Tire Pressure

[Tim Hampson]

All,

Does anyone know what the proper tire pressure should be on the Tribute. The manual says to use either the sticker pressure on the frame or the one marked on the tire but they are very different. The sticker says to use 30 PSI and the tire says 44 PSI max. The tires are Goodyear Wranglers.

Also, has anyone else had problems with these tires in the snow? They are like slicks, even in the rain.

Thanks!

[TomV]

Tim,

The markings on the tire are there for safety issues. They are independant of the car. A high PSI will distort the shape of the tire and lower the footprint area on the road, resulting in unsafe braking conditions.

The inflation figures on the car are there because of the manufacturer doing some testing of the tires on the car and determing the proper PSI for parameters such as drive comfort, braking distance, cornering and the like. It is a compromise between the various paramters based on how the manufacturer wants the car to perform with the stock tires.

I would suggest that these numbers are a good starting point for replacement tires. You may want to increase the PSI a bit depending on the tires you have, especially if you are carrying a lot of weight. I would not recommend a lower number since that may cause the tires to run hotter.

Tom

[Tim Hampson]

Tom,

Thanks for the Input. I was getting complaints that my car felt hard and the stopping in Rain and Snow was terrible. Now I know why that might have been... I'll try a lower Pressure, somewhere closer to the Sticker pressure.

Regards,