Hi, I was thinking of going 40 all around on my stock tires. Does this sound reasonable?

 

I have at one time went as high as 50 PSI but the tires on my car called for a maximum of 52 PSI.... It was too rough and now I keep between 37 and 42 PSI pressure in my tires.... I am using 195-55-15 Conti Pro Contact tires on 15X7 wheels so the extra volume from the wider rims keeps the surface of the tire from bowing out and allows a little more compression on rough surfaces.... The lighter wheel/tire combination allows the suspension to work better so the ride is comfortable and the car doesn't skip sideways when driving around bumpy turns like it did with 40 or over PSI with stock wheels and tires.

 

Me, I keep pressures just a little higher than the stock 32F/30R. Normally I drive 35F/32R.

If I'm anticipating a trackday or some cargo in my GD, I pump up to 37F/35R.

 

I've been running 33F/32R but I'm thinking of running a little higher 36F/34R or something like that

 

i always use the max pressure, i personally can't tell the difference with roughness.

 

When I bought new tires, I specifically got the ones that could handle the most pressure. 51 all around.

 

Now that there is a road to my driveway and I don't have to drive off road going and coming from my house and getting all beat to hell in the process, might bump the pressure up some but when it starts hurting me it's going back down enough that it doesn't..... Getting old can be painful for people that lived in the fast lane for too many years.

 

whhhewww. thankgod, i was hoping i wasn't the only weirdo using the maximum recommended tire pressure.

 

I had 30 all around, the tires looked practically flat. Now I have 40, I havent driven it yet, but I expect it will be fine.

 

I had mine at 40 psi for a lot of the summer and the fall. However, with it getting cold, the potholes and expansion cracks in the roads are already starting to get bad, and that's without any real snowfall yet where the plows come out and tear the roads to shreds. I'm thinking I might drop it back down some to 35 or so for the winter partly for traction in snow (more flex=better tread biting) and partly for durability on impossible-to-miss potholes. A slightly softer tire might have a better chance of survival on a mid-Michigan road, right? I'll take the mileage hit if it means less chance of a blowout.

I hate winter.

 

I've been running 40 psi since day 2 in the fit and have yet to notice any problems.
Ride is good, firm, but not bouncy or bad.

 

My tired old butt has atrophied and arthritis pain has me driving on performance touring tires and sitting on sheepskin.... It is hard for me to imagine how bad it would hurt to get back on a hard tail Harley and ride all day as I once did..... Girls are better equipped with strategically placed padding that makes them better suited for a good, firm, ride.

 

Given the extreme front weight bias of the Fit, i would not run the same pressure front and rear. On the OEM Bridgestone Turanzas (sidewall says 44 psi max), I'm currently running 38F and 35R. I may experiment with higher pressures, but will continue to maintain a differential of several PSI between front and rear.

 

I tried making my tires much harder this last trackday: I ran them 40F/36R cold. Turns out that was too hard. Around the track the hot tire pressures were 45R/38R, and it meant the front tires weren't gripping as hard as they could because the overinflation made them bulge at the middle.

I was told by my instructor to decrease my tire pressures to 37F/36R cold (rears unchanged). After that my GD ran and cornered much better because the whole of the tires' contact patches were on the asphalt. Hot pressures were 41F/38R with this combo.

The point is, higher tire pressure isn't always better. There's a certain point where it becomes counter-productive.

 

I set mine to 35/32 the other day and I noticed a response difference. I like it a lot more.

 

Mr Mahout is the old experienced racer that has a tremendous amount of knowledge about setting up a car for track use... As he has told others here "The stopwatch never lies"..... I tend to run less in the front myself and lower the rear pressure a couple of pounds if it acts like it wants to over steer..... I guess I shouldn't drive like that on the street but even old guys deserve to have some fun too.

 

I run 43f/45r, but I do alot (I mean ALOT) of highway driving. I get 40mpg at 67-70, provided no crosswinds or anything... It did feel alittle bit harsher at first, but Ive grown used to it.

As of late though, I have been going on a car modding rampage, and as soon as I get new tires, new springs, and the progress rear sway bar im going to bring down my psi to find that perfect grip point. But until then, im running them high. Im a broke college student, I cant be paying for gas!

 

Best tire pressures will vary with tire width compared to wheel rim width. As the wheelmwidth increases the needed tire pressure will increase in order to keep the tread reasonably flat. Too much pressure will wear out the center and too little the edges. The higher the pressure the worst the ride.

 

Your opinions are always welcome, since they are backed by a lot of experience. For, say a 205-50/16, would 40/36 be a reasonable starting point?

 

Yes, if the tire is on a 16x7 wheel but I expect the pressures to be closer to 45/40 for street or track and 45/48 for a/x on that 16x7. rear pressure higher for a/x because you'd like more oversteer than on track.
A little experimentation is worth a thousand opinions.