TunerMaxima3000

iTrader: (4)

So this is the deal, stock SE spec calls for 32PSI in the front, and 29PSI in the rear, what about aftermarket tires? what are YOU running in your tires?

Nissan 6

35 all around in my falkens

njmaxseltd

iTrader: (19)

32F & 28R for a nice smooth ride.
The car is front heavy, you should drop the rear pressure slightly to match the front tires footprint. Thats why the sticker indicates a lower rear tire pressure. Most FWD cars are set up that way.

dgeesaman

iTrader: (10)

Tire pressure is dictated by the car, not the tires. Unless you're using race tires, just keep with 32/29 or something similar.

Dave

scubasteve

iTrader: (6)

i run what my tire says to run

Timothios

my tires say 50psi!

95bluse

iTrader: (1)

A good thread (tread? )...I was wondering the same since I've switched to my 235/45/17 setup. Incidentally, my '95 SE says to run 33fr/32r for the OEM 215/60/15. I read that you "should" increase the psi by 1 psi for a corresponding step up in plus size. That means that I should increase mine by 2 psi to 35f/34r since i went from 215 to 235. This suggestion is mainly to protect your rims due to the smaller profile.

BTW I've never heard of 33 front & 29 rear, I thought all Maximas had single psi differential front to rear

dgeesaman

iTrader: (10)

No, they don't, they say "50psi maximum". You run them at the pressure appropriate for your car and driving conditions. IMHO, 35psi is about as high as anyone would want on the street, and 40-42psi if you're autocrossing.

Dave

99se5speed

iTrader: (8)

This had nothing to do with Tire pressure, but i would recommend everyone getting Nitrogen in the tires instead of air. I just recently switched and it's WONDERFULL!!! (all the new auto makers are using it from the factory). I paid 26 bucks w/ lifetime refill. Just wanted to let you guys know.

whitegold

iTrader: (1)

I dont get why nitrogen is that great? Am I missing something.

My tires are 31, 35, 30, and 34... I really need to invest in another air pump.

95bluse

iTrader: (1)

Air is 78% nitrogen, I hate paying for air

ThurzNite

iTrader: (13)

The costco guy said nitrogen's a bigger molecule, less likely to leak out. It's also lighter than "air".

I run mine 42/40 hot... which translates to about 32/32 cold.

Jae

White Shadow

iTrader: (11)

Nitrogen is better becase it doesn't hold moisture and isn't as affected by temperature changes like regular air is. Grade "D" or "E" breating air like you will find in SCUBA or SCBA cylinders will work just as effecitively as nitrogen will due to its very minute traces of moisture. As to the question the OP asked, I don't know enough about that to have an informed opinion.

99se5speed

iTrader: (8)

All i know is that when i put in pure Nitrogen, i recieved a better ride quality, the car felt more stable on the highway, and it reacts to bumps better and softer...

Batxel

iTrader: (1)

That's still a lot money for 20% more nitrogen. Do you really think its worth it or is it just your imagination coupled with finally getting correct air pressure in your tires?

TurTLe*

iTrader: (11)

i dont care about if its worth it to swtich what i care about is the price to top off nitrogen.

i run 36psi in minds as of yesterday.

chillin014

iTrader: (67)

lets get this as a sticky so we can stop having threads and seeing how many idiots are running 50 psi in their tires because they read that on the sidewall.
32-35 is fine. end of thread.

nguyen925

i try to keep my tires at 35, but i think i have a leak in my tire wall somewhere.. .(front tires) i think i shall rotate them and see if the fronts just that much heavier. i dont think its supposed to be that way though.......whenever i check my pressure it always seems to look flat and never has 35 in it. it always drops to 31 or 32 and this is on just a couple of days driving. i hate used cars. NEW CARS FTW.

chillin014

iTrader: (67)

Now there's a new concept. Tires leaking small ammounts of air??? Your car is trash go buy a new one.
I've seen it happen...cars considered salvage due to leaky tires

cam_honestiam

iTrader: (2)

I run mine at 44 PSI cold. Three years like this, so far so good. No uneven tread, smooth ride...

super6

iTrader: (5)

i beleive its a bit of both. oem tires on mine read 44 max psi, on new ones its 51. its better to go a bit higher than the recomended psi.

also, mine stock suggests 33 for F and R.

TunerMaxima3000

iTrader: (4)

Well I put 32 F and 30 R in mine and couldnt believe the difference, much smoother and handles much better. the tires were wearing oddly but they'd had about 40-50 psi in them before I got the car.

veluvalisr

Hi Guys,

Can you please tell me if "Douglas Performance GT-H" Tire is Good or Ok for my 95 Nissan Maxima Front wheels.

Thank you,
Ravi.

scubasteve

iTrader: (6)

They suck. The ride VERY rough, handle and corner is killer sloppy, the grip is terrible in the summer and even worse in winter. The tread will be 1/2 gone after about 10,000 miles. Douglas tires are made by Kelly which is owned by goodyear.

Your better off with BFG's, i love mine

dgeesaman

iTrader: (10)

Higher max pressure requires a stronger tire. Just because a tire is OEM doesn't mean it's a performance tire, so you will frequently see different max pressures. I would also not be surprised if max pressure is related direclty to the speed rating of the tire, again something that will be different from OEM spec tires.

That's because you have a 2000. 4th gens weigh less and their pressures are reduced accordingly.

Dave

Thorby

I've heard less corrosion caused by H2O.

Regular compressed air from the gas pump is poisoned with moisture.

njmaxseltd

iTrader: (19)

Thats because Nitrogen doesn't expand and contract as much when temperatures change. Your 32 PSI cold fill doesn't get much harder after the tire heats up. You might gain 2 PSI with Nitrogen, but with simple compressed air you'll gain as much as 8 - 10 PSI as the tire heats up.

mszilves

So then the consensus is you should go by the stock recommended pressure? Does anyone know then, if the profile/size of the tire makes a difference? Does that mean that if you go up to 225/40-18s, you should still go by the stock pressure, regardless of the maximum pressure of the tire?

dgeesaman

iTrader: (10)

While true, it's irrelevant when running alloy wheels.

If you don't have alloy wheels then it's safe to assume nitrogen holds no substantial benefits for you.

dgeesaman

iTrader: (10)

You will never find a consensus on this forum. You have to be careful whether to trust what you read, that's all I'll say.

However, there is consensus from experienced drivers and racers, and that is to use stock recommended pressures as a baseline and make tweaks from there. Tweaks such as:
- If the stock pressure is just one number for all tires, make the front a few psi higher than rear since an unloaded Maxima places more weight up front
- Add a few psi for slightly improved fuel economy on the highway, or when loading the car near its weight limit (like coming home from college )

Stock pressure. It may change some if you go with a drastically wider wheel, but unless you tubbed your maxima it would still be basically stock pressure.

Dave

aih98max

iTrader: (3)

cough.....scubasteve....cough

mszilves

Thanks very much Dave, very informative and well put. Though I'm still relatively new, I've found that these forums have some great people, always willing to help, even for the smallest things.

jjamzman

I have played around a lot with the tire pressure and found these numbers to work well for both good handling and a reasonable ride.

H&R springs

KYB adjustables set at 1 front and back

Wheels- 17" American Racing Alloys

Tires - Michelin Pilots - 225-45 MH4

front - 30 psi
rear - 27 psi

Bobo

The recommended tire pressure for my 95SE if 33F, 32R.

For the last 18 months, I have increased the pressure to above that.

I am currently running Yokohama Avid H4S and the OEM 15" sawblades with tire pressure set at 36F, 35R. I let the tire pressure drop back down to say 34F and 33R and re-inflate, particularly if I am going to do any amount of highway driving.

I think over the long haul this will translate into somewhat better fuel economy and tire life, at the expense of a slightly firmer ride.

95bluse

iTrader: (1)

Those pressures seem a tad low since the OEM w/stock 15" sawblades are 33front/32rear (on my '95 SE anyway). Not very much lower, but I bet your car feels a little sluggish with a hit on fuel economy. I'm on eibach/illumina (setting 2 all around) & dropped back to 33fr/32r from 36/35. Big positive difference in ride, I'll monitor fuel economy.

95bluse

iTrader: (1)

Good idea, I tried this, but on my 235/45/17's & lower suspension there is considerable difference in ride quality.

jjamzman

It might seem that way, but you have to remeber that these are also bigger tires. It doesn't take as much psi to support the same weight with a larger footprint. With these settings, the tires just barely have a perceptible flat spot on the bottom. I am getting 24mpg combined driving, so they are not dragging. The ride and feel are better and so is wet performance. With more air, it was easy to get the rears to brake loose in a hard stop. Not now. Everything seems better.

jjam

dgeesaman

iTrader: (10)

The point about traction is a good one. Going up in pressure always has a tradeoff, and it's not simply ride quality.

Dave

95bluse

iTrader: (1)

Here's a thought.. a wider tire does not give you a "larger" footprint, it changes the shape of the contact patch. Typically, a high aspect ratio tire will have a long, narrow footprint, while a low aspect ratio will have a short, wide footprint. This is why wide tires tend to hydroplane more than a narrow tire & perform poorly in snow.

jjamzman

This is true to a certain extent that the aspect ratio of the tire affects the contact area shape. However, the 225-45's with the pressure adjusted to allow proper contact definitely have a bigger footprint than the 205-70's it arrived with. You would have to run the 205's very flat to match the same contact area. The performance would suck in that configuration. By the way, the Michelin Pilots are much better in the rain (less hydroplaning) than previous tires that I have run. They are also hands down the best performance tires that I have ever run in the snow.

jjam