Looking to keep your car at peak performance, efficiency, and safety? If so, tire pressure is considered a key maintenance point. However, tire pressure can change often. We’ll explain here tire pressure implications, how often to check pressure, and how the tires you choose can make a difference.
The significance of tire pressure
Maintaining tire pressure isn’t just about avoiding a flat. It’s tied to personal safety, vehicle performance, and fuel efficiency.
Personal safety
This should be a priority for everyone. Most things in life involve risks we accept as part of life, including driving. There are risks involved with driving, such as how others drive, the weather, traffic, and random vehicle failures. But you can avoid some risks with tire pressure management, and even avoid being the “other” driver that causes problems.
Properly inflated high-performance tires will get you from point A to point B safely. They’re designed to be at a specific tire pressure determined through testing before selling. This number will vary per vehicle so don’t assume the PSI of thirty-five from a previous vehicle, for example, applies to any vehicle. Always check the recommended tire PSI. Keep yourself safer on the road and avoid causing accidents that will affect others as well.
Vehicle performance
Vehicles are an investment and we expect them to perform a certain way. Especially if they were purchased and designed to accomplish unique tasks, such as pulling heavy loads or maneuvering around jutting rocks and edges. High-performance tires will impact how the vehicle drives but only if they’re inflated to the correct PSI.
When high-performance tires are properly inflated, they can perform their jobs well. They’ll have the right amount of resistance to stop quickly on slick roads, climb rocky mountains, trudge through mud, or roll over bumps.
Fuel efficiency
This is a rising concern with the cost of fuel. Regardless, it’s still a factor that drivers consider when purchasing a vehicle. Fuel efficiency does have to do with the vehicle itself, but it’s also affected by the tires. The following tire factors will impact how much fuel the vehicle consumes to drive at the same pace:
- If the tire is underinflated
- If the tire is overinflated
- If the tires are imbalanced, misaligned, or in different conditions
- What type of tires are installed
The risks of the wrong tire pressure
An underinflated tire will struggle to roll over obstacles and will require more fuel for the needed extra boost. An overinflated tire will be stretched outwards to accommodate the excess air and will be more likely to pop against a rock or sharp edge.
Incorrectly inflated high-performance tires won’t absorb impact as intended and will send that shock to the vehicle’s suspension instead. You’ll also experience problems with the load-carrying capacity, handling, and tread wear.
Why tire pressure changes
- Temperature: The ambient temperature can heat or cool the air within tires and affect their tire pressure reading. A hot tire (one in the summer or that’s just been driven) will read as having a higher PSI. A cool tire (one in the winter or that’s been sitting idly) will read as having a lower PSI.
- Altitude: The higher you go, for example, if you’re driving up a mountain, the lower the atmospheric pressure becomes. This increases the pressure within the tire as the air around it doesn’t compress it as much. As the altitude increases, so too does tire pressure.
- Leakage: Even a small puncture in a tire will let air out, slowly lowering the tire pressure. Not only does this mean you’ll have to constantly refill your tires, but it also means the tire is at a higher risk of blowing out due to the puncture.
When to check tire pressure
A low tire pressure light will alert you when a tire has dropped significantly, but that should be a last resort. Ideally, you check your tires often enough (every month) that you catch any discrepancies before they become so drastic that the low tire pressure light comes on. Even the slightest changes in pressure begin to affect the tires.
Check the tire pressure when the vehicle has been parked for a few hours so the tires are cool. This will give you a more accurate reading. The tire pressure will change from one to two PSI for every ten-degree difference in the ambient temperature.
Also, check the tire pressure if you have (or you suspect you have) run over something sharp. This will tell you if the tire is leaking.
Sailun high-performance tires
At Sailun, our high-performance tires are more resilient to the terrain they might encounter on a drive. From scaling mountains to driving to work, there are high-performance tires to get you there. Shop tires made for safety, performance, and fuel efficiency here.