I have had my Pathfinder for a short time and I am a little confused about the 'recommended' tire pressure. I have four new Yokahama Geolander H/T-S P265/65R17 tires the dealer put on when I bought it.
The door sticker recommends 35 PSI and the tire itself only lists a max pressure of 51 PSI.
I checked the tire pressure to see what the dealer inflated them to and they were at 40 PSI.
Anyone have any idea what the ideal pressure should be. Right now I am exclusively a road warrior, so off roading is not an issue, except maybe for an occassional shortcut across the grass.
PSI Confusion
Moderator: volvite
I'd say use the tire pressure that's on the door.
PSI.. Pounds per Square inch relates to how many pounds per sq/in you tire needs to support, which is based on the vehicle weight. The max pressure on the side of the tire is just the max the tire can hold.
There's a simple formula you can do using the vehicle weight and the size of the tire to get the exact PSI, which is what Nissan puts on the inside of the door
The way I was explained, Since that tire can be on different types of vehicles that vary in weight, it is almost impossible to have the recommended PSI for your specific vehicle unless these tires were specifically designed for only pathfinders.
Also, I've heard when towing or hauling a lot of cargo, since the weight of your truck is changing, the tire pressure should be adjusted to support.
hope this helps.
PSI.. Pounds per Square inch relates to how many pounds per sq/in you tire needs to support, which is based on the vehicle weight. The max pressure on the side of the tire is just the max the tire can hold.
There's a simple formula you can do using the vehicle weight and the size of the tire to get the exact PSI, which is what Nissan puts on the inside of the door
The way I was explained, Since that tire can be on different types of vehicles that vary in weight, it is almost impossible to have the recommended PSI for your specific vehicle unless these tires were specifically designed for only pathfinders.
Also, I've heard when towing or hauling a lot of cargo, since the weight of your truck is changing, the tire pressure should be adjusted to support.
hope this helps.
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Don Danger
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Mon Feb 01, 2010 2:53 pm
Interesting... Once per month I load her up with 700 pounds of cargo to take out to the airport. Is that enough to warrant a pressure change? And if so, in which direction. My assumption is that more weight would require more pressure, although when you make an assumption you look like an ass and the ump will shun you.
Run what the door states (35) for normal driving. I would say normally 700# would not required an increase however if driving long distance in hot conditions I might bump it up a bit just to be safe.
Was the 40psi you stated hot or cold? It's possible they were at 35 cold and then after driving were up around 40. Most tire dealers will set the pressure to the door jam although some will go higher just to CYA.
Was the 40psi you stated hot or cold? It's possible they were at 35 cold and then after driving were up around 40. Most tire dealers will set the pressure to the door jam although some will go higher just to CYA.
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SilverGhost
- Posts: 321
- Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2007 6:23 am
- Location: Houston, TX
I'm pretty sure that the recommended pressures shown on the door sticker are based, in part, on the "load rating" of original equipment factory-installed tires. Those were/are basically highway-grade passenger tires with a load rating of 110. Both the Generals that came new on my truck, and the Michelin Cross Terrains I swapped for, are load rated 110 and have a maximum inflation pressure of 35 PSI (cold) stamped on the sidewall. Many heavier duty tires have a much higher load rating / max air pressure. For instance, the Geolander AT/S 275/65/17 that I'm considering buying have a 115 load rating and max pressure of 52PSI (cold). There's no reason not to run more than 35 PSI in a stronger tire, if that's what you want to do. Just depends on usage vs comfort vs performance. Using that type of tire, several folks on this board believe the sweet spot is 40-45 PSI. I'm unable to explain off the top of my head, though, why the tire you have is 110 load rated but can handle up to 51 PSI. Possibly either the tread, or the sidewall, (but not both) is stronger than original equipment tires.
I installed 112H-rated replacement tires on my 2007 LE. It sounds like you may have the same because they have a 51 PSI maximum.
The 51 PSI is the figure you should never exceed (cold). The 35 PSI factory recommendation works well for me except when towing. I found that while towing in the Arizona heat at 35 the rear sidewalls heated to about 25 degrees hotter than the pavement temperature. When I increased them to 40 PSI, they stay right at the pavement temp. I also put 40 in the front to maintain the factory-recommended relationship F-R.
The 51 PSI is the figure you should never exceed (cold). The 35 PSI factory recommendation works well for me except when towing. I found that while towing in the Arizona heat at 35 the rear sidewalls heated to about 25 degrees hotter than the pavement temperature. When I increased them to 40 PSI, they stay right at the pavement temp. I also put 40 in the front to maintain the factory-recommended relationship F-R.
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SilverGhost
- Posts: 321
- Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2007 6:23 am
- Location: Houston, TX
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Don Danger
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Mon Feb 01, 2010 2:53 pm
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bellwilliam
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Wed Jan 27, 2010 9:07 pm
35psi is recommended as a lowest denominator.
run lower psi if:
1. not carrying a ton of weight.
2. highway driving, very little cornering.
3. for comfort
run higher psi if:
1. carrying more weight (passenger or cargo) or if towing.
2. does more cornering. for both tire wear and better cornering speed.
3. prefer a stiffer ride.
4. less tire rolling resistance. better mpg.
in general. if I were commuting, and by myself. I run ~30psi.
if I am towing, carrying a ton of cargo. I run ~40 psi.
running higher psi is always preferred to running lower psi. it is safer, saves gas and gives better grip. at the expense of stiffer ride.
run lower psi if:
1. not carrying a ton of weight.
2. highway driving, very little cornering.
3. for comfort
run higher psi if:
1. carrying more weight (passenger or cargo) or if towing.
2. does more cornering. for both tire wear and better cornering speed.
3. prefer a stiffer ride.
4. less tire rolling resistance. better mpg.
in general. if I were commuting, and by myself. I run ~30psi.
if I am towing, carrying a ton of cargo. I run ~40 psi.
running higher psi is always preferred to running lower psi. it is safer, saves gas and gives better grip. at the expense of stiffer ride.
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