What is the Best Tire Pressure? [TESTED]

[@TheAsfv]

One thing to consider if running 40 psi cold, as tires warm up the pressure will rise and if pushed hard enough you can exceed the maximum psi a tire can hold causing a blowout.

[@MickDrivesCars]

Very important point! I forgot to mention in the video, all pressures were set with the tires warm

[@robertshunter]

Keep in mind that the pressure limit shown IS a cold pressure limit, and takes into account pressure rise.

[@joshuapetherick5794]

Ive always ran 40psi for better tread wear on 17 18inch rims drivn hard never had blowout but def sumthin keep in mind now u mention it cheers Car was a 4wd turbo rs legacy 40psi better in subarus in my opinion

[@rodneyjhackenflash4865]

That's not a problem for tires rate at50 psi max.

[@Andy-zi1wj]

Tyre pressure should also be set when cold and lots of cars have settings 39-42 I don't think they would recommend this if it causes a blowouts

[@wordreet]

Any tire pressure will always be a compromise. Unless you alter the pressure every time you carry a load, ie: people or heavy stuff, or want to drive fast. Then reduce it immediately afterwards. But as a tire fitter I always went by the tire manufacturer's recommended pressure for any customer's cars.

[@CrazzieGamer]

This is a video I definitely needed to see, I’ve never played around and kept 40 psi on all corners I am going to lower them because I find traction is poor compared to other cars and it may help

[@victoriagrayson5082]

*This is a video I definitely needed to see. I’ve never played around and kept 40 psi on all corners. I'm going to lower them because I find traction is poor compared to other cars, and it may help.

[@Fede_San]

**This is a video I definitely needed to see. I’ve never played around and kept 40 psi on all corners. I'm going to lower them because I find traction is poor compared to other cars, and it may help.

[@l.s.11]

***** This is a video. I definitely needed to see it. I've never played around. I kept 40 psi on all corners. I'm going to lower them. I find traction is poor compared to other cars. It may help.

[@MickDrivesCars]

It will help for sure - I think one of the problems with the megane is that it has too much grip for the road. 40psi does reduce grip and therefore feels better. This may be very different in other cars.

[@sean2137]

had the same issue on my F23 M240ix, BMW recommends 36psi front and over 40psi on rear tires and it causes the rear to "skip" sideways over the road when taking sharp turns. Not a slide exactly it just reduces grip, confidence, feels wrong. Front doesn't feel great either. I run about 33 cold all around now and it transforms the car. No more weight over the rear than the front so the higher pressure doesn't quite make sense, I experimented with higher/lower in the front/rear to reduce understeer and found that whatever I tried was not as good as 33 all around for overall grip and confidence in the car.

[@schadenkind]

Could you also test braking distances from 60mph to 0mph with different tire pressures?

[@MickDrivesCars]

This is such a good idea, wish I had thought of it for this video :(

[@ethans6.0]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/gYqmep-Ir9x2oLssi=tTeZ2b89-enk-4d_

[@RobbSaldi]

In love with you and your videos, Mick 😌

[@MickDrivesCars]

Glad you like them mate ♥️

[@tenkoi3074]

I thought I am the one crazy about adjusting the psi. I did higher and lower to try. I totally agree the higher psi is great driving, I can’t tell everybody about it, because human are so worry it gonna be dangerous on the road, the higher definitely have a good feel, but when you pass over hump or uneven road,I It is really steep just like the SUV do. The lower psi of course give you a lighter driving feel. At last I also use back normal psi but one or two psi higher.

[@MickDrivesCars]

It's crazy what a big difference it makes!

[@johnboy2436]

The best and fastest is 37 front 32 rear. Id have to check but Renault Sport NEVER suggest to have the same PSI all around, car will handle like sheet on the rear. Pretty sure the OEM suggestion is sometihng like 35 front 40 rear and my focus RS before this was 40 psi also. On tyres with a lower sidewall you dont usually go low PSI like that. Maybe in 1.2 fiesta.

[@MickDrivesCars]

Yep you're correct 36f/33r is OEM spec - I did a square setup just because it's the most universal across fwd/rwd/awd I like the slightly higher pressure in the rear to make the car more playful

[@victoriagrayson5082]

*The best and fastest option is 37 in the front, 32 in the rear. I'd have to check, but Renault Sport NEVER suggest to have the same PSI all around. The car will handle like sh*t in the rear. Pretty sure the OEM suggestion is something like 35 in the front, and 40 in the rear. My Focus RS before this used 40 psi also. On tyres with lower sidewalls, you don't usually go for low PSI values like that. Maybe in a Fiesta 1.2.

[@johnboy2436]

@@victoriagrayson5082 Thanks for correcting my grammar Victoria. You're a gem. Sadly i dont have the time these days to type with proper grammar, proof read it and fix. It's lovely to see the grammar police are out in full operation still and have the time to correct my quickly typed out message. I just wish i had the time to sit there making sure my grammer is correct. Unfortunately, these days i dont have the time to add in the punctuation, apostrophes and hyphens. Also just to grammar police your grammar you didn't correct "sometihng" to "something". You also didn't correct "dont" to "don't". Thats just from me looking briefly, im sure i made more mistakes. You're going to get sacked at this rate Victoria Grayson. Step you're game up.

[@victoriagrayson5082]

Thanks for pointing out the errors I made in my correction. I didn't retype what you put, I copy/pasted it and made edits. The things you pointed out were kind of hard to see. It's for that reason I ended up missing them. I've made the corresponding edits. Also, I'm not a part of the Grammar Police. But I do uphold proper grammar. That includes spelling and the like, and all aspects of the proper conveyance of thought. Tone, intonation, and inflection. Also body language.@@johnboy2436

[@johnboy2436]

@@victoriagrayson5082 * Thanks for pointing out the errors I made in my correction. I didn't retype what you put, I copy/pasted it and made edits. The things you pointed out were kind of hard to see. It's for that reason I ended up missing them. I've made the corresponding edits. Also, I'm not a part of the Grammar Police. But I do uphold proper grammar. That includes spelling and all aspects of the proper conveyance of thought. Tone, intonation, and inflection. Also body language. @johnboy2436

[@ya-rx8nd]

I agree. I also like to run tire pressures higher for less rolling resistance at higher speeds which helps in a lower powered car.

[@victoriagrayson5082]

Good punctuation.

[@rabbitdrink]

@@victoriagrayson5082shoutout to victoriagrayson5082 for making sure every comment in the comment section has proper punctuation grammar and spelling

[@rohankm]

@@rabbitdrink She just got retired from high school and needs some activity to pass time.

[@f1gridlock]

My MX-5 is supposed to have 26psi but 40psi feels so much better and the grip even feels higher too

[@uptownsamcv]

I always look at the tire's maximum cold PSI rating and set it at that. air stabilizes the tire and the lower you go the more slop you get. I set my tires at 50 psi and it definitely has more grip at that pressure. anything less than 40 PSI and my tires will spin through first gear. I've been doing it for decades with no problems..

[@vokesy78]

Depends on tyre width, tyre sidewall, tyre circumference/diameter, wheel weight/unsprung weight, axle weight, and how the suspension is set up. I've gone from 205/45r17 @ 19PSI to 205/55r16 @ 20PSI (23 is the equiv of the 17") and it's riding perfectly. I made the change to improve ride comfort - it is not a track day car. Mazda MX-5 NC 2010 1200kgs 50/50 weight dist with Koni shocks and very lightweight wheels.

[@Dominik189]

Not that surprising, but you gotta keep in mind that as the tires warm up they'll generally see a slight increase in pressure. I can't say for FWD's cause I drive them fairly rarely. However on most RWD, which is my go to car type to drive, I run a staggered setup always. Front I'll keep either at manufacturer recommended pressure, or up to 2 psi above, while rears are always 2-4 psi under manufacturer recommended pressure.Yes I have an old 1990 Corolla, but that's mostly for the missus, I usually drive either my E46 318 or my Sierra. Yes I drive old cars, I prefer them. For those who think that you wouldn't feels a difference of 2 PSI, that entirely dependss on the car.

[@MickDrivesCars]

I should have mentioned in the video! All pressures were tested hot. I took the car for a blast each time before setting the pressures.

[@Dominik189]

@@MickDrivesCars smart. I keep a couple blankets for that. Don't ask how I got them. Let's just say they fell off a truck and leave it at that.

[@MickDrivesCars]

Damn dude I don't know anyone with bloody tire blankets :D

[@Dominik189]

@@MickDrivesCars to be honest, I barely use them. They're more of a souvenir.

[@lucasceleste4743]

Great comparison!

[@MickDrivesCars]

Thank you mate!

[@astudentpilotlife]

My IS car recommended 35-38psi. But I keep at 40-42 summer with MAX psi is 51. (Also save more MPG) Cold weather, I keep it at 45PSI. Never reach 49psi. That's my safety point. Yes, my car rode rougher but the more responsive on the ultra high performance tire.

[@Zickcermacity]

The pressure higher than the door placard(33psi), in your case, 40, would make the steering too light and darty for me in most cars, as well as roughen the ride. Remember, vehicle mfgs will often select a cold tire pressure recommendation that will provide at least a 10% safety margin over the gross axle weight rating divided by two (or per tire), so there is no reason to have to inflate more than maybe 1psi over what's on that door pillar placard.

[@funkcatbrown]

A lower PSI will make the car feel a bit loose in the turns. Which I like personally. Just have to find the right air pressure to get the feel you want. Too low it won’t feel good. But a little low. Ahhh perfect. Especially since I’ll get my tires hotter than usual drivers and the air pressure will come up. I also only use nitrogen for less variation in pressure during drives.

[@MickDrivesCars]

100% it's amazing just how much a small change in PSI makes!

[@zwadiedude]

Great video thanks

[@tsfyootwiin]

*Idk I feel if I do 40 psi in my Impala, it’s a bumpy ride. 34 is just about perfect for me* 😅

[@meap121]

I recently went on vacation to Croatia with friends and lots of luggage in the back (5 suitcases and 4 people in the back) It was a 3000km roadtrip starting in the Netherlands. I put my tyre pressure to 2.7 bar (40 psi) and noticed there was indeed a bit more road noise and could easily feel all the little bumps in the road. Once I arrived at the place we would stay at we unloaded all the heavy lugage and the car was now light again. It still feels bumpier than with the lower pressure I had before. Maybe it's just in my head haha. This is on my 2021 Audi A3 8Y 35TFSI. Your video's are very fun to watch btw keep it up :)

[@MickDrivesCars]

I don't think it's in your head - I was surprised how big the difference was

[@blek3539]

This video is exactly what I was looking for, and I also drive a Megane (diesel, but still 😅)

[@de2nmor]

I would consider running standard on front and 40 on rear. In my FWD I would enjoy the flexibility in the rear

[@MickDrivesCars]

Yep standard pressures are something like 33f/30r, so just having them all the same is already +rear pressure. But I can imagine something like 33f/40r is spicy :)

[@TimpBizkit]

I like more on the front and less on the rear - usually lower 40s on the front and 35 on the rear - except that one slow leak I had that I'd pump to 50 on the front right, just so it would take longer to go down!

[@76.2.7]

I was actually looking for this exact video and I haven’t even fully watched it because my tires are around 25 psi around there or maybe under 30 but I was worried because I saw on online that it was dangerous but I thought I would have better traction and wear if I had it a little softer

[@victorravn3075]

in my rwd car, anything over 32psi cold feels like i could spin out if i touch the steering wheel above 70 mph. especially if im on the gas pedal. and i have like very low hp. i'd be scared to death doing spirited driving on 40 psi.

[@804MRMAN]

*Hey hey people it's 2024 😂😂😂 There are tire pressure calculators. I run 245/35/19 DWS06 Plus at 36 psi cold, too give room for 2 degree change for a perfect 38psi on even the hottest of days*

[@tzidiggy1494]

how about the vibration in your seat while in idle (40psi/25psi/33psi)

[@MickDrivesCars]

No change

[@BeyondDestiny]

You seem to know so much about the science of driving. You should also do a video on driving posture

[@huestom]

Oh yes this! Many new drivers like to get too close to the wheel, and others think its cool to have your arms locked up. Great idea 💯

[@MickDrivesCars]

I actually have a video called 'the perfect spirited driving position' - this is exactly what you're looking for I think

[@huestom]

@MickDrivesCars Oh yeah you do! Took me a while to find it! Mb

[@timothyhicks5843]

In your opinion, what is the legal position on such variation from the manufacturers specified range according to UK traffic law Mick?

[@intheName1]

Thanks

[@MickDrivesCars]

You're very welcome 👊

[@victoriagrayson5082]

*Period missing at end of comment.

[@victoriagrayson5082]

@@MickDrivesCars *You're very welcome. 👊

[@dafunk420]

@@victoriagrayson5082 it's called a full stop here, not period.

[@victoriagrayson5082]

I call it both.@@dafunk420

[@testos2701]

The road must be good, at 40 psi mine feels like sheet, bumpy as hell. I keep it at 33 by the book and rides acceptable.

[@hypertrophy07]

Thanks for the video. Why choose 25 or 33 for racing when 40 have you better cornering?

[@mohcinebh5255]

In cornering u need Grip like 25psi (high speed wise) but in urban driving 40 psi is not a big problem

[@satay05]

HOW DO YOU ENGAGE YOUR HANDBRAKES PROPERLY?

[@MojoPapiFPV]

Probably would not love 40PSI as much in the wet.

[@jerrymartinez2528]

36 is the sweet spot, max is 44 and regular is 33 , definitely 36 is how you should go

[@JimmyJohanes]

45 psi is the sweet spot

[@dexterdoncacatian5913]

May I know your tire profile used in these tests please?

[@MickDrivesCars]

245/35/19

[@Whiponized]

nice quirky smirky vid

[@MickDrivesCars]

haha I'll take it! Thanks :)

[@staffonwilkinson7439]

What about 28 psi cold 32 psi hot for a car weighing 2460 lbs ?

[@Scotty-vs4lf]

depends on weight distribution, drivetrain, how u want the car to handle, etc. its trial and error

[@diana4987]

I prefer 40

[@AesopsRetreat]

Except the 40psi on a race track would HEAT up and explode. Whereas at 33 they would heat up to that 40 and be just right. DOH !!

[@withoutmotive3796]

bro needs perosnality classes bro you can't be evil laughign whilst driving like that with a chick bro i only want to help you bro

[@MickDrivesCars]

The wifey doesn't mind the evil laugh :)