The continuing saga of tire pressure...
My coach has been weighed and according to the tire manufacturer's PSI chart, I should be carrying 80 psi. But, when you (or I) have new tires installed, the tire company insists on pressuring up to t...
Forum Discussion
Ivylog wrote:
...Not sure why but new MH tires with pressure way more than needed can make a rig that handles well be all over the road...
Which is why you should inflate by weight, not to MAX just because it makes you feel good.
Radial tires are designed to have the sidewalls flex. This increases the contact area of the tread both across the tread and front to rear. Over inflation reduces this contact area, or at least the area with a good solid grip on the road. Over inflate enough and you've reduced the contact area to a small circle in the center of the tread.
Now add a cross wind, a small bump in the road and you're all over the place. Anyone that thinks this is safer, well all I can say is good luck. Oh, and if it starts raining get off the road because now you're in real danger. You're running on a small patch of rubber contacting a wet road surface, not a good combination.
As Big Katuna said, over inflation will also cause your tires to wear unevenly. The center will wear out faster just as under inflated tires will cause the outer edges to wear faster.
Every vehicle manufacturer provides a recommended pressure for the tires they installed, Some of it's for comfort, some for fuel economy but a big part is also safety.
