Tire presure
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From: Compound in the Grove, Ga.
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I would start at 30-32 cold, 35 for high speed driving. That's the common pressures on most C4 tire and wheel combinations . 
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
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Team Owner
Joined: Dec 1999
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From: Lacey WA RVN 68-69
NCM Sinkhole Donor
Look on the driver's door for a tire pressure decal. It will show the recommended pressure for the front and rear tires. You don't mention the year of the car but chances are the decal will show 35psi.
Use that as a start and then you can adjust from there. I would not go below 30psi or much above 35-37psi.
Use that as a start and then you can adjust from there. I would not go below 30psi or much above 35-37psi.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,054
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From: AZ
The label recommended pressures are heavoily weighted towardes comfort, not ecomony or tire wear. Max sidewall pressures have increased with newer tire technology. I rarely run below 35 psi on ay car, adjusting pressure based upon tire wear patterns and tire temperature. It's surprising how much opposing tires will vary, with one exposed to sun and the other cooler, in the shade.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2013
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From: Minneapolis Mn
Old racers trick. Take some chalk (as in chalkboard stuff) and make a mark across the tire tread about 2" wide. Go out and drive it about a mile or so then check the chalk marks. If gone from the edges but not in the middle - not enough pressure. Gone from the middle but not the edges - too much pressure. evenly worn off - right in the ballpark.
Good starting place is what's on the door sill but changing tire sizes, rim sizes etc can cause the need to adjust the pressure accordingly.
It's just one more tool to help determine the correct pressure.
Good starting place is what's on the door sill but changing tire sizes, rim sizes etc can cause the need to adjust the pressure accordingly.
It's just one more tool to help determine the correct pressure.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2002
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From: SCMR Rat Pack'r Charter Member..Great Bend KS
I would NOT run 35psi unless you are exceeding 150mph. That's what the door sticker says on mine.
I tried running 35 psi once on a spirited mountain run and the car was squirrely as all getout; I actually ended up spinning a 360 on a narrow road at one point. After I bled the tires back to their normal (recommended) 30psi, the grip was back.
Max tire pressures are for load-carrying capacity, or to prevent heat buildup at high speeds, not for wear or performance. More pressure than what is recommended is seldom better, for anything.
The higher the pressure, the smaller the contact patch and the less traction you have. Corvette engineers know what they are talking about when they recommend tire pressures. We would be wise to listen to them.
I tried running 35 psi once on a spirited mountain run and the car was squirrely as all getout; I actually ended up spinning a 360 on a narrow road at one point. After I bled the tires back to their normal (recommended) 30psi, the grip was back.
Max tire pressures are for load-carrying capacity, or to prevent heat buildup at high speeds, not for wear or performance. More pressure than what is recommended is seldom better, for anything.
The higher the pressure, the smaller the contact patch and the less traction you have. Corvette engineers know what they are talking about when they recommend tire pressures. We would be wise to listen to them.
Last edited by rocco16; Aug 16, 2017 at 05:20 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 2,692
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From: Sacramento California
32 all around for normal driving, bump them up closer to 35 for harder driving. Fronts = 255/45-17, Rears 285/40-17 (base model with stock wheels).
The higher pressure for racing/high speed driving is so that the sidewalls don't collapse under hard cornering, and to reduce heat slightly (higher pressure means less flexing).
The other posts are correct also: different tire brands and applications will use different construction/design and different rubber compounds. There's no one correct pressure. Find what works for you. Any erring, I suggest erring toward higher pressures.
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Melting Slicks
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From: Sacramento California
