What do YOU recommend for tire pressures?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,809
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From: Yorktown Virginia
I am constantly amazed by people who would/will seek a specification or rating seek to find a reason, whether good or bad to ignore certain core values like Motor oils, filters or air pressure in the tires. OK, motor oil and filters could be OK or not. But WHY would you think that GM specified a particular pressure for the from the factory sized tire to be BS ? On my drivers door is a sticker with the size of the OEM tires meant for this vehicle & the air pressure when cold. Why would any rational person think that is somehow corrupt or mistaken? Of all the things worth being discussed, how the heck can a set air pressure be wrong for your car, GM suggests it, the tire manufacturer insists on to keep the particular tire squarely on the road and able to give the longest life. I mean why ? 
Le Mans Master
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I have Michelin non-runflats (18's all around), and run 32-34 psi in front, and 30-32 psi in rear. I've tried different pressures, both higher and lower, but this combo seems to be the best all around. The car handles best, and the tires seem to wear evenly (this is my second set of Michelins totaling over 30K miles).
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I go by what the manufacturer recommends on the door sticker. For the C5 and my wife's DD, it is 30 psi cold. For my Equinox, it is 30 psi rear and 32 psi front.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: Las Vegas Nevada
I normally run 30 PSI in the warmer months and 35 PSI in the winter. Just seems to work for my 04 on stock rims. I'm running sumitomo HTR non-ringlets in stock tire sizes now but I got almost 40k miles out of my original Goodyear Eagle runflats like this...
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From: SE Pennsylvania
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Oldtimer
Tire pressures. . .
For the most part this works great but like on my sisters neon it says to run them at 30 psi and the tire is almost flat when only filled to 30 and it definitely shows that they are under-inflated due the the tire wear. In order to get the correct contact patch they need to be inflated to around 40 psi instead, but I would say that is a very uncommon circumstance, but the tire pressure on the door was way off for the fronts but it is dead on for the rears which also are supposed to take 30psi.
I have Michelin non-runflats (18's all around), and run 32-34 psi in front, and 30-32 psi in rear. I've tried different pressures, both higher and lower, but this combo seems to be the best all around. The car handles best, and the tires seem to wear evenly (this is my second set of Michelins totaling over 30K miles).
AND, I know there are a great many different "styles" of different tire pressure's for all sorts of tires. IE: super low profile tires on say 20 inch rims or Bigger tires than what the car came with from Bowling Green, and I'm most definitely Not speaking for any custom rim/tire matches as I know the special tires run different pressures. But there was a guy here last year or maybe before who was running his tire at the max pressures, 60 PSI that was marked on the tire. And let's face, you run almost any tire for a Corvette at 60 or higher pressures, the damn things are going to explode if nothing else. Buy the door sticker is for the Goodyear run-flats. I'm just you know kinda surprised by why any one who owns on there car Never looks inside the Owner's Manual ?
If you buy a new dishwasher, you read about how to load it and on what settings are best for you, right ? Then why would question the owner manual for your car. Hell , if you read it and said heck with this, I could see your point. But the air pressure sticker in on the door. Ray Charles could read the damn thing ? Why would you question what the GM endineers and tire manufactures considered the right tire pressure. Rant over ! Thank you for your Patience.
Last edited by killain; Nov 21, 2010 at 09:30 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2002
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From: Waldorf MD
ET, an ex-GM C5 Engineer, recommends 30 psi hot as the "sweet spot". He says the Owner's Manual is a compromise for so many different factors (temperature, type driving, etc.).
I use 28 psi rear and 30 psi front in summer. I use 26 psi rear and 30 psi front for winter. I get about 55,000 miles from front OEM tires and 45,000 miles from rears.
I use 28 psi rear and 30 psi front in summer. I use 26 psi rear and 30 psi front for winter. I get about 55,000 miles from front OEM tires and 45,000 miles from rears.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,809
Likes: 3
From: Yorktown Virginia
I don't know a single thing about a Plymouth Neon, so I'm only speaking about a Corvette,
I have Michelin non-runflats (18's all around), and run 32-34 psi in front, and 30-32 psi in rear. I've tried different pressures, both higher and lower, but this combo seems to be the best all around. The car handles best, and the tires seem to wear evenly (this is my second set of Michelins totaling over 30K miles).
AND, I know there are a great many different "styles" of different tire pressure's for all sorts of tires. IE: super low profile tires on say 20 inch rims or Bigger tires than what the car came with from Bowling Green, and I'm most definitely Not speaking for any custom rim/tire matches as I know the special tires run different pressures. But there was a guy here last year or maybe before who was running his tire at the max pressures, 60 PSI that was marked on the tire. And let's face, you run almost any tire for a Corvette at 60 or higher pressures, the damn things are going to explode if nothing else. Buy the door sticker is for the Goodyear run-flats. I'm just you know kinda surprised by why any one who owns on there car Never looks inside the Owner's Manual ?
If you buy a new dishwasher, you read about how to load it and on what settings are best for you, right ? Then why would question the owner manual for your car. Hell , if you read it and said heck with this, I could see your point. But the air pressure sticker in on the door. Ray Charles could read the damn thing ? Why would you question what the GM endineers and tire manufactures considered the right tire pressure. Rant over ! Thank you for your Patience.
I have Michelin non-runflats (18's all around), and run 32-34 psi in front, and 30-32 psi in rear. I've tried different pressures, both higher and lower, but this combo seems to be the best all around. The car handles best, and the tires seem to wear evenly (this is my second set of Michelins totaling over 30K miles).
AND, I know there are a great many different "styles" of different tire pressure's for all sorts of tires. IE: super low profile tires on say 20 inch rims or Bigger tires than what the car came with from Bowling Green, and I'm most definitely Not speaking for any custom rim/tire matches as I know the special tires run different pressures. But there was a guy here last year or maybe before who was running his tire at the max pressures, 60 PSI that was marked on the tire. And let's face, you run almost any tire for a Corvette at 60 or higher pressures, the damn things are going to explode if nothing else. Buy the door sticker is for the Goodyear run-flats. I'm just you know kinda surprised by why any one who owns on there car Never looks inside the Owner's Manual ?
If you buy a new dishwasher, you read about how to load it and on what settings are best for you, right ? Then why would question the owner manual for your car. Hell , if you read it and said heck with this, I could see your point. But the air pressure sticker in on the door. Ray Charles could read the damn thing ? Why would you question what the GM endineers and tire manufactures considered the right tire pressure. Rant over ! Thank you for your Patience.
I wasnt implying that you were incorrect at all and I guess what I was trying to say was you need to stick to what the manufacturer says unless it is clearly obvious otherwise and as many have stated you get the best tire wear and life out of a tire that is inflated to ~30 psi on the corvette.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,809
Likes: 3
From: Yorktown Virginia
ET, an ex-GM C5 Engineer, recommends 30 psi hot as the "sweet spot". He says the Owner's Manual is a compromise for so many different factors (temperature, type driving, etc.).
I use 28 psi rear and 30 psi front in summer. I use 26 psi rear and 30 psi front for winter. I get about 55,000 miles from front OEM tires and 45,000 miles from rears.
I use 28 psi rear and 30 psi front in summer. I use 26 psi rear and 30 psi front for winter. I get about 55,000 miles from front OEM tires and 45,000 miles from rears.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 10,391
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From: North of Canada
I am constantly amazed by people who would/will seek a specification or rating seek to find a reason, whether good or bad to ignore certain core values like Motor oils, filters or air pressure in the tires. OK, motor oil and filters could be OK or not. But WHY would you think that GM specified a particular pressure for the from the factory sized tire to be BS ? On my drivers door is a sticker with the size of the OEM tires meant for this vehicle & the air pressure when cold. Why would any rational person think that is somehow corrupt or mistaken? Of all the things worth being discussed, how the heck can a set air pressure be wrong for your car, GM suggests it, the tire manufacturer insists on to keep the particular tire squarely on the road and able to give the longest life. I mean why ?
Race Director
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 11,113
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From: SE Pennsylvania
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
Oldtimer
The life and times of a tire . . .
I wasnt implying that you were incorrect at all and I guess what I was trying to say was you need to stick to what the manufacturer says unless it is clearly obvious otherwise and as many have stated you get the best tire wear and life out of a tire that is inflated to ~30 psi on the corvette.
Resident moron
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,746
Likes: 20
From: Assachusetts
I run 28 front and rear (cold). Once warmed up they are in the 30-32psi range which is just about right. Most cars I have better luck with ~5psi higher in the front (like my Camaro), but the C5 is so well balanced it seems to like balanced tire pressures as well.
Dope
Dope
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,809
Likes: 3
From: Yorktown Virginia
OH Yeah, I understand completely and no offence taken. We're all friends here. And while there's hundreds of tire and wheel combinations, I was only trying to ask why anyone who opened the drivers side door and looked at the sticker, that is the whole and complete answer to any question about OEM/Run-flat tire pressures. But on that same theme, Anyone who opened the owners manual, would have just about and question they might have (And I am sure there's a lot of questions that are not included in the owners manual) But most will be informed/instructed as to what the car was built with and what you might need in case of a breakdown. But that's why we have the after-market vendors who have the education and skill to change things safely. Happy motoring !
I personally like to read through the owners manual when I first get the car to at least look at all the features and how to use them.
