Question on checking tire pressure...
02-04-2009, 05:08 PM
#1
JK Freak
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Question on checking tire pressure...
Ok, first of all I have a crafstman digital tire gauge (I'm sure some will say don't use digital) that I bought recently to check tire pressure. Supposedly the tires I just bought were set at 35 psi by the tire shop. This morning when I checked it was more around 32 psi. Yes, I'm aware that cold weather will do this. Each tire was off by a pound or half pound....give or take...so I evened them all out. I took about a pound of pressure out (cold pressure) before I drove off. I figured that should drop the tire pressure to 34 psi when warm. Well, when I got to work, I checked them all and they were around 34 ish....One was about .5 pounds off so I let .5 pounds out of it. It sat all day then I drove home. Once home (tires warm now) I checked again and all the tires were around 35 psi...how can this happen that they fluctuate this much if I had let air out of them earlier...?
I guess my question now is:
When is the best time to get a true tire pressure reading?
Is a digital gauge accurate enough, or should I get a different gauge?
Do those who check their tire pressure normally often find a tire to fluctuate a pound or two up and down even if they are only checked when tire is warm?
I guess my question now is:
When is the best time to get a true tire pressure reading?
Is a digital gauge accurate enough, or should I get a different gauge?
Do those who check their tire pressure normally often find a tire to fluctuate a pound or two up and down even if they are only checked when tire is warm?
02-05-2009, 01:16 AM
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I digital gauge should be OK if used properly and its a decent one. The only problem is the one digital I have will only give you .5 pount increments. It rounds internally so I don't know if its 29.8 or 30.2, In both cases it will display 30.0.
Tires pressure should also only be done when cold. If done when warm they will fluctuate and how warm really are they? There is no accurate way to know. It can be done warm, its better than nothing, if you have to but cold is always the way you should do it.
What tires are you running. The stock 17's on mine are supposed to be 30 psi front and 35 psi rear. If you have the stock tires look at the sticker inside the driver side door.
Tires pressure should also only be done when cold. If done when warm they will fluctuate and how warm really are they? There is no accurate way to know. It can be done warm, its better than nothing, if you have to but cold is always the way you should do it.
What tires are you running. The stock 17's on mine are supposed to be 30 psi front and 35 psi rear. If you have the stock tires look at the sticker inside the driver side door.
02-05-2009, 02:02 AM
#3
JK Jedi
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I'm guessing you have two variable factors at play, one being the accuracy of the gauge itself, also if it does only measure in .5 increments, it's not very precise (but probably adequate for tire pressure). The other variable is going to be the temps, if you check it every day you'll probably get a range of values. I wouldn't be too concerned if they seem to be staying fairly close.
02-05-2009, 06:26 AM
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I digital gauge should be OK if used properly and its a decent one. The only problem is the one digital I have will only give you .5 pount increments. It rounds internally so I don't know if its 29.8 or 30.2, In both cases it will display 30.0.
Tires pressure should also only be done when cold. If done when warm they will fluctuate and how warm really are they? There is no accurate way to know. It can be done warm, its better than nothing, if you have to but cold is always the way you should do it.
What tires are you running. The stock 17's on mine are supposed to be 30 psi front and 35 psi rear. If you have the stock tires look at the sticker inside the driver side door.
Tires pressure should also only be done when cold. If done when warm they will fluctuate and how warm really are they? There is no accurate way to know. It can be done warm, its better than nothing, if you have to but cold is always the way you should do it.
What tires are you running. The stock 17's on mine are supposed to be 30 psi front and 35 psi rear. If you have the stock tires look at the sticker inside the driver side door.