A Question for the Tire Guru's

[kcs]

This question could actually apply to any car. My 1994 325iC was delivered with 15" tires. Somewhere along the course of its life someone decided to install 16" tires. Here's my question: The placard on the drivers side door jamb specifies tire pressures based on the original 15" tires. Should I still be following the recommended tire pressures on the placard despite having 16" tires installed?

[2000mkoop]

yup, stick with the original specs (fine-tune for personal preference/handling/mpg)

[Cliche Guevara]

Honestly, sticking to what the placard says is pretty unncecessary. Just keep it around 35 psi and you'll be fine.

[scooper]

I run 38F and 41R on both e36 cars we have. Better treadlife, better handling, better mileage, but also bumpier ride.

[slocar]

As a rule of thumb, around 32-35 psi is where most car manufacturers list their specs for tire inflation, and that's where most people run them. However, you can safely run any pressure up to what is listed as the max on the sidewall of the tire.

On my BMW with 17s, I stick with the 32/35: I don't feel like I need any more. I had a Subaru though that used to roll over onto the sidewalls so bad under hard cornering (on 205/50/16) that I ran 42 all around.

[Jim@tirerack]

I would go with what BMW recommends and maybe a few ponds more if you want better handling. The PSI is based of the car, load capacity and weight distribution.