Often wondered how manufacturers arrive at tyre pressures given in the handbook.
Is it simply based on unladen/laden weight of car or is there more to it?
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Remembering that an overinflated tyre will wear in the centre, and an underinflated one at the edges, one might suppose that the optimum could be determined experimentally simply by measuring the contact pressure at each point and adjusting accordingly.
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That together with toe in/out, spring and damper weights, sprung / unsprung weight ratios and the need to ensure safe handling, progressive break away etc.
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The best grip a tyre can offer is when the whole width of the tyre is touching the road with equal pressure.
Therefore, if you painted a nice, even thickness strip accross the tread of your tyres, and it wore-off evenly, you would have the optimum pressure for the given situation.
MVP
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The car manufacturer's test drivers will determine the optimum pressure to give the required compromise between roadholding, braking efficiency, comfort, tyre life etc
Edited by L'escargot on 31/10/2008 at 15:25
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My BMW bike handbook gives various combinations of pressures for solo riding, solo plus luggage etc.
However the replacement tyre manufacturers now give their own different universal pressures for the bike.In my case Bridgestone recommend a higher pressure than I was used to.
Been some debate on forums about this but the single set of pressures seems to work OK under all conditions.
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L'escargot's explanation is the one I've always understood to be the answer.
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