[Long] Overheard Interesting Campfire Chat About Tire Load/Inflation

[NXR]

The vehicle manufacturer puts the max psi on the sticker because they have no idea what load the vehicle will be carrying. So they say pump em' up to max.

You have no idea what you're talking about. Try reading FMVSS 120 and you'll learn why you are wrong.

The pressure on the sticker for vehicles in excess of 10,000 lbs GVWR is mandated by law to be the minimum pressure in the tires installed by the vehicle manufacturer in order for those tires to safely support that axle's GAWR, its gross axle weight rating a.k.a the axle's maximum design weight.

That's it, nothing more and nothing less.

If the pressure on the sticker matches the pressure molded into the tire sidewall for vehicles over 10,000 lbs GVWR that just means the tires have no safety margin at all.

Ray

 

[NXR]

Actually Michelin does make a recommendation. From the Michelin document. "For RV use only, Michelin displays the loads per axle end in the load and inflation tables, as we recommend weighing each axle end separately and using the heaviest end weight to determine the axle's cold inflation tire pressure."

That is not a recommendation on pressure, it's how the loaded weight should be determined because left-right imbalances in a RV are not accounted for in tire load inflation charts.

My interpretation is Michelin is recommending a cold tire pressure. I could be wrong.

I repeat, you have no idea what you're talking about. After you read FMVSS 120 go read up on tire cold pressures. That is the only pressure that's important.

Ray