well, for my front tires, i still have a lot of threads on them, but the edges are getting worn out due to the hard cornering . . . but those tires still look pretty good so i'm thinking to increase the tire pressure a little bit to maybe 32 or even 33 psi. what do you guys think?

 

i'm running 35psi on all 4 tires, works find for me

 

wow, i guess i was running really low tire pressure . . . . . .

but hey, thanks a lot!!

 

when my Toyo Proxies FZ-4's were on I was running around 40 psi. Pretty much what I do is go 10 under what hte Tire's max rating is. The PSI set by honda is for the Bridgestone tires.. the lower PSI will cause alot of un-needed understeer. Plus for me, I drive on the highways alot, and even honda recommends you bump up the tire pressure to 35+ (depending on what you tires can handle) to help handle the extra heat buildup the tire will experience. So.. 40psi for me, and the thing handled GREAT in the corners!

 

Honda reccomends 32 psi all arround. I run no lower than 35psi. The ride is a little stiffer but more predictable(sp).
Just pump the tires up in about 3-5psi rates and see what you can stand. I think that you will find the same as i did and 35 is about right.

 

If your tires say max 32 psi, I'd run 35 in front and 32 in back. Gets rid of a little of that understeer, and makes it handle nicer. And if your corner tread is wearing faster than your middle tread, it's due to low tire pressure, not hard cornering. Believe me on that one.
If you're into spirited driving, get some higher performance tires for your next set!
-Dan

 

yeah i don't think i take corners that hard. i just didn't know what i was running is way too low for tire pressure. now it all makes sense. thanks for the info guys!!

 

What size tires are you using? stock?

 

well, i dont' know if they are stock tires cuz i just got the car few months ago. but they are stock size(205/50/16):

front = potenza RE92(lots of thread left but edges half gone).
rear = nitto 455(10% threads left)


[Modified by rayweipu, 1:03 AM 12/6/2002]

 

ok just making sure. For stock wheels/tires, use the manufactures recommendations +/- a few to you liking. Lower profile tires usually like more air pressure.

 

Don't forget when a manufacturer recommends a pressure for the tire, that's the 'cold pressure', ie. the pressure in the tire in the morning before too much driving or sun has warmed up the air.

In the afternoon the pressure will be understandably higher, since the air inside the tire expands with the heat.

(Source: tirerack)

 

Make a chalk line on your tires. When you corner the chalk will rub off and give you an idea how much roll there is and then you can add more air or less air.

 

I thought that if you run higher pressure in the rear, that will give you a bit less grip and cause more oversteer.

 

There are two schools of thought on this, and they are both based on some element of truth:
1) If a tire is too overinflated, it will ride mostly in the center of the tread and therefore get less overall grip. Hence the people who overinflate their rear tires.
2)If it is too underinflated, it will roll onto the edges, and, of course, get less grip! If a tire is inflated just past the max (in my experience), it will roll less, and stay planted flat for longer. Now here's where you are confused- understeer and oversteer are always in effect, even before you ever start sliding. It just has to do with whether the rear tires are distorting more, or the fronts. If your rear tires are lower than the fronts, than the rear end will drift out more than the front during normal turning, due to distortion. This makes it a whole lot easier to get the car rotated during a race, and I think it also makes them lose traction more progressively. Meanwhile, the fully-inflated front tires are responding to steering input with more precision, and drifting less.
With a 44 psi tire, I'd just run it at 44 psi. With a 32 psi tire though, you really could use those few extra pounds.
And that is my explanation! Hope I didn't leave anything out.
-Dan


[Modified by LudemanDan, 7:52 PM 12/6/2002]

 

just remember, a tire that has a listing of fill to 40 psi, and says 45 psi max.. that 45 psi is MAX. So if you fill it to 45 and drive agressively or for a long period, the air inside is going to heat up and cause the psi to go up more. Even after 1 run down the track with a poor burn out will knock your PSI up 1 or 2 points. Just something to keep in mind, as the extra pressure will cause more stress on the side walls and lead to cracking and other potentially serious problems

 

When I drove aroung with my RE92s at 34psi, I noticed that I had much better steering response, and a stiffer ride, but the car didn't hold the road as well as it did when it was at 32. We just got a good amount of snow here in CT so I think I'll drop the pressure tp 30psi till the roads are dry again

 

Nope, thats wrong. The max psi listed on the sidewall is the max COLD psi.

 

its all about lowering the psi so you can get better launches!!!!