BMW: Advice on Tire Pressures

<com> wrote in message
news:com... 
325is with the old style 
pressure rating on the tire 
(Heh) I drive hard. 

10 PSI should suit you LOL

Try looking at some comments on the tire rack site for others that use the
same tire. Might find some good advice. 35# sounds awful low for Max tire
pressure. Dealers must also think of lawsuits for tire recommendations due
to recent events (Ford). I never trust the dealers anyway, unless it is the
TireRack. Great company.

Go to Conti's web site also.

Al
<com> wrote in message
news:com... 
325is with the old style 
pressure rating on the tire 
(Heh) I drive hard. 

<com> wrote in message
news:com... 
325is with the old style 
pressure rating on the tire 
(Heh) I drive hard. 

Hard drivers need more pressure not less. More will help the tire hold it's
shape under the stress of hard driving, less will allow it to deform and
wear unevenly. We are not talking drag racing here of course, but
cornering.

Local driving schools recommend 40psi for the day on the track for those
runnign 33 to 35 pounds normally.

-Russ.

"Somebody" <russdoucet.com> wrote in message
newsJe1b.60127$uunet.ca... 
if 
it's 
 
derform. but slightly lower pressure will increase traction as more tyre
surface will be in contact with the road.too little presure will increase
friction further leading to increased rolling resistance and heat build up,
therefore if you intend to drive fast for long periods I would IMHO advise
adding a little air to prevent this.Adding too much will over inflate the
tyre causing less surface contact and less friction/traction and also ruin
the ride.
Use the manual or plate inside the drivers door to set your tyre pressure.
35 psi sounds very low for a max pressue!! 

That is the max pressure at the max weight, you want considerably less than
this for daily driving.





<com> wrote in message
news:com... 
325is with the old style 
pressure rating on the tire 
(Heh) I drive hard. 

On Thu, 21 Aug 2003 22:09:32 GMT, com wrote:
 

The max pressure listed on a tire's sidewall is the maximum
recommended for seating the tire bead to the rim when mounting
the tire to the wheel. It is not intended to be used as the actual
running road pressure.

You're supposed to use the pressures listed on the sticker affixed
to the car's doorjam or fuel filler door and not what's listed on the
tire. When going to larger wheels and tires you're still supposed
to stick with the sticker's settings, but adding a pound or two is
ok if you drive hard on the streets and canyons. I have larger
tires than stock and run them a few pounds higher than stock
pressures and the tires don't roll over at all even when fully
attacking my favorite canyon roads and offramps.

Autocross and track duty are a whole nuther story, but
for the street stick with stock pressures or slightly higher
if you want to stiffen them up a bit.

Randy
89 325is weekend autocross/canyon car
Super stiff suspension and 225/50-15's on 7.5" Alloys
http://home.earthlink.net/~randylwalters/

Whimsy, Randy has laid out the story exactly as I see it. I use that
strategy even if the tires are plussed on stock wheels. On our Saab 9/5
wagon I put 225/50/16 SP5000 all seasons instead of 215/55/16 as stock. At
doorplate pressures we had no problems for 20k miles until just a few weeks
ago, when I found the tread was gone at all the front tire edges. Turns out
to be due to cornering (duh!), not rotating, and I think too little
pressure. I'm raising the pressure about 4 psi all around to move the wear
pattern toward the center, and to help keep the sidewalls straight. Don't
plan to moderate my driving style.

That will get the cold pressures up to about 36 psi. The doorplates
recommend 32 psi, and the sidewalls are marked 51 psi max. So this sounds
safe to me. The ride is a little choppy, but still a great car.

This pressure increase hasn't been necessary on my E36 with the same tires.
Must be the better suspension and weight distribution.

By the way, the Ford Explorer tire problems were due more to
under-inflation, not over inflation.

Ken


"Randy Walters" <net> wrote in message
news:west.earthlink.net... 
325is with the old style 
pressure rating on the tire 
(Heh) I drive hard. 

"Ken Freeman" <com> wrote in message
news:supernews.com... 
At 
weeks 
out 
wear 
Don't 
Couldn't agree more.

I've kept the (recommended 32 psi) pressures on my wife's 9/3 convertible at
about 34-35. The slight tradeoff in ride firmness is more than made up by
the improved handling, and the projected tread life on the OEM Michelin XVS
"all seasons" will be about 45,000 - with rotation every 10,000.

Tom