PS: On my story of underinflated TIRES ---

There was an article, I think on Yahoo/? yesterday, I think ---

Evidently some organization . . . Carnegie Mellon/? ... sent teams out to parking lots to
check tire pressure --

Seems that 80% of cars had tires that were underinflated -- most of those underinflated by 20% . .

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My car instructions said front tires should be 29 - rear tires 27 --
I was down to 27 and 24 . . .

HOWEVER. . . the tire guy has set the new ones at 33 --- all four of them!!

Feels good!

When I asked him about the instructions on the car . . . he said "for a car that heavy????" . . .
Olds/Cutlas

but don't exceed the max pressure stamped on the tire. with your car, setting front and rear to the same pressure could cause it to handle strangely.

Yeah, the car company instructions are really only valid on the exact same tire the car comes with when its first made.

And they always underinflate to give new car buyers a softer ride.

If you change tire brands you're supposed to follow the tire manufacturers recommended inflation.

Overinflated tires are just as bad as underinflated ones, and they can be quite dangerous. The placard inside your car's door says 29/27, that means that's what the car was designed for. Assuming, of course, you haven't done any aftermarket wheels or anything like that.

trading some ride comfort for better handling and less rolling resistance. Just because the door sticker says that, doesn't mean it's optimal for every case. If you've owned a BMW (I haven't, just read the manual) they usually give you various choices for tire pressure for better ride, sportier handling etc., and the door placard is usually somewhere in the middle. Yeah, overinflation can be dangerous, but 10 or 20 percent over should not be a problem at all. Never exceed the max pressure stamped on the tire, though.

But thanks for the advice -- and I think one of the comments above may be partly correct, i.e.,
that the instructions on door were for the original tires. ????

Thanks!

This is the SAFEST way to operate your vehicle. During emergency braking is when you get the most benefit from high tire pressure and you will also get a little better mileage. If your car if front wheel drive you should keep the fronts a few pounds higher than the rears.