Over inflated tires

[Trooper4]

Under inflated tires ride great, but fuel mileage really suffer. Dealers often underinflate to give the test drive a soft ride. Full inflation may/will give a harsher ride, but give better fuel mileage. Less rolling resistance. Under inflated wears the shoulder of the tire, over inflated will wear the center of the tread. The trick is finding the sweet spot for good wear and mileage with as little tradeoff on either side as possible.
With the newer radial tires it is easier than the old bias ply, as they are not as susceptible to wear due to inflation differences.

 

[scottmoyer]

The door sticker setting is based on the tires your vehicle came with. I usually take the percentage of the recommended setting to the original tires max setting. My old truck came with tires with a max of 44 and door recommended 32. When I replaced the tires with ATs, the max setting was 65. So I ran the tires at 44psi.

 

[dirtybird]

Surely I’m not the only person that chalks my tires these days? I don’t care about sticker PSI. What does matter to me is longevity of the tire. I use sidewalk chalk on all 4 across the tread, pull up 100’ and then back up 100’, and adjust my pressure according to the chalk or lack of, in the middle/shoulder.

 

[nc_beagle]

When most vehicles leave the factory the tires are usually overinflated. that's because it's unknown how long the vehicle will be sitting before it's sold, and also to prevent flat spotting from sitting too long without moving. However, as others have mentioned the tires should be set at the recommended pressure before delivery.

To a certain point increasing tire pressure will reduce rolling resistance which will affect gas mileage positively, but going too far will increase tire wear in the center of the tread.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 03 June 2018. Now at: 052404 miles.

This makes perfect sense, but wouldn't it also increase braking distance with less surface area on the road?

 

[Trooper4]

This makes perfect sense, but wouldn't it also increase braking distance with less surface area on the road?

Guess that why we should check the tire pressure and all the fluid levels when we take delivery.

 

[Biga]

The door sticker setting is based on the tires your vehicle came with. I usually take the percentage of the recommended setting to the original tires max setting. My old truck came with tires with a max of 44 and door recommended 32. When I replaced the tires with ATs, the max setting was 65. So I ran the tires at 44psi.

Yes and for replacements in the same size/category. To get the perfect pressure you could do a chalk test and inflate the tires to the point you have maximum tread contact. Generally on my pickup trucks I run the rears a few pounds less then the fronts as they have less weight on them when running with an empty bed.

 

[scottmoyer]

For those that don't know, the maximum air pressure is for maximum load. So, in the case that you're carrying the max weight in your passenger cars, you'd want to set the tires at the max 44 psi (if that's their max pressure). So, again with my old truck, if I was trailering or had the truck loaded to my max weight, I would've set the tires at the 65psi.

I don't know what my current max pressure is, that's why I'm using my old AT tire ratings. The chalk test works great if you're using the truck for daily driving, unloaded, and with no passengers. Once you add any weight, the footprint can change.