Put some air in those tires!

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EVDRIVER said:
LEAFfan said:
OhmPah said:
Some anecdotal evidence on the effect of tire pressure:

We have a camper-van that we use for vacations. I purchased new tires for it and for some insane reason, they pumped up the tires the the maximum pressure on the sidewall. I should have checked the pressures myself, but I was in a hurry to get going. It drove just fine around town, but it became terrifying in a crosswind on the highway. Once I set the pressure to the correct values per the manufacturer's recommendations, the cross-wind problem went away. Now I know this is a full size van and not a Leaf, but it was a lesson to me. If the higher tire pressures result in any loss of performance (stability or breaking), its not worth, at least to me, the extra advantage that would be gained in efficiency.

The LRR tires are different from regular tires. If you over inflate regular tires, you lose control and they wear more in the middle. Going 5 lbs. over with LLRs actually helps them wear better and the control / safety is maintained.


Running 50.

on mxv4s?
 
thankyouOB said:
LEAFfan said:
OhmPah said:
Some anecdotal evidence on the effect of tire pressure:

We have a camper-van that we use for vacations. I purchased new tires for it and for some insane reason, they pumped up the tires the the maximum pressure on the sidewall. I should have checked the pressures myself, but I was in a hurry to get going. It drove just fine around town, but it became terrifying in a crosswind on the highway. Once I set the pressure to the correct values per the manufacturer's recommendations, the cross-wind problem went away. Now I know this is a full size van and not a Leaf, but it was a lesson to me. If the higher tire pressures result in any loss of performance (stability or breaking), its not worth, at least to me, the extra advantage that would be gained in efficiency.

The LRR tires are different from regular tires. If you over inflate regular tires, you lose control and they wear more in the middle. Going 5 lbs. over with LLRs actually helps them wear better and the control / safety is maintained.

going 5 pounds OVER what?
the sidewall max or the recommended inflation level?

We've had this discussion sometime ago, but maybe you missed it. The recommended pressure is 36 on our OEMs. I've yet to hear any expert recommend or say it's safe to go more than 5 over the car's stated pressure (sticker inside door).
 
LEAFfan said:
We've had this discussion sometime ago, but maybe you missed it. The recommended pressure is 36 on our OEMs. I've yet to hear any expert recommend or say it's safe to go more than 5 over the car's stated pressure (sticker inside door).
The tire manufacturer has a maximum recommendation of 44 psi on the OEM tires for the Leaf. You don't get any more expert than the company that made the product.
 
DarkStar said:
LEAFfan said:
We've had this discussion sometime ago, but maybe you missed it. The recommended pressure is 36 on our OEMs. I've yet to hear any expert recommend or say it's safe to go more than 5 over the car's stated pressure (sticker inside door).
The tire manufacturer has a maximum recommendation of 44 psi on the OEM tires for the Leaf. You don't get any more expert than the company that made the product.

That's not the LEAF manufacturer's recommendation. The max on the sidewall doesn't mean it's necessarily safe for the LEAF.
 
This has been discussed ad-infirm-nauseam many times before. The pressure on the sidewall of ANY tire is NOT the recommended operational pressure for that tire on that vehicle, it is the maximum pressure at which the tire has been tested and can be safely operated. LRR tires are absolutely no different in this regard.

DarkStar said:
The tire manufacturer has a maximum recommendation of 44 psi on the OEM tires for the Leaf. You don't get any more expert than the company that made the product.
 
TomT said:
This has been discussed ad-infirm-nauseam many times before. The pressure on the sidewall of ANY tire is NOT the recommended operational pressure for that tire on that vehicle, it is the maximum pressure at which the tire has been tested and can be safely operated.

DarkStar said:
The tire manufacturer has a maximum recommendation of 44 psi on the OEM tires for the Leaf. You don't get any more expert than the company that made the product.
Heh, yes, or put another way, do what your expert (the tire manufacturer) tells you to do – to follow the vehicle manufacturer's recommended tire pressures!

Besides, how would any tire manufacturer be able to give you one number as the recommended tire pressure for every vehicle from every automobile manufacturer?! That's why they can only give you a max for the tire, not the best recommended pressure for every vehicle. Let the car manufacturer tell you what tire pressure (front and back) is recommended for each of their specific vehicles. Sure, that doesn't take into account differences in tires, but what are you going to do, just run at max allowable?! Nuts! ;-)
 
TomT said:
This has been discussed ad-infirm-nauseam many times before. The pressure on the sidewall of ANY tire is NOT the recommended operational pressure for that tire on that vehicle, it is the maximum pressure at which the tire has been tested and can be safely operated. LRR tires are absolutely no different in this regard.

DarkStar said:
The tire manufacturer has a maximum recommendation of 44 psi on the OEM tires for the Leaf. You don't get any more expert than the company that made the product.
Nissan recommends 36 psi from a comfort perspective, not a safety perspective. A tire is only considered "over-inflated" if it is inflated above the tire manufacturers direction, not the vehicle manufacturer.
 
Which is exactly the point. 44 pounds is the absolute maximum for the OEM Ecrapias. Going above 44 is dangerous and fool-hearty. Some people may like 44, others may not like the decrease in ride comfort at that pressure. It should be noted though that the decrease in rolling resistance - like hydroplaning - is roughly equal to the square of the tire pressure. Thus, going from 36 to 40 has more effect than going from 40 to 44. And being under-inflated at 32 has still that much more effect compared to 36. Historically, I've always run 4 pounds over the vehicle manufacturer's recommendation as a good over-all compromise...

That said, I do believe that the Leaf is under-tired for its weight...

DarkStar said:
Nissan recommends 36 psi from a comfort perspective, not a safety perspective. A tire is only considered "over-inflated" if it is inflated above the tire manufacturers direction, not the vehicle manufacturer.
 
You can also tweak tire pressure to adjust handling.. if you want to race but then you are abusing your Leaf. Tires are severely over-engineered when it comes to maximum pressure, you can DOUBLE the max ratings without issues. Many believe the stock OEM Ecrapias have been modified from what you find at tire stores, thinner walls to reduce weight and thus increased advertised range.
 
I would like to see a credible reference for this statement. I seriously doubt you will find anyone anywhere who is an actual tire expert that would even remotely agree with such a concept or notion. To suggest that anyone do so is simply dangerous, ill-advised and foolhardy, and could lead them to serious injury or death! Do not ever exceed the maximum sidewall pressure unless you relish the role of a test pilot...

Herm said:
Tires are severely over-engineered when it comes to maximum pressure, you can DOUBLE the max ratings without issues.
 
Tom,
of course, the idea of doubling your tire PSI is ridiculous and dangerous.
Herm says he lives in Mali.
Everything he says bears the same relationship with reality as that. It is all tongue in cheek.
 
Well, it IS true that I have a hard time taking much of what he espouses seriously! :lol:

thankyouOB said:
Tom,
Herm says he lives in Mali.
Everything he says bears the same relationship with reality as that. It is all tongue in cheek.
 
Good luck finding that actually printed somewhere.. your best bet is looking up some obscure Fed regulation on determining the max rating..
 
I worked in the tire industry for a tire manufacturer in the warranty department for several years, so I do actually have a solid background in this.

Any given tire can be used on any number of different vehicles. These vehicles will almost certainly have a variety of curb weights, max weights, and front/rear weight distributions (within a certain range, of course, if the same tire is used) and different drive systems (front, rear. AWD, etc.). The tire manufacturer may know SOME of the vehicles the tire will be used on when when they design the tire and start manufacturing it, but the tire manufacturer by no means knows ALL of the vehicles the tire will be used on during the manufacturing lifecycle of that particular model/size/speed rating. So, all a tire manufacturer can do is provide information on what it knows for sure - the maximum load the tire can support AND THE TIRE PRESSURE NEEDED IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THAT MAXIMUM WEIGHT. That is the psi that is molded on the sidewall of the tire. It is not a recommended pressure, it is the pressure that is necessary for the tire to support it's maximum weight.

Vehicle manufacturers know what the curb weight of their vehicles are. They know what the maximum weight of their vehicles are. They know what the front/rear weight balance is. They know whether the vehicle is front or rear wheel drive. They know what tire size and speed rating is original equipment on the vehicle. Therefore, it is for the vehicle manufacturer to determine the correct PSI for the front and rear tires so that those tires will support the appropriate weight on the front and rear of the vehicle.

There is a danger is both under-inflating and over-inflating tires on any vehicle. Underinflation will most certainly lead to a buildup of heat at higher speeds and produce much higher failure rates as a result (tread separations, sidewall separations, sidewall blowouts, etc.).

Overinflation will often result in additional cabin noise, as well as inferior cornering, stopping, acceleration and wet performance. Both conditions will likely produce uneven and premature tire wear. Over-inflation in particular will produce premature wear on the center 1/3 of the tread. This can be especially dangerous in wet weather because the car owner may look at the outer tread, see there is sufficient depth to drive safely, however the center of the tread could be almost fully worn, and because the tire is over-inflated, the center of the tread is supporting the most weight and making the most consistent contact with the road.

If driving in wet weather, if the center of the tread does not have sufficient depth to evacuate the water on the road from the tire's surface, this will result in hydroplaning.

The point is - follow the recommended PSI from the vehicle manufacturer, found inside the driver's door jam - not the psi molded onto the sidewall of the tire. Not doing so will most certainly void your tire warranty.

In my years working for a tire manufacturer, I found myself in a position to of having to deny many warranty claims because the owner 'followed the psi molded onto the sidewall of the tire' and not the vehicle manufacture's recommendations, and damage to their tires resulted.
 
RLewisCA said:
...Overinflation will often result in additional cabin noise, as well as inferior cornering, stopping, acceleration and wet performance. Both conditions will likely produce uneven and premature tire wear. Over-inflation in particular will produce premature wear on the center 1/3 of the tread. This can be especially dangerous in wet weather because the car owner may look at the outer tread, see there is sufficient depth to drive safely, however the center of the tread could be almost fully worn, and because the tire is over-inflated, the center of the tread is supporting the most weight and making the most consistent contact with the road.

If driving in wet weather, if the center of the tread does not have sufficient depth to evacuate the water on the road from the tire's surface, this will result in hydroplaning.

The point is - follow the recommended PSI from the vehicle manufacturer, found inside the driver's door jam - not the psi molded onto the sidewall of the tire. Not doing so will most certainly void your tire warranty.

Interestingly, I've read a number of reports of the LEAF OEM tires, at Nissan-recommended pressures, which experienced excessive shoulder wear.
 
Nubo said:
RLewisCA said:
...Overinflation will often result in additional cabin noise, as well as inferior cornering, stopping, acceleration and wet performance. Both conditions will likely produce uneven and premature tire wear. Over-inflation in particular will produce premature wear on the center 1/3 of the tread. This can be especially dangerous in wet weather because the car owner may look at the outer tread, see there is sufficient depth to drive safely, however the center of the tread could be almost fully worn, and because the tire is over-inflated, the center of the tread is supporting the most weight and making the most consistent contact with the road.

If driving in wet weather, if the center of the tread does not have sufficient depth to evacuate the water on the road from the tire's surface, this will result in hydroplaning.

The point is - follow the recommended PSI from the vehicle manufacturer, found inside the driver's door jam - not the psi molded onto the sidewall of the tire. Not doing so will most certainly void your tire warranty.

Interestingly, I've read a number of reports of the LEAF OEM tires, at Nissan-recommended pressures, which experienced excessive shoulder wear.
I can back this up. My LEAF's tires barely lasted me 17K miles before I had to replace them due to excessive shoulder wear. I don't drive my LEAF aggressively at all. Had them rotated at 7.5K and 15K per mfg recommendation.
 
RLewisCA said:
I worked in the tire industry for a tire manufacturer in the warranty department for several years, so I do actually have a solid background in this.
.......................................(didn't think it necessary to repeat the whole post, but a good read).......................
The point is - follow the recommended PSI from the vehicle manufacturer, found inside the driver's door jam - not the psi molded onto the sidewall of the tire. Not doing so will most certainly void your tire warranty.

In my years working for a tire manufacturer, I found myself in a position to of having to deny many warranty claims because the owner 'followed the psi molded onto the sidewall of the tire' and not the vehicle manufacture's recommendations, and damage to their tires resulted.
Thank you, appreciate your insight. To me, sounds like words to live by.
 
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