Air Pressure
The Benefits of Correct Air Pressure
Keeping the correct air pressure in your tires is as important as giving your engine a tune up. The economic benefits are perhaps even greater. With the right amount of air pressure, your tires wear longer, save fuel, enhance handling and prevent accidents. If you consider the liabilities of not maintaining the correct air pressure -- poor gas mileage, loss of tire life, bad handling (perhaps even loss of control), and potential vehicle overloading -- then the need to routinely add air to your tires will become clearer.
Check Air Pressure Routinely
Perhaps because our tires do so much without seeming to need any attention, we tend to overlook this important task. But tires do lose pressure, slowly but surely everyday, through the process of permeation. Generally, a tire will lose one or two pounds of air per month in cool weather and even more in warmer weather. Also, tires are subjected to flexing and impacts that can diminish air pressure. So, think in terms of refilling your tire just like you do your gas tank; actually that's a good reminder, refill your tires every other time you fill up at the gas station. That's the recommended interval. Another time to check air pressure is when the tires are rotated. many vehicles have different tire pressures on the front and rear axle, so remember to have this adjustment made. Also remember to have the pressure in your spare checked. The space-saver type spare requires a much higher air pressure level than other tires and is virtually useless (due to overloading) at lower air pressure levels.
Where to Find Air Pressure Information
The correct air pressure may be found in the vehicle owner's manual or on the tire placard (attached to the vehicle door edge, doorpost, glove box door or fuel door). The placard tells you the maximum vehicle load, the cold tire pressures and the tire size recommended by the vehicle manufacturer. If you have trouble, see a local tire dealer for assistance. Check our locations to find the nearest Service Tire Truck Center.
Another valuable resource is the Tire Load/Inflation Tables. Your nearby tire dealer should have a copy. Not only will this document tell you the correct tire pressure for stock sizes,but it will provide the information on optional plus sizes as will. A good example would be the findings on a Honda Civic with the stock size 185/65R-14; the recommended air pressure is 28 psi., front and back. Plus two size is 205/45R-16 with a recommended air pressure of 36 psi. note how the air pressure increases with plus sizing to meet the load carrying capacity for the car.
Other Factors Change Air Pressure
Besides the routine air pressure checks, other circumstances necessitate a visit to the air pump. Seasonal changes or altitude changes create a rise or drop in air pressure (for every 10 degrees change in temperature, tire pressure changes 1 psi). But perhaps the most overlooked factor is vehicle loading for trucks and RVs. Since these vehicles can be configured and loaded in many ways, the proper inflation pressure should be determined by actual tire loads. This is best determined by weighing the vehicle; vehicle loading can change from trip to trip.
Environmental Impact
How can routine air pressure maintenance impact our environment? Consider that fewer tires per year would end up in the landfills and scrap heaps that trouble our ecology. How many tires are we talking about? We estimate that most drivers lose from 10% to as much as 50% of tire tread life due to underinflation. That's a significant statistic. Now consider the extra fuel we burn to push cars along on soft, underinflated tires. Tires do require extra energy to roll if they are underinflated. While the statistics vary widely and inconclusively, the implications are staggering. So maintaining tire pressure is a small line item in our busy daily routines, but it adds up to big environmental consequences. We must all care and take action to do the right thing.
Q: There is a lot of talk about putting nitrogen in truck tires. Is this good or bad?
A: Nitrogen is an inert gas with large molecules and in theory it should have less osmosis through the tire casing as compared to air. Our tests show no significant advantage of using nitrogen over air in our commercial radial truck tires. That's because our casing construction features chlorobutyl innerliners which does a great job of trapping air. In a lesser-brand tire with less advanced innerliners, nitrogen may help tires retain their inflation levels.
Heavy truck tires. Wheelbarrow tires. Golf cart tires. Off road tires. Light truck tires. All of these and more can be found at STTC’s industry-leading service centers. With 24/7 roadside service and 25 locations in 5 states - from truck tires in Eagle, PA to trailer readiness in Manassas, VA - STTC’s well-trained and certified technicians offer maximum flexibility and convenience.