer months I run my front tires at 60 psi and when I hook to my fifth wheel 80psi in the rear.

All vehicles are different just like boats but if you follow these guidelines then you will get a lot more use and economy out of you tires.;)