I just finished reading every single one of the personal logs there - all 104 pages of them! That's a ton of info from him to say the least!! I wish that I had a fraction of the dedication that it takes to do a site like that. Many thanx John for taking so much time to compile all of that information.
I read the whole thing about a year and a half maybe two years ago, and it took a few days. It was well worth the read.
ok, well, Duh for me.... here's a question: on his website he says "check every 3 weeks or so) higher than recommend tire-pressure: 38 PSI front & 37 PSI back" in all of my experience, i've NEVER seen or heard or recommended higher front psi's than for the rear. my personal experience is that the higher psi tires grip better, so isn't he inviting disastrous oversteer, or is he counting on the automatic traction controls to save his tush? most tires are rated at around 36 psi unless they're designed for more. this startles me!
Hi Alan, I know nothing about tires, and I don't have my Prius yet. But there are several yahoogroups that deal with the Prius. Anyway, people on the list say that due to the weight of the front end of the prius vs the back, the car drives better with a differential between the front and the rear tires. There is a recommended inflation pressure and a maximum rated inflation for any brand of tire. For the tires that come with the 2004 prius, I believe it is 44psi(?). I do know that many people have set their tires at 44F/42R, 42F/40R and have experienced increased mpg at the cost of a softer ride. Hope this helps. Sharon
thanks, Sharon! i test drove two Prii before ordering. one dealer apparently had the tires pumped way up for mileage, and i did notice what i'd consider an unacceptably harsh ride. almost put me off on the car. second dealer said, "hogwash... regular tires, regular pressure," and the one i drove with him felt smoother and still handled very nicely. but i'm still looking askance at the logic of the tire pressures. let's check the front/rear distribution against other front-drivers. our '98 Camry is front drive, but runs very well at 32-34 front and 36 rear. i once nearly spun out my corvette when one rear tire valve had a slow leak, and that car had 49/51 front/rear weight. i don't think the engine-up-front has that much to do with it, but i'll try to stay open to info and opinions.
Both my '95 Odyssey and my wife's 97 Legacy have door plates showing 2 psi higher in the front. It's that "In my experience thing" I thought the down (and in my mind rotated 90 degrees as if it were in the floor - backward) for forward, up for revers was bizarre and opposite all normal cars (and any I have ever driven) and logic. Then people posted R24 135 patterns. John's site is great - answered a ton of questions I had regarding the Prius
Higher pressure up front is to handle the additional weight. In a 50/50 weight split car, equal pressure (given that the tire sizes are equal) would be warranted. I like to run 40/38 in mine for better mpg. Dealer readjusted them to 36pst a while back, noticed a slight drop, but haven't had time to put it back. I run my classic at 42/40 - mostly to improve tire wear and bring mpg back to where it should be.
