OP
Jack Flash
Member
A few comments:
I am probably showing my age here, but as I recall, the article I cite in my OP was written back in the days when the average American car was a land yacht. Much has changed in the automotive world since then, and I think manufacturers are recommending higher pressures nowdays. Since the article was in R&T, we can assume that they were at least talking about radial tires.
I have followed the max inflation practice as outlined in my OP on my '95 Dakota (bought new) and never had a tire problem, certainly no uneven wear, and I always get 5k or so MORE miles than the tires are guaranteed for. EG, 62,000 miles on tires that are waranted for 55,000. Ditto for my wife's '93 Saturn. I think that to get uneven wear, the tires have to be mega-grossly overinflated.
I check my tire pressures at least once a week, and always before a trip on the freeway. Only check them first thing in the morning when they are cold, naturally. I do rotate my tires.
I've always believed that a person should buy the best tires he can afford. No bottom-of-the-line price busters on my cars, that's for sure.
I am cautious about high-speed driving, especially on very hot days. (See the point above about checking the tires before a trip on the freeway.) If I was going to habitually do any "on the edge" driving, I sure would not get my information about tires, tire pressures, etc. from a thread on the internet.
Underinflation and high temperatures seem to be the more serious problem, certainly with the infamous Firestone tread separation debacle. My guess is that if you went into any parking lot at any mall across the US, you would find the vast majority of the vehicles have their tires underinflated, often grossly so.
If someone wants to strictly follow the advice in their owners manual, they sure won't go far wrong. However, if you follow the manual to the letter, you will also buy your tires from GM (or Ford or Chrysler) and use only OEM motor oil, and you will have all your work done at the dealer.
I am probably showing my age here, but as I recall, the article I cite in my OP was written back in the days when the average American car was a land yacht. Much has changed in the automotive world since then, and I think manufacturers are recommending higher pressures nowdays. Since the article was in R&T, we can assume that they were at least talking about radial tires.
I have followed the max inflation practice as outlined in my OP on my '95 Dakota (bought new) and never had a tire problem, certainly no uneven wear, and I always get 5k or so MORE miles than the tires are guaranteed for. EG, 62,000 miles on tires that are waranted for 55,000. Ditto for my wife's '93 Saturn. I think that to get uneven wear, the tires have to be mega-grossly overinflated.
I check my tire pressures at least once a week, and always before a trip on the freeway. Only check them first thing in the morning when they are cold, naturally. I do rotate my tires.
I've always believed that a person should buy the best tires he can afford. No bottom-of-the-line price busters on my cars, that's for sure.
I am cautious about high-speed driving, especially on very hot days. (See the point above about checking the tires before a trip on the freeway.) If I was going to habitually do any "on the edge" driving, I sure would not get my information about tires, tire pressures, etc. from a thread on the internet.
Underinflation and high temperatures seem to be the more serious problem, certainly with the infamous Firestone tread separation debacle. My guess is that if you went into any parking lot at any mall across the US, you would find the vast majority of the vehicles have their tires underinflated, often grossly so.
If someone wants to strictly follow the advice in their owners manual, they sure won't go far wrong. However, if you follow the manual to the letter, you will also buy your tires from GM (or Ford or Chrysler) and use only OEM motor oil, and you will have all your work done at the dealer.
