higher inflation = Smooth....

[aaaauroraaaa]

So I was planning on getting new stuts soon, thinking the ones I had were wayyy past overdue.

However I inflated the front tires to 40psi and the rears are at 35psi(from 35front/30rear)... Whoa... It feels like i'm floating on air now going down the highway, corners are much smoother without as much chatter from the body, and the overall handling is better. I wish for new struts only over really big bumps now.

Tires are perilli p-zero nero m+s with about 3,000 miles on them. 17" 2nd gen wheels.

[Marc]

I use 40 lbs. all around on my 2001 4.0. Lower rolling resistance = better gas mileage.

[aurora2fst4u]

Same here.... 40lbs all around, pos noticible difference.

[centennialman]

What about tire wear and 'stick'? Can you still stop in the same distance? Are the centre of the treads wearing more quickly than the edges? Not being critical, just interested in doing the same, but I'm from the old school, which used to say that overinflation would give you less grip, and cause premature tread wear.

[aaaauroraaaa]

centennialman said:

What about tire wear and 'stick'? Can you still stop in the same distance? Are the centre of the treads wearing more quickly than the edges? Not being critical, just interested in doing the same, but I'm from the old school, which used to say that overinflation would give you less grip, and cause premature tread wear.

Lol if I was worried about premature tire wear I wouldn't be driving an aurora... If I get 20,000 from a set of tires I'm happy. However if they start to wear unevenly I might make some changes.

[centennialman]

I was more interested in wet weather braking. I guess I'll try it, find some wet road, and see how she stops (first, having looked in the rear mirror ;D).

[jose]

I also tried this and the car handles noticebly better with 35lbs in the tires rather than 30. The car feels much more stable and planted in the corners, and more importantly I am getting the feedback I want from the wheel and chassis rather than a vague floating feeling which is kinda scary.

[David]

interesting.......i should try that. doesn't the higher inflation make the tires wear quicker in the middle?

[algonquin]

david said:

interesting.......i should try that. doesn't the higher inflation make the tires wear quicker in the middle?

Maybe if you over inflate to the extreme. It takes alot of excess air to actually distort the tire to that point and then you have wear and handling issues. Generally you can add about 10lbs over the factory suggested air pressure with out distorting the tire.

[lanceslambos]

i have michelin green xp's on the rear - they call for 44 max psi so i run 40. i have goodyear intergrity on front - calls for 44 max psi, i run 40. i run 40 so all 4 corners are the same. air pressure will build up a few psi on long runs and warmer days anyway. i maintain good fuel mileage at 40 psi, performance, traction are good

[David]

i tried that today and it certainly made a difference i was running 35psi all around. with the front at 40 and the rear at 35psi and already it rides alot smoother. before my car would start to vibrate around 100km/h and now the vibration is at a minimal. it must be a suspension issue. but anyway. thanks for the tip guys!!!

[centennialman]

After reading your experiences, I'm now running 40psi front and rear. Lighter steering, less squeal in extreme cornering, but more noticable road zits. Overall, though, a smoother ride. Still a bit concerned about wet traction, but I guess the snow will be flying all too soon enough and I'll find out.

[JimW]

Thats why I tend to stick with recommended tire pressure, you get the proper balance of fuel econ. while not sacrificing traction. I get an average of 11.4L/100kms (hwy/city) consumption and can imagine my consumption will be far greater by upping my tire pressure a bit.

[95mushroom]

How would tires with higher pressure have worse economy? All I can imagine is less rolling resistance with higher pressures, esp. on a car like the Aurora where the tires sag horribly at factory pressures.

[Marc]

Higher air pressure was one of the factors in improving the gas mileage of that 1972 442 that I had before my Aurora during the 1974 gas shortage. Between that & more spark advance, that car went from appx. 11 mpg to about 14 mpg at 60 to 65 mph.

[David]

today i went for a drive and the DIC was getting a reading of 29MPG doing 55-60mph. thais was after raising my tire pressure. i'm quite pleased. and it rides a lot better as i mentioned in a previous post!

[luvmybravada]

lanceslambos said:

i have michelin green xp's on the rear - they call for 44 max psi so i run 40. i have goodyear intergrity on front - calls for 44 max psi, i run 40. i run 40 so all 4 corners are the same. air pressure will build up a few psi on long runs and warmer days anyway. i maintain good fuel mileage at 40 psi, performance, traction are good

All I can say is get rid of those GY integrities as soon as possible! I had them on my Aurora before I got the BFG's and they were absolute crap! I'm going to try the 40lbs and see how it feels.

Talking about over inflation, I know that our Highway Patrol inflates their tires to 60-65psi. My HP buddy says this is to keep the bead from ever coming off the wheel under high speeds or extreme cornering. I'm sure it helps their fuel economy too. I should have asked what kind of tires they use and if they are rated for that pressure.

[Marc]

If the State Police in your state are using Crown Vics, then those cars have the same size of wheel & tire as the 2nd Gen 4.0, according to the site mentioned below. But it doesn't say what make of tire they are.


www.fleet.ford.com/showroom/2008fleetshowroom/2008-CrVicPoliceInt.asp

[danaut]

After reading this thread the other night I filled the tires to 40 all around. The ride does feel smoother, great tip!

[KliffsAurora]

The police cars use some goodyear tire. I've seen those cop cars take turns faster than many people would dare and they grip great. I want a set.

[aurorabrain]

Goodyear Eagle Ultra Grip GW-2 and they're V speed rated.

[phydeaux]

My CVPI had Firestone Firehawk PV-41's. They were absolute beasts of tires and would take abuse like none other (trust me I beat that car to hell). The factory police rims play a key role if I'm not mistaken. I think they are 4130/4140 heat treated if memory serves me correctly. I am going to try upping my tire pressure on the Aurora to around 37psi. I'm running OE Michelin's and think it might make a significant difference. I don't think tire wear will be a concern as I rotate my tires way more often than most people (once in between oil changes and once during an oil change).

[itsda5oh]

I have always run the max psi in all my tires (42psi for the aurora). This really makes a difference with softer and or larger sidewalls. Back in the day of my 33 12.50-15 tires on the truck, road performance was horrible with a non max psi fill.

[darda71]

I have a 2003 and I just inflated the tires to 40psi and handles and rides better and I dont have the shimmy at 65mph...

[doobiewah]

I find this thread funny, because when I first got my Alice the "Low Tire Pressure" indicator was on. I didn't know to "Reset" it, so I just kept filling the tires all around. At around 39psi I finally looked it up, (RTFM!), and all's been well since. I drive a stretch of Memorial Drive in Houston with six 90' turns in a 2 mile stretch. I love that stretch of road. She has some great traction and incredible handling. Just dumb luck!

My Alice is in the hospital right now as I got run off of the road the other night. The curb ate a tire and wheel and did some front end assembly damage, but my insurance seems to be all over it. I'll miss having her for the holidays, but they promised she'd be good as new.

We'll see.

Merry Christmas, everybody.

[KliffsAurora]

Those Crown Vic cop cars handle good. I wonder how the Charger Police cars do? There are two in the next town over from me.

[NYsteve]

kliffsaurora said:

Those Crown Vic cop cars handle good. I wonder how the Charger Police cars do? There are two in the next town over from me.

The cops ive talked to dont like them as much as the crown vics. They are more nimble, but not as comfortable to ride. they also lack an incredible amount of space that the crown vics have.

my first car was a '95 CVPI, and the trunk was cavernous to say the least.

[Rocketv8]

i have been running the factory air pressure in my tires, but, after hearing all this i am going to pump them up a bit.....i used to run my Cutlasses tires at about 37-38 psi and always liked the ride it gave....but i thought it was kind of dangerous to have the tire pressure that high, especially 40-42 psi...i always feel like the tires seem like they need more air, they always look low even when they're not, especially the front

[Marc]

I'm using 41lbs. in my 2001's tires.....no problems, and a small increase in gas mileage.