Can I safely fill my Land Rover Discovery Sport tyres to a lower PSI than recommended?

I have just bought a new Land Rover Discovery Sport and specified the smallest rims at 18-inch as I have read your advice about bigger rims being less comfortable. However, the ride still seems very hard in town. I looked at the type pressures and they are recommended between 35-41PSI. Is this recommendation for fuel efficiency and lower emissions and therefore the manufacturers want to look better, so recommend higher pressures? Can I safely drop them to 32PSI and soften the ride? I guess if I have a full load and want to go long motorway drives I should increase. Also, I always thought that the pressures quoted are at cold and that is how they should be measured, but you say that the recommended pressures are when hot, which is it?

Asked on 16 January 2017 by Simonb613

Answered by Honest John
You are right. But because tyre pressure rise by 3-4PSI once the air in the tyres heats up you can safely set them to allow for this when the tyres are cold. I would run them at much less than the recommended pressure anyway.
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