Winter tire pressure

[iQMe]

So the side sticker recommends 38f, 36r for the stock tires. Ive replaced them for the winter with 4 matching 18 inch Michelin xice tires. I ran similar xice tires on my Subaru at 32f and 32r … this matched the sticker and is the pressure generally recommended for winter tires … so my question is, do I run 38f 36r or 32 all around with the new winters?

I did notice at 120k+ some ’wobble’ or jitter which I’m thinking is a balance issue and set to return for rebalancing …

 

[GT Elite]

I have Michelin X-Ice plus snow 225/45-18s all around and I’m running 38 psi front and rear. No issues so far.

 

[RogueIV]

Correct psi for a fully loaded AWD 3.3 model with 225/45/r18 is 36psi front, 39psi rear.

Personally I'd just run 36 all around unless you actually carry a lot of stuff in the trunk or passengers in the back seats.

Also highly suggest getting the wheels and tires road force balanced as our cars seem to be a bit sensitive to wheel balance.

 

[MerlintheMad]

I try and run 40 psi all around all year round. So far, the tread wear is even; before, at recommended psi, the outer edge wore faster.

 

[RogueIV]

I try and run 40 psi all around all year round. So far, the tread wear is even; before, at recommended psi, the outer edge wore faster.

yeah I feel like different tires require different pressures, just gotta find what works good with your particular model and size.

 

[Grump]

From the 2021 manual;

Snow tires
If you equip your car with snow tires, they should be the same size and have the same load capacity as the original tires. Snow tires should be installed on all four wheels; other-wise, poor handling may result. Snow tires should carry 28 kPa (4psi) more air pressure than the pressure recommended for the standard tires on the tire label on the driver's side of the center pillar, or up to the maximum pressure shown on the tire sidewall, whichever is less. Do not drive faster than 120 km/h (75mph) when your vehicle is equipped with snow tires.

The manual says 39r 36f for 18" setup. Running at 43r/40f seems kinda high to me, but I guess it's pretty normal for manufacturers to recommend this (today I learned!); https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=168

 

[iQMe]

From the 2021 manual;



The manual says 39r 36f for 18" setup. Running at 43r/40f seems kinda high to me, but I guess it's pretty normal for manufacturers to recommend this (today I learned!); https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=168

Interesting, I can’t say I’ve heard of anyone running the same size snows as stock. Money a side, I wouldn’t choose for a snow to be as wide.
I’ve had them rebalanced and the ride is smooth. Boy do I notice a performance difference though. Maybe the pirellis would have been worth it! My concern at the time was avoiding 2nd tier … not performance.
I did contact Michelin and they said to defer to whatever the recommended psi is for the car.

 

[D.J.]

yeah I feel like different tires require different pressures, just gotta find what works good with your particular model and size.

I hope you mean different tire sizes and not different tire brands

 

[RogueIV]

I hope you mean different tire sizes and not different tire brands

Both. Brands, models, sizes and load index all can affect what the proper pressure is for perfect contact patch, wear, and handling. The door card pressures are a good starting point for a fully loaded vehicle, but chances are you probably aren't running fully loaded.

Tire pressures aren't things that are set in stone rather something you can choose to tweak to get the most out of a given tire.