just curious what you guys reccomend for 205 45 16's?? It says 44psi max and pumped mine to 40psi..seems to make my ride stiff but steers easier than when it as at 35psi....i inflaed to these specs on a cold tire (not driven on for and 16hours)wha do you guys run?

 

Well, I have 205/50/15's that says the max is 51 P.S.I. So I run 45 in it constantly, and add or take out air when the temp changes. You don't want to run very much less than the tire recommends, due to the fact that it will cause uneven wear on the tire. In your case, I think it's a smart idea to run 40 P.S.I. like you have been doing. And having the tire properly inflated will make it easier to steer and make the ride stiffer, that's normal.

 

koo thanx man..just wanted some input thanx again

 

Run lower pressure in the rear tires...reduces oversteer...

 

Where in the world did you guys come up with those pressures? Are you just guessing? Run the tires at 32 cold, maybe have the front 1 or 2 psi higher than the rear. Tires can be put on many different vehicles (most of which weigh alot more than our vehicles), thus why they have such high pressure thresholds. Just because the max pressure is at 45 doesn't mean you should be running it. The only time you should put pressures that high (and usually not even that high!) is either at the auto-x or a road course.

 

my max psi is 45 i run 28, though now its at 25 since its winter and i haven't added more air


[Modified by Esquared4, 2:04 PM 2/28/2003]

 

If they run 40 PSI the car will drive like its on BBs. Easy to steer but traction and higher speed handing will be worse. In the glove box or on the drivers door B pillar you will find a sticker that shows the correct cold tire pressure. They (Honda) have done extensive research into optimum tire pressures for ride and handling. This is based on the Stock tire size but should not require more than +/- 5 PSI. All of us are aware that these are just a good starting point but 40-45 PSI is dangeous, based on turning and braking power.

 

agreed, 32 is all you need... If you are running 45psi cold and you max psi is 50 what do you think will happen when you drive hard and the pressure builds up??

Wanna here a true story... When I was working at the garage we had a guy with an accord come in and his tires where bubbling and all... He had about 120psi (for real) in his stock tire size... He litterally broke the belt and the tires stared to melt away...

I never put more than 30 psi in mine...

 

whoa there turbo...thats not true. less presure makes for a softer rear tire... more traction! more push (understeer) same goes with shocks and springs depending on what part of the corner you are in. god i hate explaining this but you must think of the weight transfer and your speed you are caring thu the corner. most front drivers push going into corners, why is that you say? cuz all the weight you have when you are in motion keeps your center of gravity back. when you turn the wheel there is not enough weight over your fronts to grip correctly so the front slids and the back pushes. this is why when you brake, you gain front traction. cuz the weight transfers to the front of your veihicle giving you more traction. note that is entering the corner and this is the middle of the corner... now here is why less pressure in them rear tire makes your car push in the middle of the corner? cuz the weight is now loading to the side of your car. if you have more front of traction in this part of the turn you then are able to pull the rest of the way thu the corner slowly lifting the weight to the rear with you accelerator. USE THE GAS TO STEER YOUR CAR!! ei more gas..more rear traction...more brake more front...got it? ok now experiment with tire pressure to find somethink that suits your driving stye and if one person says 32 cold and one says 35...well try em both see what YOU prefer!! sorry but has anyone taken driving school?

 

good post . learn something new everyday in here . thx guys

 

yeah some of you guys are saying things i have never heard?
well i have 15"s on my car. thats 195/50/15 and the max is 45. but i run it at 35 psi. some times drop to 32. that seems to work great for my car. and its a little hotter here in hawaii. but still i would say around 35 would be your best bet.
when i go to the track, i run about 50 in the rear and 25 in front. thats drag. auto X is about 32-35 kinda mess aroudn with it as i go.

 

I'm sorry...typo..

Lower pressure in the rear tires INCREASES oversteer, reduces understeer...

Manufactures design FWD cars to "push" because it is safer for the average driver...less understeer will let your rear end come out early in the turn, allowing the car to point towards the inside of the turn, decreasing the turn radius...

Of course the ideal handling car is "neutral" so find a balance between over and understeer...


[Modified by Kato7997, 1:50 AM 3/1/2003]

 

hahahahaahahaha omg well i just about exploded when i read that!! haha! i was like no! haha. ok yea well thats the smallest fraction of how suspension/corner speed/handling/tire pressure and suspension setup you will ever learn. the possiblities of suspension tuning is endless!! i mean if you have a hot setup (handling) there is always going to be something that will carry more speed and reduce body roll and increase traction in some way and mix em all togather and you will get confused easily. your car is a traction machine...you take some away from the front and you gain in the rear. vis versa. you add a front sway bar to the front and your entering speed is reduced but you exit increases. vis versa. hmmm i havent seen to many oversteering front wheel drives lately...but what im trying to say is suspenson (tires are the most important tuning devise) tuning is very complicated. real race car teams experiment with different setups constantly to gain an edge. it is a key essential to being a successful racer. the guy who wins is the one (oviously the one with the most money in his car using smart mod desions) with the most knowledge and most important the best driver. peace yall