tire pressure '96 jimmy

[blondie87]

Hey all, I just bought a '96 Jimmy and I'm trying to figure out what the best tire pressure is for it. I know its suspose to be writen on the drivers door but its worn off. Anybody know what its suspose to be?

[dwausa]

32 psi

[horse482]

I would not look for what the door says, it probably doesn't have the factory tires on it any more. Look at what the recomended pressure is on the tire and I would run it at that if loaded and 3-5 psi lower if it is unloaded on a tire that recomends 35psi. If it is a tire that recomends 50psi, unloaded I would run about 38-42 psi.

[old_master]

Optimum fuel mileage, tire mileage, and handling characteristics are obtained with the tires inflated to the maximum pressure that is stated on the tire. This will not necessarily give the best ride. Decreasing tire pressure will soften the ride, however, fuel and tire mileage along with handling characteristics will suffer.

[excheezhead]

Originally Posted by old_master

Optimum fuel mileage, tire mileage, and handling characteristics are obtained with the tires inflated to the maximum pressure that is stated on the tire. This will not necessarily give the best ride. Decreasing tire pressure will soften the ride, however, fuel and tire mileage along with handling characteristics will suffer.

down here in the south florida heat 90% of the time, there are 2 arguments. set the max pressure on hot tires, and the other on cold. if you set the max pressure, don't the tires crown with 60% of the driving at 55mph+? there are also a lot of places here that offer nitrogen conversion which is more stable pressure through out the heat range. should we set to high pressure with nitrogen, and max at temp, or cold?? you wouldn't believe the agruments this has spawned with the car and truck freaks down here. help would be great from a master!!
thanks

[old_master]

Living in Michigan for most of my life, I have never heard of a nitrogen conversion. It only makes sense that it would be more stable through a wider temperature range. After all, that's one of the reasons it's used in "gas charged" shock absorbers, and McPherson struts.

The maximum pressure stated on the sidewall of a tire is always adjusted when the tire is cold. If tire pressure is adjusted while the tire is hot, after it cools, the pressure will be too low. There are several things that contribute to an increase in tire pressure. Ambient and pavement temperatures along with the friction of the tire against the pavement and the inability to dissipate heat all can increase tire pressure. If wheel alignment is out of specification, throw that added friction into the mix too. Tire manufacturers have determined how much pressure increase there could be and factor that in to the design of the tire.

Speed rated tires are designed to dissipate heat more efficiently and are constructed differently to resist blow out. They are also designed for sustained high speeds, therefore the name. There are different classifications depending on the speed the tire is rated for. Speed rated tires are significantly higher quality and command a higher price tag. If cost is not a concern, it may worth looking into them as a possible alternative.