Tire pressure vs Fuel shortages

[HarryO]

While out and about today I stopped in McDonalds to get my 7 year old some lunch. The car in front of me had 3 very low tires. A young girl at the wheel with 3 little kids. I felt like walking up to her car and saying "if you air up your tires you'll save a bunch of money on gas". Not sure of her perception so I decided against it.

It got me thinking about the fuel mileage of vehicles and all the low tire pressure tires on the road.

I started looking for low tires and the number is actually shocking.

This may sound very simple, but if everyone aired up their tires there could possibly be a 25% reduction in fuel being used. The number is just an uneducated guess but It's probably not far off. More possibly?

Would fuel prices start coming down if everyone made an effort to use the fuel more effeciently?

Less energy use is the long term goal for many reasons.

Just a simple observation today. Are your tires aired up properly?

Harry

[Jay481985]

http://www.dot.gov/affairs/nhtsa4601.htm

"Fully
27 percent of passenger cars on U.S. roadways are driven with one or more
substantially under-inflated tires, according to a major survey conducted by the
U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA).

Moreover,
32 percent of light trucks (including sport utility vehicles, vans and pickup
trucks) are driven with one or more substantially under-inflated tires,
according to the first study of its kind to be conducted by the government in
two decades."

http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2001/08/29/028414.html

    Low inflation pressure creates excessive heat and stress on the tire.
Running a tire 20 percent underinflated -- only 4 to 5 pounds per square inch
low -- robs fuel economy by a whopping 10 percent.  Tread life is reduced by
15 percent, Egan said.

http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2008/04/23/084957.html

"Drivers across the U.S. can battle rising gas prices by simply
maintaining proper tire inflation," said Takao Oishi, Yokohama Tire
Corporation CEO and president. "Current statistics indicate that 82 million
vehicles have under-inflated tires, which means more rubber is hitting the
road and, accordingly, miles-per-gallon is lessened. In fact, tire experts
speculate that 2.8 billion gallons of gas is wasted by U.S. drivers each
year simply because they're driving on under-inflated tires."

[Arky]

Good thread Harry. I try to check mine monthly, usually have lost a little...hard to find air around my parts.

[Guest " "]

Sorry, but being lefty, I have a different view....I inflate all my current cars (6) and all the cars I've ever owned (13) to the min tire pressure allowed. I fully agree with the claims of saving fuel if you go on the higher end of air pressure...but I find going on the lower end saves wear and tear on ball joints, rod end bearings, steering and other linkage componets as well as providing a more comfortable ride.

I've never had to change any bearings, rod ends, ball joints or other linkages in any of my cars. Alignment checks come right on the money.

So basically, my view is you can pay extra for gas if you go light on the air pressure or pay extra for wear and tear if you go heavey. No free lunch here.

[Islander]

I've been keeping our tires religiously at 40 PSI.

Car makers often recommend much lower PSI to give a softer ride. However, check your actual TIRE specs and blow them up to the max.

The ideal pressure can vary, depending on the weight of the vehicle. I have a modified van that's 450-500 pounds heavier than a standard model and I was advised by the alignment tech at the dealership to bump up the pressure.

I had the van weighed at a truck scale to see the front-to-rear weight distribution and now I run 42psi front and 40psi rear.

If your tire pressure is set correctly, the tire tread will wear evenly all the way across. If it's too low, the inner and outer parts will wear first and if it's too hard, the central part of the tread will wear first.

Too soft is bad because the tires will run hot, increasing the chances of a blowout or other type of failure, plus your vehicle will handle badly and use more fuel. Too hard is bad because you'll have a rough ride and the tire's footprint will be reduced, causing reduced traction (especially bad in rain or snow) and more rapid tread wear.

A tread depth gauge should cost five dollars or less (it's a little plunger thing marked in 32nds of an inch) and lets you see clearly how much and how evenly your tires are wearing. After you've put a few thousand miles on the tires, the depth gauge will let you see if you're using the correct pressure for your specific vehicle.

Naturally, this only applies to vehicles with three or more tires. With motorcycles, since they lean in turns, it's a bit different.

[Islander]

I inflate all my current cars (6) and all the cars I've ever owned (13) to the min tire pressure allowed. I fully agree with the claims of saving fuel if you go on the higher end of air pressure...but I find going on the lower end saves wear and tear on ball joints, rod end bearings, steering and other linkage componets as well as providing a more comfortable ride.

Fritz, if you're going to drive with tires that are softer than ideal, I'd use extra caution, especially when driving on the highway, since your car's handling will not be at its best, so if you have to make an emergency maneuver, it won't respond as quickly as it should.

As well, if your car is ever carrying a heavier load than usual, you may want to add some air to your tires so they don't overheat.

Just some friendly advice from a licenced mechanic.

[customsteve01]

Good thread and very good advice. I run my truck at 80psi, the max on the tires. It does make for a little ruffer ride but I know it saves on the fuel bill. Also while you are checking the four tires on the ground make sure you do not forget the spare tire. I would suck to have a flat and find your spare low too. A good tire tool for checking the tread depth is a penny. Put Lincoln in upside down and if you can see the top of his hair you need to start looking for some new tires. Top of his hair to the edge is approx. 3/32" Steve

[jacksonbart]

I've been keeping our tires religiously at 40 PSI.

Car makers often recommend much lower PSI to give a softer ride. However, check your actual TIRE specs and blow them up to the max.

You're wrong, don't look at the tires (which state the max pressure the tire can take) look at the specific vehicle recommended setting. The negative is handling (dangerious) and uneven/early wasteful wear (typically over inflated tires wear heavly in the center). Keep your tires inflated to the proper vehicle recommendation. Also we should drill for more oil in the US and we need a candidate not to flip flop back and forth. I am simply writting this in the hope you will learn.

[Jay481985]

Wow, coming from jacksonbart a real no joke reply?

I run my car at 35 all around when the car door tells me 32/30 the wear seems fine.

Also I was expecting from you that we take more oil from Iran under the 52nd state of the US, 51 being iraq and all.

[kelA]

Isnt this line of thinking what got Obama into all sorts of trouble recently?

[Fish]

Air your tires up,that's fine,always have.Anyone that thinks that's gonna solve a world wide energy crisis smoked way to much of the pipe.GetRdrilled,and solar etc.....

[billybob]

Some car tires are 32 PSI, but check the tires themselve cause, they may be a compromise between car weight versus rec./temp/conditions.. Do the in between if any doubt.

Bearing in mind some tires are rated for 40 PSI, etc. Hummer may differ.

Depending upon the indivivuals low riding, average overall, if 10 or even 20%... that is a real....

If everyone smoked the same brand, we can all de-inflate together.

[DU73]

Wow, coming from jacksonbart a real no joke reply?

I was thinking the same thing.

jacksonbart - what is wrong with you - snap out of it. what were you thinking - where is the joke? maybe there is a joke encrypted in his message - there has to be. right??? [:'(]

[fenderbender]

 I've been keeping our tires religiously at 40 PSI.

Car makers often recommend much lower PSI to give a softer ride. However, check your actual TIRE specs and blow them up to the max.

You're wrong, don't look at the tires (which state the max pressure the tire can take) look at the specific vehicle recommended setting.  The negative is handling (dangerious) and uneven/early wasteful wear (typically over inflated tires wear heavly in the center).   Keep your tires inflated to the proper vehicle recommendation.  Also we should drill for more oil in the US and we need a candidate not to flip flop back and forth.  I am simply writting this in the hope you will learn.

Depending on the vehicle and the load this can vary....my truck is not stock...aftermarket wheels/tires shocks/bumpers....so it's kind off a tight rope walk to find the best PSI....I find 42 psi to be the best combo of ware, MPG, and handling but that's my specific vehicle.....

[Jay481985]

Wow, coming from jacksonbart a real no joke reply?

I was thinking the same thing.

jacksonbart - what is wrong with you - snap out of it. what were you thinking - where is the joke? maybe there is a joke encrypted in his message - there has to be. right??? [:'(]

I think politics is making him lucid!

Also the proper tire
inflation as per specs of car manufacturers are in the manual or driver
side door panel. The psi on the tirewall is their maximum rating and
should not be used. My father thought that and the tire blew and my
brother crashed the car.

Anyone using dry nitrogen?

[oldtimer]

Wow, coming from jacksonbart a real no joke reply?

I was thinking the same thing.

jacksonbart - what is wrong with you - snap out of it. what were you thinking - where is the joke? maybe there is a joke encrypted in his message - there has to be. right??? [:'(]

Dudes! The joke is there, but this time it's sardonic and pointed.

[T2K]

I picked one of these up at Wal-Marp a couple of weeks ago and it has been the best change I have made in my conservation efforts. Comparing the reading to the one I have used for the last 8 years I found that the old one had been lying to me and I didn't know it. The old one has apparently been draining my pockets for years it seems. Get one. It's time for change.

[oldbuckster]

CONSERVATION is the best answer, and proper tire pressure is a start .............. Drilling for more oil is like giving an addict more heroin ..... We were warned 30 years ago, and ignored the warning, now here we are. If our refineries are at maxium capacity, like they claim, what good is more oil going to do? ..................... CONSERVATION is a start .................... not letting your cars idle to warm up , or for the air conditioning to cool it down ...... less trips to town, make better use of your vehicle, car pool to work .......... all free stuff there ..... and don't be fooled by oil prices going down abit, it's only short term ...............

[colterphoto1]

The pressure stated on the tire is the MAX that should be used with full load. I agree with Harry and that keeping an eye on pressure and avoiding low pressure as being a means to saving fuel. Use the vehicle recommended figures for best handling and ride. I run mine between manufacturer and tire MAX, seems to work well on Honda Accords.

Also keep factory tire sizes on cars (unless they're show cars), wider tires have more drag on the road, smaller profile is usually smaller overall diameter, causing engine to run harder for same MPH. Both lessen mileage if that's the goal.

And drive the speed limit around town, no point in racing to the next stop light.

[Fish]

I picked one of these up at Wal-Marp a couple of weeks ago and it has been the best change I have made in my conservation efforts. Comparing the reading to the one I have used for the last 8 years I found that the old one had been lying to me and I didn't know it. The old one has apparently been draining my pockets for years it seems. Get one. It's time for change.

I suggest you test it often,it's been noted this brand may not be accurate,according to which way the wind blows.