tire pressure
03-22-2005, 03:03 PM
#2
03-22-2005, 03:09 PM
#3
Also see if ya can find anything here:
http://forums.maxima.org/forumdisplay.php?f=71
And you can also do a search for more threads using Google or Yahoo of these forums, instructions are in the Stickies...
Btw, what tires are ya running?
http://forums.maxima.org/forumdisplay.php?f=71
And you can also do a search for more threads using Google or Yahoo of these forums, instructions are in the Stickies...
Btw, what tires are ya running?
03-22-2005, 03:44 PM
#4
Supporting Maxima.org Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 32
Lotta theories on this, but to get the concepts in your head, go out and push a front fender sideways to rock your Max back and forth. Watch the sidewalls roll, and do the same at the rear. The Maxima is actually a pretty light car, and the back end is especially light. While different tires and profiles (55 or 50 stock and a lot of guys go 45 etc.) have somewhat different characteristics, usually you can assume that the shorter the sidewall, the stiffer (less roll), and the higher the pressure the stiffer(less roll) - this affects handling and ride.
Start with the tires within the nominal pressures that they were designed for - usually in the 28 to 35 lbs. range despite the 44 max load indication (too low or too high and the tread won't lay flat, and all of the other attributes of poor wear harshness etc. set in too). What you are trying to achieve is relative roll between the front and the rear of the car that gives you the handling that feels right to you. Also think about the nominal front to rear weight ratio and your typical load. If you are normally alone, then you will probably find 3 to 5 pounds higher in the front, such as 33 frt 29 rear, will compensate for you and the drive train weight in the front a light load in the rear, and give you a good balance of ride and handling. A little higher in the front will take out a little understeer (less roll) a little less in the rear will move you towards oversteer as they roll more. If you normally carry rear passengers or a load in the trunk, you may need higher pressures in the rear. Hope this helps you with some starting points.
Start with the tires within the nominal pressures that they were designed for - usually in the 28 to 35 lbs. range despite the 44 max load indication (too low or too high and the tread won't lay flat, and all of the other attributes of poor wear harshness etc. set in too). What you are trying to achieve is relative roll between the front and the rear of the car that gives you the handling that feels right to you. Also think about the nominal front to rear weight ratio and your typical load. If you are normally alone, then you will probably find 3 to 5 pounds higher in the front, such as 33 frt 29 rear, will compensate for you and the drive train weight in the front a light load in the rear, and give you a good balance of ride and handling. A little higher in the front will take out a little understeer (less roll) a little less in the rear will move you towards oversteer as they roll more. If you normally carry rear passengers or a load in the trunk, you may need higher pressures in the rear. Hope this helps you with some starting points.
03-22-2005, 04:29 PM
#7
Supporting Maxima.org Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 32
L1, My experience would indicate that while 28 in the rear may be a little soft for crisp handling, it will give a decent ride (notwithstanding the inherent shortcomings of the Max suspension) and lay the tread down correctly, 28 may be a little low in the front. At 28 at the front you'll probably get a soft ride, but you'll also probably get enough sidewall roll to introduce some understeer (plowing feeling) and the outer bands of tread will probably wear faster than you would like. An oldtimer once showed me how tires with different pressures have a different footprint by rolling the car onto a dusty garage floor and looking at the dust on the treads. At 28/28 your fronts will lay tread down well out onto the corners (and the center ridge may actually be up on some tires) and the rears will have dust about 3/4 across the outer band, and be riding on the center ridges. Good argument for frequent rotation, no?
03-22-2005, 06:06 PM
#8
Originally Posted by MaxArt
L1, My experience would indicate that while 28 in the rear may be a little soft for crisp handling, it will give a decent ride (notwithstanding the inherent shortcomings of the Max suspension) and lay the tread down correctly, 28 may be a little low in the front. At 28 at the front you'll probably get a soft ride, but you'll also probably get enough sidewall roll to introduce some understeer (plowing feeling) and the outer bands of tread will probably wear faster than you would like. An oldtimer once showed me how tires with different pressures have a different footprint by rolling the car onto a dusty garage floor and looking at the dust on the treads. At 28/28 your fronts will lay tread down well out onto the corners (and the center ridge may actually be up on some tires) and the rears will have dust about 3/4 across the outer band, and be riding on the center ridges. Good argument for frequent rotation, no?
03-22-2005, 06:52 PM
#9
Donating Maxima.org Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 41
i go 36 all the way around....the only time the rear jumps out is on ice or dirt...prolly would jump out no matter what the pressure. I try not to burn the edges of my tires, or the middle with over/under inflation. I like a lil more inflation, helps out the gas mileage on my long hauls.
03-23-2005, 03:29 PM
#12
Supporting Maxima.org Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 32
Thoughts for the day
Just a couple of thoughts on the last few posts. Life is nothing if not a series of compromises, especially for us consumers that want good value, performance, handling (and maybe even reasonable maintenace costs and mileage). After all, we bought a Maxima not a Cavalier or Stratus. So assuming we had an idea what we wanted and knew what we were buying, I'll share a couple of thoughts. One, every manufacturer puts a tire size and pressure decal with nominal pressures for the recommended OEM tire. But they are compromising and averaging because they don't know your preferences or the loads you generally carry. (Or what doofus at the local tire quicky mart might be mounting your next set.) So they go with a best average. Soft for a nice ride during the test drive perhaps, but stiff enough to keep the average driver fom plowing or bringing the rear around on ramps. Two, trusting that the doofus knows what he's doing is like to going to McDonalds for cooking insight. (How hard is it to teach the guy in the back to always put 32 lbs in every tire). Besides, when you get home, use a good gauge and see if any one of the tires is really at 32. Best bet - stay with the "Org" and see what guys are thinking and what works for them - experiment to find your groove - and then tell the rim guy what pressures you prefer. Good starting point for a Max is probably 34 frt 31 rear and adjust according to driving and load variables. Tomorrow we'll try 1/2 lbs. adjustments to compensate for road crowning or caster/camber offsets.
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