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WTF...how do you check tire pressure
06-13-2009, 12:11 PM
#21
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,130
Don't want to over inflate, causing the center of the tread to wear out quicker, or under inflate causing the sides to wear out quicker. When the dirt is on the whole width of the tread, its properly inflated and all the rubber is hitting the ground.
06-13-2009, 02:43 PM
#24
1st Gear Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 139
Oh yeah, thanks Tungsten07, I meant to mention that too...
Checking your tire pressure "by eyeballing it and then pumping in more to make sure it's not flat at all" is a bad, bad, bad, bad, bad idea, I mean like really bad. That's exactly why you've got that bubble in your tire now. Surprised you haven't had a blowout yet. Look at every other tire on every other vehicle on the road, they all, and I mean all are a bit flat on the bottom where the rubber meets the road, they're supposed to be, no matter how low-profile the tire is. That's the whole point of an inflatable tire, it's the suspensions first level of cushioning. That's why we're not all driving around on just our rims. If you're filling to eliminate the flat spot, you're putting way too much air in.
Sorry if I over explained a basic point, but if that is what you're doing, it's a very serious safety issue. you're risking a blowout, and putting yourself and others on the road in danger.
Checking your tire pressure "by eyeballing it and then pumping in more to make sure it's not flat at all" is a bad, bad, bad, bad, bad idea, I mean like really bad. That's exactly why you've got that bubble in your tire now. Surprised you haven't had a blowout yet. Look at every other tire on every other vehicle on the road, they all, and I mean all are a bit flat on the bottom where the rubber meets the road, they're supposed to be, no matter how low-profile the tire is. That's the whole point of an inflatable tire, it's the suspensions first level of cushioning. That's why we're not all driving around on just our rims. If you're filling to eliminate the flat spot, you're putting way too much air in.
Sorry if I over explained a basic point, but if that is what you're doing, it's a very serious safety issue. you're risking a blowout, and putting yourself and others on the road in danger.
For real though, you can not 'eye ball' tire pressure especially low profile tires like you. They can look "flat", but be at a very high PSI ...imo, a lot of the low profile(>40) always look a little flat to me, but that's just how they are...I'm not trying to lecture you on anything, your a big boy...and I think digitalcos already got the point across
Like others had said, try to get a good seal with your pressure gauge, push down just enough (if your getting extremely high/low #'s, your prob. pushing too hard or not enough) to get a good read out, and than do it a couple more times, making sure that your in the same ballpark each time....like 35lbs,36lbs, 35.5lbs....imo, its just one of those things that you can't just read a article online and know how to do it perfectly; you have to get a 'feel' for it.
That bulge or "bubble" in the sidewall was most likely caused by over inflation...(did you drive on it when it was at those high #'s?)....I used to work at discount tire, and we would see those all the time. We would sometimes get tires that showed no sign of bulging, put some air into it, and next thing we know; a big fat zit would pop up on the thing lol...its not uncommon, but almost every occurrence was caused by over inflation(or a weak/old side belt). I defiantly wouldn't drive on it if I could help it, and just get to your tire place and if you recently got the tires and/or have a warranty on them, than they should replace it for you w/o charge. Either way, good luck and I hope everything works out for ya
06-13-2009, 04:48 PM
#26
Cut & Paste Expert
Join Date: May 2007
Location: NW Arkansas
Posts: 13,322
I have always just checked the air pressure, by eyeballing it and then pumping in more to make sure it's not flat at all.
What am I doing wrong?
The front right tire now has a massive bulge in it, and the car shakes when I drive it.
I am pretty sure the tire is F'd and I need a new tire there now.
06-14-2009, 01:42 AM
#28
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location:
Posts: 854
i have a dial air guage with a locking air chuck that i put a quick connect on . when i check my tires i just snap this on my air hose , press it on the valve stem of the tire, lock it to the valve stem & press air hose button, release to see air pressure , it stays locked on the valve stem until you press the little lever to unlock. this is what you need since you are having a problem holding the gauge tightly on the valve stem.
06-14-2009, 08:05 AM
#29
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: ATL
Posts: 2,955
LOL, looking in the drivers door jamb isn't going to help the OP any. I doubt their stang came with 20's stock.
06-14-2009, 09:38 AM
#30
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: state of confusion
Posts: 7,635
The proper pressure for those 20's may well differ from what the door sticker says, since the door sticker is for the 16's, 17's or 18's that the car came with. It can be estimated based on the tire load index numbers. I have heard that some folks run slightly more pressure in their 20's in order to reduce the chance of banging up their wheels. "Slightly" does not mean 10+ psi extra.
Thai - Just what size are these 20's, anyway?
If you know what you're looking for and from what angle to look, it is possible to know from visual inspection at a distance that a tire is significantly underinflated. Not so if it's overinflated.
At autocrossing, a variation on the above-mentioned close-up "dust/dirt" inspection is commonly used to determine proper pressures for competition. Even if you're just fine-tuning tire pressures to suit lots of hard cornering on the street, you can use this approach. Basically it involves "reading" how far around the tire shoulders that your cornering is using the tire. Some tires have indicators molded into the shoulder regions to help you judge which way to adjust the pressure.
Norm
Thai - Just what size are these 20's, anyway?
If you know what you're looking for and from what angle to look, it is possible to know from visual inspection at a distance that a tire is significantly underinflated. Not so if it's overinflated.
At autocrossing, a variation on the above-mentioned close-up "dust/dirt" inspection is commonly used to determine proper pressures for competition. Even if you're just fine-tuning tire pressures to suit lots of hard cornering on the street, you can use this approach. Basically it involves "reading" how far around the tire shoulders that your cornering is using the tire. Some tires have indicators molded into the shoulder regions to help you judge which way to adjust the pressure.
Norm
Last edited by Norm Peterson; 06-14-2009 at 09:54 AM.
