Tire Help

[redcjwing]

Someone idiot broke into my car and didnt take my aftermarket radio or ipod sitting charging in the drivers seat and the $50 in my cupholder they stole my owners manual and that was it...so what does BMW recommend that i fill my tires up to with the correct PSI i was always told to go by the cars PSI not the tires. can someone help me

[bboyvek]

around 30

[B/\/\W]

What tyres are you running??? I.e. what rim size, width, and aspect.

[Chris S]

someone must of REALLY wanted that maanual

[BMR_LVR]

someone must of REALLY wanted that maanual

Probably a forum member that has been ragged on for not reading his manual before posting a question :rofl::rofl:

[E36 Phantom]

Someone idiot broke into my car and didnt take my aftermarket radio or ipod sitting charging in the drivers seat and the $50 in my cupholder they stole my owners manual and that was it...so what does BMW recommend that i fill my tires up to with the correct PSI i was always told to go by the cars PSI not the tires. can someone help me
:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

They stole the manual and that was it?! :bustingup
I LOVE theives sometimes. They probably were checking if you had the title or any other important docs.

Anyway, tire pressures are listed in the doorjam. Check that. And, FWIW, tire manufacturers don't have recommended pressures on their tires. They have MAX pressures on the tires - ie, fill it up any more than this, and ka-boom.

Probably a forum member that has been ragged on for not reading his manual before posting a question :rofl::rofl:
:lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao:

Good, we won't be hearing from them anymore then.

[cmy_bimmer]

well i was always tought that you fill up your tires 3-4 lbs below the max pressure. so that s what i do, i fill mine up to 40 lbs (max is 44 lbs)

[E36 Phantom]

??

No. Don't do that. If you're on stock 15s or 16s like that pic looks kinda like, you should be down in the 32-34 range.

[cmy_bimmer]

??

No. Don't do that. If you're on stock 15s or 16s like that pic looks kinda like, you should be down in the 32-34 range.

yea, i got 15's and i got aftermarket tires rated at 44 psi max. i got the ULTRA GT tires, and my auto teacher told me to never under inflate or over inflate.

here;s a pic i just took and its VERY VERY difficult to see rating but u can kinda see the 44 psi.

[E36 Phantom]

Doesn't matter what it says on the sidewall. Totally irrelevant.

[cmy_bimmer]

well even when the tires go to around thirty lbs, they look so low which makes me very uncomfortable. but are you basically saying that rim sizes are what distinguishes the amount of pressure you put into your tires?

also dont the tires where out more when its that low?

[E36 Phantom]

No. Run something like 32 or 34. Tires with a huge aspect ratio like 15s will look a bit low if you're used to seeing tires with low aspect ratios. Also, get your own gauge. Gas station ones are very inaccurate.

Lots of things determine pressure. Low 30's is pretty standard for most cars. High 20's is for cars with super plush rides. Low/Mid 30's is a good combo of wear, performance, and comfort. You need it to be balanced. When you go too low, the center of the tires will actually experience less pressure on it than the outsides, so you'll see that uneven wear pattern. Too high, and the center of the tire will be in more contact than the outer portions, and the center wears too much fast. Too much/little camber and you'll see a specific side wearing quickly. So you have to be careful all the way around. Also, lower pressure = more grip, but more heat build up. Higher pressures decrease rolling resistance (ie, lower friction), which means you'll also have slightly less grip. I actually did a science fair project on that in 6th grade and found consistent results to back that up.....:D
So your desires can determine tire pressure for what your main goal is, in conjunction with the type of tire, size, etc.

[cmy_bimmer]

No. Run something like 32 or 34. Tires with a huge aspect ratio like 15s will look a bit low if you're used to seeing tires with low aspect ratios. Also, get your own gauge. Gas station ones are very inaccurate.

Lots of things determine pressure. Low 30's is pretty standard for most cars. High 20's is for cars with super plush rides. Low/Mid 30's is a good combo of wear, performance, and comfort. You need it to be balanced. When you go too low, the center of the tires will actually experience less pressure on it than the outsides, so you'll see that uneven wear pattern. Too high, and the center of the tire will be in more contact than the outer portions, and the center wears too much fast. Too much/little camber and you'll see a specific side wearing quickly. So you have to be careful all the way around. Also, lower pressure = more grip, but more heat build up. Higher pressures decrease rolling resistance (ie, lower friction), which means you'll also have slightly less grip. I actually did a science fair project on that in 6th grade and found consistent results to back that up.....:D
So your desires can determine tire pressure for what your main goal is, in conjunction with the type of tire, size, etc.

wow, thx for the info. ill prob do that 2morrow.

[oakley]

40Lbs!! Wow, Im sure this thread will turn into another huge long pressure discussion and arguement as to who is right and wrong- But Wow all the same!! Id be filling that up at arms length and waiting for the Kaboom!

[Chris S]

well according to the theory he should be getting very little roll resistance:thumbup:

[jelizondo_20]

Someone idiot broke into my car and didnt take my aftermarket radio or ipod sitting charging in the drivers seat and the $50 in my cupholder they stole my owners manual and that was it...so what does BMW recommend that i fill my tires up to with the correct PSI i was always told to go by the cars PSI not the tires. can someone help me

if I had known that you wanted me to take the ipod and money I would have!! hehe

[cmy_bimmer]

40Lbs!! Wow, Im sure this thread will turn into another huge long pressure discussion and arguement as to who is right and wrong- But Wow all the same!! Id be filling that up at arms length and waiting for the Kaboom!

Well, first of all I already agreed to lower my pressure so there's no more arguing to who is right or wrong. And secondly he also said that once you go over the MAX pressure then it will pop, I never went over max pressure so there was never a "KABOOM"

So you get the point :thumbup:

[BMR_LVR]

if I had known that you wanted me to take the ipod and money I would have!! hehe

Cool .... so we won't be getting any questions easily answered by the manual .... right? ;)

[Cuahtemoc1]

I have put a little more pressure than normal and next thing i know im changing my tire on Highway 5

[cmy_bimmer]

I have put a little more pressure than normal and next thing i know im changing my tire on Highway 5

Man!!! I haven't heard from you in forever and a half.

Any way, that's awkward. I've been driving my car with my tires 3-4 lbs below max and never had a problem and tires are still around 90-95% beefy. I wonder if it has to do with the way you used to have it.

[jason_recliner]

well i was always tought that you fill up your tires 3-4 lbs below the max pressure. so that s what i do, i fill mine up to 40 lbs (max is 44 lbs)

Doesn't matter what it says on the sidewall. Totally irrelevant.
For practical purposes, "almost".
Maximum pressure actually relates to the pressure at maximum rated weight. Put another way, if you exceed that weight (which is pretty high), you must increase the pressure again to remain safe. Otherwise your tyre will buckle under the excess weight and you lose contact patch.

40 might have your teeth falling out, but it's not crazy high. Because when you brake hard you will force all that weight down to the road and your tyre will keep shape. You might find you wear the inside tread a little though. I recommend 32-35 psi, but will depend on your profile and driving style. I know many people who put 45 in on track day.

Best indicator remains your tyre wear pattern. Outsides wearing faster? You need more air. Inside tread getting a bit thinner? Try losing 5 pounds.

I have put a little more pressure than normal and next thing i know im changing my tire on Highway 5

I think you just got unlucky. Raising the pressure will not cause blowouts, nor will it make you more susceptible to puncture.
Quite the opposite. Excessively low tyre pressure causes a significantly increased flexing in the steel belts, which leads to metal fatigue, which leads to sharp metal edges cutting your rubber from the inside out.
Then there's the other matters of increased rolling resistance, crap road contact - especially when braking, and the risk of the tyre rolling off the rim in hard cornering or sliding.

[Edit: I've seen this plenty of time on trailers that have dragged cars off the road or even rolled. There may be grass stuck between the tyre bead and the rim, which you can't pull out by hand because it has flexed back into position.]

Less then 30psi is, IMO, dangerous. Manufacturers used to recommend ~ 24 because it sells nice squishy, comfy, boulevard-ride cars to mouth breathing Camry drivers. You're not one of them.