Hey guys, I was just posting to remind you all if you haven't to check your tire pressures. Especially in the areas where the weather is getting cold. I usually check my TP about once a month, and from last month, my I filled my tires up to 42 psi (toyo's) and when I checked today it was down at 25 psi. My mechanic told me it was the shift from warm to cold weather.. :P Just a heads up!!
Be Safe!

 

My warning light has been going off since I switched back to stock, but I have not checked them. They seem OK and I think running them a little lower is actually better in cold weather.

 

So what do you guys recommend running the stock tires at during winter?

 

If your tires dropped from 42 to 25 with the change in weather, then the air in your tires have a lot of condensation in them. (That's what causes pressure variances with temp). Sounds like you have a lot of it too. You should drain your tires and refill them with dry air. I've used some air tanks at gas-stations before that had so much condensation in them, that if I sprayed my hand, it would actually make my hand wet. Aside from causing pressure variances, too much water content can actually corrode your rims. Aluminum-oxide (which is basically aluminum rust), is real dusty and white in color. I'm sure you don't want your rims to rust, but I have heard that the "rust" can often dislodge and get stuck in your valve-pin, causing a leak.

I have my own compressor, and I have an in-line-dryer attached to it.... I check my tire pressure every week. Even with the wierd weather we had (60+ a few days ago, then mid 20's and snow/ice a few days later), my tire pressure hasn't changed. Before I got my own compressor with line-dryer attachment, my tire pressure used to vary wildly with temperature.

 

I wouldn't run the stock tires at all in the winter.... they are not good winter tires and certainly don't combine well with a RWD sports car that has poor ground clearance, wide rims and a lot of power.

Usually for snow and slush driving you'll want to lower your tire pressure a bit to increase grip. A very inflated tire will be extremely hard and won't bend and form well to the road or sag at all.... which is great for high speed on a straight flat road and fuel economy, but very bad for driving in sloppy conditions because your contact area with the road becomes smaller and less forgiving. I don't drive my G in the winter... but if I did, I would probably drop my pressure down to around 26-28 PSI while driving in snow(this will make your TPS light stay on)... then pump it back up to around the 30-32 for all other winter driving where snow is not involved after the roads are clear of the snow. On the downside though... lower tire pressure also impacts your ground clearance, and your car might be about a 1/4" lower to the ground with the lower air pressure.

In my Tacoma, when I go wheeling in snow... I drop the tire pressure down from normal 26-28 to around 18-20 and then air back up when I go back on the roads.

 

wow, nice tip man, thanks! gonna have to get that done. Where can I pick up the line-dryer?

 

Yup, the OEM tires are definitly not meant for the winter.

 

I didn't actually mean driving in the snow but more for the winter conditions. It doesn't snow in Davis so I don't have to worry about that but I just wanted to see what pressure I should be running because it gets pretty cold here sometimes.

 

If you have the small $99 Craftsman, they work just fine. I always let it a run a minute with the valve on the bottom to purge the tank with air just before and after using it.
It has never been a problem. I saw about a 2psi drop in tire pressure with our garage temp down about 30 degrees from last month.
A larger compressor is more likely to collect more moisture, and require more drying time. Probably smart using a dryer/filter on those.

 

nice, you live in Davis, CA too huh? Well so do I. What a small world! =)


I have a pretty high level of condensation in my driverside rear tire! I'll be needing to deflate the air and inflate again! but ill be getting new tires in the very near future with some new shoes!

 

Yep, small world. You goto UCD too? What pressure do you inflate it to here?