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Hot versus Cold Tire Pressures?

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Old Nov 7, 2007 | 03:23 PM
  #21  
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Originally Posted by The California Kid
It's right on your door panel

30 degrees cold, 34 hot.

35 or 36 psi isn't going to make a big difference.
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Old Nov 7, 2007 | 03:26 PM
  #22  
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Originally Posted by FrankTank
Correct me if I'm wrong but I would think Goodyear would probably be the one to work with GM in determining tire pressure. GM did not make the tires Goodyear did, or did I miss something?

30PSI cold is what the recommended pressure is on the stock tires on the C5, look on the tag on the door. If you are talking about aftermarket tires well then you need to check with the Manufacturer of that tire...or the tire shop where you got it to get the recommended running pressure. Most tires if you look on them will tell you what PSI not to exceed.

Running 35 PSI when it's hot out is about right. You will gain about 3-4 PSI going cold to hot. Stick with 30 PSI cold and you'll be fine..... unless you plan on running your car at Daytona at 200MPH for 500 miles.. then you might consider running Nitrogen rather than air
in all seriousness though if you really want to regulate the PSI and don't want to gain that much then like Mqn suggested get the tires inflated with Nitrogen.
Good point but Costco put N2 in my tires when I had them fitted. Didnt make any difference in pressure changes to the O2 I'd had up to that point.

OAT has always made the biggest difference to me
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Old Nov 7, 2007 | 03:43 PM
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Originally Posted by FrankTank
Correct me if I'm wrong but I would think Goodyear would probably be the one to work with GM in determining tire pressure. GM did not make the tires Goodyear did, or did I miss something?

30PSI cold is what the recommended pressure is on the stock tires on the C5, look on the tag on the door. If you are talking about aftermarket tires well then you need to check with the Manufacturer of that tire...or the tire shop where you got it to get the recommended running pressure...
Here we go again.........

In short -- tire pressure has nothing to do with the tire manufacturer. It's the car.
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Old Nov 7, 2007 | 04:16 PM
  #24  
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Originally Posted by EHS
Here we go again.........

In short -- tire pressure has nothing to do with the tire manufacturer. It's the car.
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Old Nov 7, 2007 | 06:06 PM
  #25  
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Originally Posted by 03Ragtop
For peace of mind, get your alignment checked. Every street tire I've ever run gains ~5lbs of pressure from cold to hot. 25lbs is a little low, 40lbs is a little high. Keep it between there and you'll be fine.


People talking 1-2lbs difference hot cold must not be heating their tires up enough... Mine jump from 29 in the mornings (when it's low 40's out in WA) to bout 34-35 Hot after a little while of driving (In the upper 50's outside)

I'd tend to agree that any numbers between 25 and 40 are ok. Mix it up a little too, run a little lower in the back for More traction, and a little higher up front for better steering response.... Like 32 front 29 Rear, or something...

-Dan
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Old Nov 8, 2007 | 01:01 PM
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Originally Posted by EHS
Here we go again.........

In short -- tire pressure has nothing to do with the tire manufacturer. It's the car.
I highly doubt that, otherwise why would they mark it on the tire.
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Old Nov 8, 2007 | 02:09 PM
  #27  
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Originally Posted by FrankTank
I highly doubt that, otherwise why would they mark it on the tire.
The tire pressure on the tire is max pressure for the tire, the tire pressure that is recommended for a car is by weight of the vehicle. It is a recommended cold pressure and the owner should check the pressure and tire wear once a month. You can adjust the pressure according to wear, center too much air, outside tread wear not enough air. You should start at the proper pressure recommended by the auto manufacture ( most times on the drivers door), not the pressure on the tire.
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Old Nov 8, 2007 | 06:56 PM
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Originally Posted by FrankTank
I highly doubt that, otherwise why would they mark it on the tire.
Hi Frank -

It's true.

It's all about contact patch. The weight of the car comes into play.

Always follow the manufacturers recommendation.

best regards -

mqqn
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Old Nov 8, 2007 | 07:16 PM
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Originally Posted by FrankTank
in all seriousness though if you really want to regulate the PSI and don't want to gain that much then like Mqn suggested get the tires inflated with Nitrogen.
Oh God, not this BS again. Nitrogen is a gas. All gasses confined to a given volume (the inside of a tire) will increase pressure with an increase in temperature. It's called Boyle's Law http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boyle's_law

"But it's used in airplane tires." N2 is used in aviation tires only because the lack of water vapor at very low temps keeps ice from forming. It is also used in brake accumulators, because it is inert and will not react with hydraulic fluid. As more evidence that N2 doesn't stay at a constant pressure, Nitrogen filled accumulators have a nominal pressure, usually at 70 deg F, on Boeing jets, with a correction in pressure for higher or lower temps

The only advantage N2 has over air is the lack of oxygen might lessen the oxidation of the inside of the tires, if the tires are on the car long enough for that to be a factor. Personally, my tires are worn out long before the rubber oxidizes.
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Old Nov 8, 2007 | 07:43 PM
  #30  
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Default end the mystery...try this

http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main...products_id=45
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Old Nov 8, 2007 | 09:15 PM
  #31  
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The door sticker 30 psi took the center out of my Michelin Pilots. I lowered the pressure to 28 psi cold, I guess the damage was done, the center of the tread was gone anyways. If anything, I might have got a bit more use out of the outside of the tread at 28 psi.

I have wondered if the Michelin, although the stock size, is too wide for the rim. Too narrow a rim for a given tire will take the center out regardless of the pressure!

My two cents!

RonJ ...
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Old Nov 9, 2007 | 04:40 AM
  #32  
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Just ordered some air for the winter.

Thanks!
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Old Nov 9, 2007 | 04:41 AM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by FrankTank
I highly doubt that, otherwise why would they mark it on the tire.


Frank -- see below.

Originally Posted by Bill Vett
The tire pressure on the tire is max pressure for the tire, the tire pressure that is recommended for a car is by weight of the vehicle. It is a recommended cold pressure and the owner should check the pressure and tire wear once a month. You can adjust the pressure according to wear, center too much air, outside tread wear not enough air. You should start at the proper pressure recommended by the auto manufacture ( most times on the drivers door), not the pressure on the tire.
Originally Posted by mqqn
Hi Frank -

It's true.

It's all about contact patch. The weight of the car comes into play.

Always follow the manufacturers recommendation.

best regards -

mqqn
Reply
Old Nov 9, 2007 | 11:44 AM
  #34  
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Nitrogen solved this problem for me. Now I do not see much of a change in the pressure. I paid $5.00 in Texas.
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Old Nov 9, 2007 | 01:07 PM
  #35  
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Originally Posted by mqqn
Hi Frank -

It's true.

It's all about contact patch. The weight of the car comes into play.

Always follow the manufacturers recommendation.

best regards -

mqqn

Absolutley, I know there are other factors that come into play.. weight of car, ambient temp, contact patch...etc.. I was replying more to the statement that said " tire pressure has nothing to do with tire manufacturer" obviously the tire manufacturer makes the tire and knows it's limit and what range PSI it should be used at..depending on the other factors.
The Vehicle manufacturer makes a recommendation based on the vehicle , that is safely within what the Tire manufacturer designed the tire for.
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Old Nov 9, 2007 | 01:10 PM
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Originally Posted by EHS
Frank -- see below.
It's all good I should have been more specific... we were hitting on two different topics..
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Old Nov 9, 2007 | 03:01 PM
  #37  
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Originally Posted by jaw22w
Have been running 30# cold tire pressures. After extended Interstate driving periods the pressures will jump up to around 36#. (Driving in the eastern CA and western AZ recently.) This seems too high to me. Not enough miles to see any excessive center wear, but really don't want to. Question is, what is the optimum hot tire pressure recommendation for our cars? I don't think I have ever seen these numbers. I guess you would have to know some things: Goodyear runflats, interstate cruising, and about 70 degrees? Anybody have any experience?
For highway driving it really doesn't matter what the hot temperature is. As a tire warms up it becomes softer and more flexible which creates heat which then causes the air to expand causing increased pressure which offsets the reduced spring rate of the softer tire. GM did a lot of tests to determine what the best tire pressure is supposed to be. They also determined that setting a cold pressure of 30 lbs will get the best overall performance from the tire. This means that a cold pressure of 30 gets the proper WARM pressure at highway speeds. If the tire is driven in town the proper WARM pressure is also achieved. If you are getting excessive pressure build up in the tires then you may have too much moisture content in the tires (filled on a high humidity day or too much liquid used to lubricate the tires when being mounted) and have to exchange the air for some low humidity air.

Bill
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Old Nov 9, 2007 | 03:57 PM
  #38  
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Originally Posted by RonJ
The door sticker 30 psi took the center out of my Michelin Pilots. I lowered the pressure to 28 psi cold, I guess the damage was done, the center of the tread was gone anyways. If anything, I might have got a bit more use out of the outside of the tread at 28 psi.

I have wondered if the Michelin, although the stock size, is too wide for the rim. Too narrow a rim for a given tire will take the center out regardless of the pressure!

My two cents!

RonJ ...
28 cold has always gotten me even wear front and rear.
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Old Nov 9, 2007 | 04:15 PM
  #39  
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Originally Posted by WetteVette
We could discuss this untill our BSM's fall off!

To me, if GM says 30# cold... THAT MEANS 30# COLD!
Really now? Here in Iowa, in the spring, 30# cold is not the same as 30# cold in the fall....or the summer, or in winter.

In the spring and on into summer, starting off with 30# cold, in less than 10 miles of expressway speeds, the tires are up to 36 or more and will usually set off the "hi-pressure" alarm.

And in the fall, and on into winter, starting off with 30# cold, will frequently result in tire pressures under 25# in the morning, this time setting off the low pressure alarm.

That's how it was with the run craps and it certainly seems that is how it's going to be with the GY GS3D's as well. I've already had to bump up the 30# cold pressure a couple times to get the pressure back up to 30# and it's only in the 40's around here. It hasn't even GOTTEN cccccold yet.

There is no time of the year out here, where you can simply "set 'em and leave 'em". No lie, there is over 10# of difference in tire pressure between a 20° day and a 90° day here in the Midwest.
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Old Nov 9, 2007 | 04:30 PM
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Originally Posted by MagikDraggin
Really now? Here in Iowa, in the spring, 30# cold is not the same as 30# cold in the fall....or the summer, or in winter.

In the spring and on into summer, starting off with 30# cold, in less than 10 miles of expressway speeds, the tires are up to 36 or more and will usually set off the "hi-pressure" alarm.

And in the fall, and on into winter, starting off with 30# cold, will frequently result in tire pressures under 25# in the morning, this time setting off the low pressure alarm.

That's how it was with the run craps and it certainly seems that is how it's going to be with the GY GS3D's as well. I've already had to bump up the 30# cold pressure a couple times to get the pressure back up to 30# and it's only in the 40's around here. It hasn't even GOTTEN cccccold yet.

There is no time of the year out here, where you can simply "set 'em and leave 'em". No lie, there is over 10# of difference in tire pressure between a 20° day and a 90° day here in the Midwest.
Magic -- set your tire pressure to 30 lbs. at the coldest time of the day, and you won't have the tire pressure alarm going off in the morning.

If your tires are changing from 30 to 25, that means the temperature changed from 82 degrees that evening to 32 degrees the next morning.

Strange weather -- probably global warming.

Read about it here: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete....jsp?techid=73

On the other side, I have never seen the pressures go from 30 lbs. to 36 lbs. in ten miles of highway driving. Your results vary.
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