conti dws tire pressure.
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What vehicle? FWD/RWD? My saab is rated at 41F/38R, and I like that ride and feel so Ive used it in other vehicles as well with similar results. All my euro RWD vehicles use higher PSI in the rear than front, so I usually bump them up a few unless the psi is already high.
Look on the drivers side door post for the manufactures pressure recomendation for your vehicle. . The tire sidewall only lists the maximum pressure for that tire.
Actually, you should go to the Continental website and enter your vehicle there.
They give you the recommended inflation for your tire on your car.
Usually it is the same as the manufacturer recommended pressure but sometimes it is different.
They give you the recommended inflation for your tire on your car.
Usually it is the same as the manufacturer recommended pressure but sometimes it is different.
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Door sticker is for max ride comfort, not for max fuel economy or tread wear...
I run 45 in my 51 PSI tires...
I have exceeded the door pressure, but not exceeded the max tire pressure for years, more like decades.
I get good fuel mileage, and good wear, the ride comfort does suffer, however.
I run 45 in my 51 PSI tires...
I have exceeded the door pressure, but not exceeded the max tire pressure for years, more like decades.
I get good fuel mileage, and good wear, the ride comfort does suffer, however.
Originally Posted By: mattwithcats
Door sticker is for max ride comfort, not for max fuel economy or tread wear...
I run 45 in my 51 PSI tires...
I have exceeded the door pressure, but not exceeded the max tire pressure for years, more like decades.
I get good fuel mileage, and good wear, the ride comfort does suffer, however.
The door pressure isn't mainly for comfort
I think it's geared towards a balance, slanted towards economy
The accepted notion of a gain of 8-10 psi when tires heat up puts you WAAY over the recommended pressure
Door sticker is for max ride comfort, not for max fuel economy or tread wear...
I run 45 in my 51 PSI tires...
I have exceeded the door pressure, but not exceeded the max tire pressure for years, more like decades.
I get good fuel mileage, and good wear, the ride comfort does suffer, however.
The door pressure isn't mainly for comfort
I think it's geared towards a balance, slanted towards economy
The accepted notion of a gain of 8-10 psi when tires heat up puts you WAAY over the recommended pressure
I agree with Matt that OEM specs are for comfort...I had run OEM tires @ 20% higher than that for a more stable ride...
Another variable...tire size...if you've upsized yours, PSI will have to be higher too...
My experience...
The Camry's door jamb spec is 29psi for the 15s that came on it....I had run 35 on them (51psi was max cold psi) and got even wear and good performance (for OEM tires)...and then...
When I upsized to 17" wheels and high performance tires that also had a max 51psi, I tried various PSIs and determined that 45psi was best....based on the "contact patch" showing dirt on the tread from shoulder to shoulder on the front, and a bit less on the shoulder on the rear...
If you decide to go higher than the doorjamb spec, do it in 3psi increments and run them for a while....
Another variable...tire size...if you've upsized yours, PSI will have to be higher too...
My experience...
The Camry's door jamb spec is 29psi for the 15s that came on it....I had run 35 on them (51psi was max cold psi) and got even wear and good performance (for OEM tires)...and then...
When I upsized to 17" wheels and high performance tires that also had a max 51psi, I tried various PSIs and determined that 45psi was best....based on the "contact patch" showing dirt on the tread from shoulder to shoulder on the front, and a bit less on the shoulder on the rear...
If you decide to go higher than the doorjamb spec, do it in 3psi increments and run them for a while....
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My recommendation was 30psi on car door, but i like running 32. I have run 35 and 40 and with the amount of potholes..the ride was too rough and bounced around alot. Try different pressures and see what suits you. I dont know how beneficial it is to run 35psi or higher, i noticed traction decreased along with treadwear, so i decided a bit more than stock was the way to go. That was my experience, everyone elses may vary.
So, how do you like the DWS's?
Originally Posted By: waltywalt
I have a set of 4 new conti dws tires on my car. The car calls for all the tires to be at 32 psi. But the tires themselves have a max rating of 51 psi. Im wondering whats the best psi to run these tires for best wear and fuel mileage.
The max pressure listed on the sidewall doesn't pay any role in what pressure should be used.
The starting point for this discussion is the vehicle tire placard, which since 2008 is supposed to be on the driver's doorframe, but previously could be in the glove box or on the fuel filler door. But that is only applicable if the tire size used is the one listed there. If you are using a different tire size, then the pressure has to be recalculated.
Then there is the issue of what the pressure on the placard represents. Is it for comfort? Is it for fuel economy?
The answer is: It depends on what the vehicle manufacturer's intent was. Certainly it will be a compromise, as increasing inflation pressure hurts ride quality, dry grip, and impact resistance, but improves fuel economy, hydroplaning resistance, and wear.
My answer is to use the placard pressure if you are not the adventurous type, and I wouldn't recommend using more than 5 psi more than what is listed there.
I have a set of 4 new conti dws tires on my car. The car calls for all the tires to be at 32 psi. But the tires themselves have a max rating of 51 psi. Im wondering whats the best psi to run these tires for best wear and fuel mileage.
The max pressure listed on the sidewall doesn't pay any role in what pressure should be used.
The starting point for this discussion is the vehicle tire placard, which since 2008 is supposed to be on the driver's doorframe, but previously could be in the glove box or on the fuel filler door. But that is only applicable if the tire size used is the one listed there. If you are using a different tire size, then the pressure has to be recalculated.
Then there is the issue of what the pressure on the placard represents. Is it for comfort? Is it for fuel economy?
The answer is: It depends on what the vehicle manufacturer's intent was. Certainly it will be a compromise, as increasing inflation pressure hurts ride quality, dry grip, and impact resistance, but improves fuel economy, hydroplaning resistance, and wear.
My answer is to use the placard pressure if you are not the adventurous type, and I wouldn't recommend using more than 5 psi more than what is listed there.
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I usually run 2-3 psi over what the car door sticker states. I have found that this usually gives me the best combo of decent ride and handling. If you go much higher, you are putting more stress on your suspension and run the risk of premature suspension failure. Tie rods, etc...
Originally Posted By: Boss302fan
I usually run 2-3 psi over what the car door sticker states. I have found that this usually gives me the best combo of decent ride and handling. If you go much higher, you are putting more stress on your suspension and run the risk of premature suspension failure. Tie rods, etc...
Yes! The 1st thing I did when upsizing to 17s was install new stabilizer links, replacing the front 2 whose rubber bushings were going, going...makes for a very tight front end now...
I usually run 2-3 psi over what the car door sticker states. I have found that this usually gives me the best combo of decent ride and handling. If you go much higher, you are putting more stress on your suspension and run the risk of premature suspension failure. Tie rods, etc...
Yes! The 1st thing I did when upsizing to 17s was install new stabilizer links, replacing the front 2 whose rubber bushings were going, going...makes for a very tight front end now...
My tires are 18 inch low pros on the Hyundai veloster. The door jam says 32 psi. Im running them at 36 psi now but im thinking of making them atleast 40 to 42 psi. The rides been fine , I was just more concerned with treadwear more then anything. Ps so far so good on the conti dws. I had them put on about 10 miles ago and the wife even broke a rim this year on a pothole I guess and the tire didn't pop.
Originally Posted By: waltywalt
My tires are 18 inch low pros on the Hyundai veloster. The door jam says 32 psi. Im running them at 36 psi now but im thinking of making them atleast 40 to 42 psi. The rides been fine , I was just more concerned with treadwear more then anything. Ps so far so good on the conti dws. I had them put on about 10 miles ago and the wife even broke a rim this year on a pothole I guess and the tire didn't pop.
If you over-inflate your tires, hitting potholes will ruin your suspension and F-Up your rims...
My tires are 18 inch low pros on the Hyundai veloster. The door jam says 32 psi. Im running them at 36 psi now but im thinking of making them atleast 40 to 42 psi. The rides been fine , I was just more concerned with treadwear more then anything. Ps so far so good on the conti dws. I had them put on about 10 miles ago and the wife even broke a rim this year on a pothole I guess and the tire didn't pop.
If you over-inflate your tires, hitting potholes will ruin your suspension and F-Up your rims...
Originally Posted By: Boss302fan
If you over-inflate your tires, hitting potholes will ruin your suspension and F-Up your rims...
semi-true.
nothing helps low pros
over-Inflating will somewhat protect rims to a point. after which you have a whole host of issues. A few of which, bad tire wear, bad handling, suspension damage, etc.
Usually you can go +5 psi without many negatives, but all vehicles are different.
If you over-inflate your tires, hitting potholes will ruin your suspension and F-Up your rims...
semi-true.
nothing helps low pros
over-Inflating will somewhat protect rims to a point. after which you have a whole host of issues. A few of which, bad tire wear, bad handling, suspension damage, etc.
Usually you can go +5 psi without many negatives, but all vehicles are different.
Originally Posted By: waltywalt
I have a set of 4 new conti dws tires on my car. The car calls for all the tires to be at 32 psi. But the tires themselves have a max rating of 51 psi. Im wondering whats the best psi to run these tires for best wear and fuel mileage.
The tendency for automobile manufacturers is to set a tire pressure on the comfort side, in the past sometimes even if it led to tire failure (read the history of the Ford Explorer tire failures and Firestone's objections prior to the setting of a recommended pressure).
So, let's consider the recommendation the floor of our tire pressure selection.
51 psi would be the ceiling, over which the manufacturer of the tire itself won't stand behind the tire.
I will give you an example of an actual selection. One of the vehicles we have in our family is a 2005 Hyundai Elantra GLS. The OEM tires were 195/60R15 88 H with Hyundai's recommendation of 30 psi both front and back. The factory tires had a maximum pressure of 44 psi on the sidewall.
Given experience with FWD cars like the Elantra, I knew that even tire wear would probably require more pressure in the front than in the back, which would serendipitously help offset some of the understeer characteristic of the automobile.
Using the wet lick approach I guestimated 38 psi in the front and 32 psi in the back.
After setting them to those pressures I took the vehicle out for a drive in what would be normal driving conditions and then stopped the car and scanned the tread with a tire pyrometer. Based on the readings I believed I could raise the front as high as 40 psi and the rear to 35 psi.
80,000 miles + of driving confirmed the initial estimates. We currently have 195/60R15 88 T tires on it. If the front are kept in the 38-40 psi range and the rear in the 32-35 psi range the tire wear is exceptionally even and the increased stiffness in the ride is acceptable. Transient steering response is better than it would be at 30 psi.
There is a slight risk that the higher pressure in the front could present a problem if a pothole were hit at high speed, but the risk is minimal. Were these very low aspect ratio tires the risk would be greater of wheel damage at a low tire pressures.
So, consider the factory recommendation as the floor, the sidewall pressure as the ceiling, and consider how your tires wear and your driving style and preference.
I have a set of 4 new conti dws tires on my car. The car calls for all the tires to be at 32 psi. But the tires themselves have a max rating of 51 psi. Im wondering whats the best psi to run these tires for best wear and fuel mileage.
The tendency for automobile manufacturers is to set a tire pressure on the comfort side, in the past sometimes even if it led to tire failure (read the history of the Ford Explorer tire failures and Firestone's objections prior to the setting of a recommended pressure).
So, let's consider the recommendation the floor of our tire pressure selection.
51 psi would be the ceiling, over which the manufacturer of the tire itself won't stand behind the tire.
I will give you an example of an actual selection. One of the vehicles we have in our family is a 2005 Hyundai Elantra GLS. The OEM tires were 195/60R15 88 H with Hyundai's recommendation of 30 psi both front and back. The factory tires had a maximum pressure of 44 psi on the sidewall.
Given experience with FWD cars like the Elantra, I knew that even tire wear would probably require more pressure in the front than in the back, which would serendipitously help offset some of the understeer characteristic of the automobile.
Using the wet lick approach I guestimated 38 psi in the front and 32 psi in the back.
After setting them to those pressures I took the vehicle out for a drive in what would be normal driving conditions and then stopped the car and scanned the tread with a tire pyrometer. Based on the readings I believed I could raise the front as high as 40 psi and the rear to 35 psi.
80,000 miles + of driving confirmed the initial estimates. We currently have 195/60R15 88 T tires on it. If the front are kept in the 38-40 psi range and the rear in the 32-35 psi range the tire wear is exceptionally even and the increased stiffness in the ride is acceptable. Transient steering response is better than it would be at 30 psi.
There is a slight risk that the higher pressure in the front could present a problem if a pothole were hit at high speed, but the risk is minimal. Were these very low aspect ratio tires the risk would be greater of wheel damage at a low tire pressures.
So, consider the factory recommendation as the floor, the sidewall pressure as the ceiling, and consider how your tires wear and your driving style and preference.
Originally Posted By: Wilhelm_D
So, consider the factory recommendation as the floor, the sidewall pressure as the ceiling, and consider how your tires wear and your driving style and preference.
Agreed. I never let the pressure drops below the door placard.
So, consider the factory recommendation as the floor, the sidewall pressure as the ceiling, and consider how your tires wear and your driving style and preference.
Agreed. I never let the pressure drops below the door placard.
Originally Posted By: Rand
Originally Posted By: Boss302fan
If you over-inflate your tires, hitting potholes will ruin your suspension and F-Up your rims...
semi-true.
nothing helps low pros
over-Inflating will somewhat protect rims to a point. after which you have a whole host of issues. A few of which, bad tire wear, bad handling, suspension damage, etc.
Usually you can go +5 psi without many negatives, but all vehicles are different.
I agree +5 may be ok but adding much more then can increase your chances of susp/wheel damage. Just stay away from potholes and you should be ok. LOL...
Originally Posted By: Boss302fan
If you over-inflate your tires, hitting potholes will ruin your suspension and F-Up your rims...
semi-true.
nothing helps low pros
over-Inflating will somewhat protect rims to a point. after which you have a whole host of issues. A few of which, bad tire wear, bad handling, suspension damage, etc.
Usually you can go +5 psi without many negatives, but all vehicles are different.
I agree +5 may be ok but adding much more then can increase your chances of susp/wheel damage. Just stay away from potholes and you should be ok. LOL...
Originally Posted By: Boss302fan
I agree +5 may be ok but adding much more then can increase your chances of susp/wheel damage.
I have never seen any objective evidence that would support the conclusion that increasing inflation pressures will lead to suspension/wheel damage. And 5 psi seems to come from thin air. Tire Rack suggests 6 psi. I suggest it's an old wife's tale.
To the contrary, very low aspect ratio tire/wheel combinations are very susceptible to wheel damage due to potholes simply due to the physics of the combination, which can be offset to some degree by increasing the tire pressure.
The downsides to higher inflation pressures are a harsher ride and - perhaps - decreased grip in the dry. Higher inflation pressures usually provide an improvement in steering response and cornering stability.
Over the years every tire failure I have seen which could be attributed to overinflation involved someone - usually without a tire gauge - doing something really remarkably stupid.
I agree +5 may be ok but adding much more then can increase your chances of susp/wheel damage.
I have never seen any objective evidence that would support the conclusion that increasing inflation pressures will lead to suspension/wheel damage. And 5 psi seems to come from thin air. Tire Rack suggests 6 psi. I suggest it's an old wife's tale.
To the contrary, very low aspect ratio tire/wheel combinations are very susceptible to wheel damage due to potholes simply due to the physics of the combination, which can be offset to some degree by increasing the tire pressure.
The downsides to higher inflation pressures are a harsher ride and - perhaps - decreased grip in the dry. Higher inflation pressures usually provide an improvement in steering response and cornering stability.
Over the years every tire failure I have seen which could be attributed to overinflation involved someone - usually without a tire gauge - doing something really remarkably stupid.
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