Miata Mailing List: September 1996, Message #0087
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   From: Jason Powell 

Subject: everyday tire pressures...can I run overinflated?

   Date: Sun, 1 Sep 1996 00:35:50 -0500



When I autoxed recently I ask if someone could air up my tires for me.

They checked the first tire and it read 50psi!  All the others were right at

50 also!

NO, his guage wasn't messed up...they were just way overinflated.

They dealship boys musthave been drunk when they checked my tires last time

I got the oil changed...which was 1300mi ago!

I hadn't bothered to check the pressures since they didn't look low plus I

didn't have a descent guage.

So for 1300mi I've been running with 50psi in my tires (factory Dunlops).

I'm still a miata newbie (2 1/2 months) and though the car was supposed to

ride rough over bumps...but it turned really well :)



For the autox we deflated down to 40psi for the runs which according to the

sidewall scuffings is just about right.

The tires say 35psi max, so I deflated them down to 35 for my normal driving.

PROBLEM:  they feel squishy now, not as predictable.

I guess the sidewalls are giving a lot more now when I gun it around a

corner (which happens as much as possible).



Therefore I'm wondering if running at 40psi for normal driving is OK for

these tires.  Logic says that the middle of the tread will wear faster than

the outsides...true?



Guess I'm not concerned with a blowout running 40 psi now...they didn't blow

up at 50psi and we took an 8 hour trip at that pressure doing 75mph most the

way.

*********************

Jason Powell

Red 96 Pop w/AC...FIZZX 1

team totally stock

------------------------------------

Physics Dept

ZionBenton HS

Kenosha, WI

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Our homepage:   ftp://ftp.wi.net/users/fizzx/index.htm

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