Why do my tires look flat?
 

Even when they're not? I've got my Sport tires set at 33 PSi, right at factory specs and the sidewall at the ground buldges more than I really think it should. I've got an accurate tire gadge and I fill mine up in the morning and before I drive, but it still doesn't look quite right. Anyone else's tires look like this?

yeah i think everyone has experienced this. I run my fronts at 35psi now and it's a little better than it was but still looks low.

Radial ply tires have always looked that way and even more so with low aspect ratio sizes like comes on the sportier cars.

Pump em up to at least 38 psi. The bulge goes away and you might get better mileage. I can't notice any difference in the ride in mine but now I don't worry that I'm getting a flat every time I look at them.

weather/temperature change maybe?

Lack of air? Been known to cause bulging sidewalls. Set'em at 33 as H suggests and don't look at them.

I get the same exact thing. Doesn't seem to be affecting the wear though. I keep mine at 33 psi also. I've wrote this off as normal.

Dan

I've set mine solidly on 33 PSi, but I might try closer to 35 the next time I fill them up. I'm heading to Honda later this week to get a rotate and my MPG meter re-flashed anyway.

40 psi here. Tire chart on the door says 33psi. Tire sidewall says 51 max psi. I always keep mine in the middle.
Handling seems better and tire wear is perfectly even. Been driving on them over a year now no problems at all.

Same here; 40psi on the stock tires. Don't look deflated and still plenty grippy.

33psi does look deflated though.

44psi here. Looks and handles great!

I have recently put after market springs on my car and dropped the pressure to 30PSI to soften the ride a little... I have 7" rims and tires with higher load bearing rating than stock so the way the tire will wear is kind of a mystery... Since the weather is starting to warm up the tires will become more resilient and may ride softer and be able to take more air without causing too much discomfort.... The handling is great with the lesser amount of pressure.

i do 50 PSI on mine

i have to admit. it rides a bit rougher actually.. it reminds of the time i lowered my last car.

I would have never lowered my car after what I had experienced years ago with Eibach springs.... I got a decent deal on some Swift Mach Springs and really like them.... They aren't stupid low but really do allow a more stable and balanced feel and hold the road much better than stock springs... I do find them a little rough at low speeds but that is because I am an old man with a messed up back.... I am going to help install some on another Freak's car tomorrow.

Btw- the front tires are the ones that have the flat look- obviously because of the weight. The rear tires at 33 psi also, never look flat or down to me.

Dan

I'll pull one of the front wheels off tomorrow morning and take a caliper to the tread and see what's up.

This was something new 61 years ago when Michelin invented the radial ply tire and people on this side of the Atlantic were troubled about it when radials started becoming more mainstream over here.... Just get over it, you don't have bias ply tires and radials are supposed to look that way.... Over inflation of a radial has the effect of lifting the tread of the tire on the inside of a turn off of the road surface the same way that bias ply tires do unless bias plies are mounted on wider than normally used wheels.... Read up on tire construction and you will understand why they look the way they do.

50psi?!?! Damn that is awfully high. Are you running tires with a super soft sidewall to compensate? I have mine set at about 34.5 fr and 33 r cold and they all pick up about 3~4psi after some hard driving and heated up.

I pulled the driver side front wheel off this morning and took a caliper to it. I'm at .22 inches for the inside and middle and at .20 for the outside. I think that's pretty close, so I'm going to stop worrying.

I notice this too, I'm still at factory psi.

My worry is more about the sidewall rolling under during hard cornering--it has caused me to hesitate in hard turns. I think some of it's because this car feels squishy compared to my Miata--could be purely psychological.

I'm probably gonna bump them up to 40psi and see how that goes.