What tire pressures does everyone use?

[DINANM3]

When it comes to tire pressure i just go by the sticker on the drivers door.
So it recomends 32 psi front and 32 psi rear for an unloaded vehichle and 32 psi front and 39 psi rear on a fully loaded vehicle. And that is for both 18s and 20 inch rims. Does anyone use anything different or now something i dont. The reason why i am asking is becuase i have 32 psi alround on my 18 inch winter tires and it just does not seem like enough. The tires look like they are low on air. I was thinking about going up to 35 psi all round. Can anyone give me advice or tell me what works good for them Ive already searched the articles and have not found any info on tire pressures.
thanks In advance,

[ricky.agrawal]

I suggested 32psi all around for comfort.
I was spoiled by the LS400.

[dkl]

There is no short answer to this question. The recommended tire pressure is somewhat of a compromised that the manufacturer comes up with. They have to balance between comfort, handling characteristics, fuel efficiency, etc... You have to tweek the pressure to your liking over some period of times. It's mostly a trial and error type of process because not all tires are created equal (different manufacturers and types). The recommended pressure is a good starting baseline. If the ride is a bit soft for you, then bump it up a notch...until you feel you're getting the performance that you're after. But be careful and monitor your tire wear regularly. If you see the center of your tires are wearing more than the outer edges, then it means that you've gone too far up in pressure, in which case, you should step it down a notch. Note that you can't really tell how well your tires are inflated just by looking at them since "radial" tires will bulge somewhat at the contact patch...so the tire still may look like it is under-inflated even when you have it at the maximum pressure!

As of now, I'm happy with 34psi up front and 36psi rear on my 19s. My reasons for this setup is to try and gain back a bit of the "neutral" feel due to the staggered setup of the 19s. Also, due to the negative camber of the rear, you'll find that the inner edges will wear a lot faster when the pressure falls below 32psi. So...keeping the rears at 36psi will prolong rear tire wear slightly. All my tires are wearing fairly evenly so far. Although, the inner rears still wear out at a slightly faster pace than the rest.

Hoped that I had not confused you more than helped

[Coffeeman]

I run 35 psi all around, for summer tires, and 34 for winter tires.

[DINANM3]

Thanks for the help guys. Anyone else have any suggestions.

[breytonX5]

I run 32psi all around for my summer 20s and winter 20s as well. I can't imagine going any higher since the ride will be that much harsher.

[DinanX5]

I started out with 35 all around on my 255/55-18 Michies, but then I tweaked it to 36 front, 34 rear to get a little less understeer... I like this setup a lot.
(I do have Dinan camber plates, so the understeer is much improved overall... )
Also, I've been checking my tire wear very carefully for about 13,000 miles now, and I'm dead even at the inside, outside, and middle of all four tires.

[MGRMLN]

I run 37 F and 35 R on my 255/55-18 Michelins because I wanted to dial out some of BMW's built in understeer.
I also run -1 deg camber with zero toe up front for the same reason.
Handles SO MUCh BETTER now.
oh yeah, I filled the tires with Nitrogen too.

[omodos]

Any pointers as to what would be best for 235/65 r17? I am running 2.2 bar front and back, fronts do look underinflated at 2.2 , can pumping up to over what is stated on the placard be a killer for suspension n steering components? Should i be looking at what the actual tire walls state when dialling in an ideal pressure to prolong tire life and handling n comfort?

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by omodos

Should i be looking at what the actual tire walls state when dialling in an ideal pressure to prolong tire life and handling n comfort?

The tire pressure listed on the sidewall is put there by the tire manufacturer as a safety warning NOT to exceed. It does not take into consideration of what is recommended for the car based on its weight, suspension, or load. The recommended pressure from the CAR'S manfacture (BMW in this case) gives tire inflation recommendations based on their R&D for engine, tranny, weight, & suspension etc.

The tire manufacturer has no idea about the car the tire will eventually be mounted to...so they only give a max inflation warning not to exceed based only on the tires design specs and safety.

Always start with the vehicle's manufacturers recommendation then adjust to your personal preferences...making adjustments that suit your driving style & other preferences. Just remember not to exceed the max inflation warning on the sidewall.