I upgraded to some Michelin Pilot MX4's on my 2002 WRX last time I had to change my tires. I really hated the Potenzas that came stock on the car, and use Mich tires on my motorcycles, so I have a lot of faith in their products..so I got a car set for the WRX.

I recently noticed they were squealing a lot in low speed turning, ie parking lots. Someone had told me that was a sign of low air pressure. Sure enough, I checked it, and they were all at ~ 28 PSI. The tires show a max psi of 51 psi....but I figured it they are anything like bikes tires, you never run them at the max..not if you want handling anyway.....so, I set all four to 40 PSI.

So, anyone who knows, what pressures do you think these tires should be at?? My driving is normal commuting...but I want the handling when I come upon a nice curvey road.

Thanks for any input. DZ

 

I think a lot of it is trial and error probably

 

The factory recommended tire pressure is written on the door sill placard (32/28 f/r for the RS coupe). Usually the tire manufacturer recommends the same pressure as the factory. I start from there and work around the factory settings and add a few or drop a few pounds according to what I feel the car needs.

Less pressure will mean better grip but too low will mean riding on the sidewall.

More pressure results in better feel and response but less grip so. its all a matter of trial and error.

PS If u like Michelin and would like to save some dough, get a set of BF Goodrich G-Force Techs. They have excellent grip, Hardly any squeal and are made in the Michelin factory. Its the same quality tire for a lot less!!!

 

Try 36 front 32 rear

 

Owner's Manual gives factory recommendations. If you decide to run higher pressures, keep the same overall balance between front and rear tires. The front tires always run a few pounds more air pressure because so much of the weight lies over the front end of the car.

No need to put in the maximum pressure listed on any tire's sidewall because all D.O.T. street tires are optimized to perform pretty well at lower pressures than the maximum.

 

Don't forget, the tires are used on many different vehicles. The maximum pressure on the sidewall is an absolute "Do Not Exceed" pressure.

 

Thanks for the replies. I do know well enough not to use max pressures, from my experience riding my sportbikes on the track. Guys that run max tire pressures....never understand why the bike won;t handle....duh. LOL

 

40 sounds good

 

If you are running over-inflated, over a few thousand miles, expect the center of the tread to wear faster than the edges. Conversely, if you are under-inflated the edges tend to wear faster.

The Subaru recommended pressure for the 02 WRX sedan was 32 front and 29 rear. I wouldn't go too much below that. Conversely, for regular road use, you probably won't need to go over high 30s.

 

I just wanted to make sure that everyone notices he is not running RE92s anymore (OEM) and on Pilot MX4s

the sticker on the door is referenced to the OEM tires that come equipped, not for the car itself.

 

You really need to tune this to your driving style and tire compound; there is no perfect formula. I run 225/45/17 Goodyear Eagle GS-D3s at 36 front, 34 rear. At 30psi they are too soft and squeal in corners; at 39 and above they lose traction badly and begin to skip and chatter in hard turning, probably due to a slight bulge on the center of the contact patch. That's for asphalt/concrete; I run them at 30/28 on gravel and dirt. Tire pressure requires lots of experimentation and testing, along with the consideration of your personal driving style.

If you want your tires to last a long, long time, run them at 32/30. You might be giving up a bit on the performance advantage, but I noticed that my tires run much cooler at 32/30 than 36/34, and heat is a tire killer.

 

6 when I'm at the track...

 

hmmmmm 50 when im at the track





(ralley X)