Gas mileage went way down ??

You are correct. They can. I am sharing my 56 years of driving experience for what it's worth. Check your PSI before you drive and than check it again when you have reached your destination. if its 3 or 5 PSI higher than you should be running 3 or 5 PSI lower than the sidewall max on your tires if you want to run the max PSI in your tires.

 

^ AFAIK, any and all stated pressures are cold, ie: you don't have to consider or allow for tire warm up due to use.

 

I don't want to sound like a know it all, but your statement about summer months and max pressure is really not true.

The engineers who design the tires factor in the hot temperatures when calculating the maximum pressure. Furthermore, it has been proven that most blowouts on the road are caused due to foreign objects and insufficient amount of air pressure which is the exact opposite of maximum air pressure.

When a tire is low on air, it heats up faster when it turns as friction is increased especially at high speed. The heat in turn causes the side walls to collapse and the tire to fail.

http://www.autos.com/car-maintenance/most-common-causes-of-tire-failure

The above article discusses this fact as well as tire over inflation. Over inflation means "exceeding" the maximum pressure marked on the sidewall of the tire, not what the tire placard on the vehicle says.

Ron (dorunron)

 

ok I stand corrected

 

It's a common error lar, a lot of folks think that way... Don't take it the wrong way.

Ron

 

^ What he said

 

I did not take it the wrong way. I am always open to correction. That was a good article . This is the part I wanted to get across. (Less common, but you can also overinflate your tires. People do these for various reasons, like trying to increase fuel economy, or just by accident. Overinflating your tires makes your tires susceptible to damage from things on the road, such as a pothole.)By over inflating I meant the PSI listed as max on the side wall of the tire. I like to run the PSI the tire placard on the vehicle says for a little smoother ride.

 

I do agree that if you exceed the maximum pressure that is marked on the sidewall of each tire, you do run the risk of damage from potholes and foreign objects. The data is kind of skewed on both ends of the spectrum concerning tire pressures. It seems that when you get too low, the failures are caused mainly by heat, whereas when you get too high the failures are then caused by foreign objects. Concerning pot holes, curbs, and foreign objects no tire is 100% failure proof. The manufacturers have now come up with the run flat tires. They do work, but are not designed to be run flat for long periods of time.

IMO, one of the problems with tires and the public in general is that it is something that is really not well taken care of. Generally, the average driver will simply rely on tire shops to properly air them up when they are mounted when being new. After that it seems like they visually look at the tires on a irregular basis, if that is even done. If you want your tires to have longevity, it is important to maintain air pressure that is proper for the load and the specifications of the vehicle and the tires maximum air pressure. It is also important to understand that as a tire is being used, the friction of the tire on the road causes the tire to heat up which in turn causes the pressure to rise. As per the manufactures of tires, air pressure is to be checked and set properly when the tires are cold. Cold is defined as being at ambient temperature and not having heat sources around them or radiating towards said tires. This includes sunlight shining on the tires. It is best to check the air pressure in tires first thing in the morning while it is the cool part of the day. The tires should be checked on a regular basis as part of the maintenance program of your vehicle. A minimum of once a month to check the pressure and also to visually inspect the tires for any damage to the sidewalls and the tread surfaces are important. Failure to do this can and will lead to premature tire failure. Rotation and balance of tires will also add to the longevity of said tires. Finally, it is important to understand that you should not release air from tires when they are hot. Some folks make the mistake of releasing air pressure if they check them while they are hot. A good example would be after driving on the freeway for a extended amount of time. If you do that, the cold air pressure setting will be lower than it should be.

Ron (dorunron)