Quote:
Originally Posted by Earthling
I live in New York, where winters can be brutal at times. Because of this, I plan on keeping my tires at 37psi front, 35psi rear. My personal advice is that high tire pressures and snow and ice are not a good combination. I may boost pressures in the warmer months, but I will not run high pressures in the winter due to traction considerations.
Harry
PS: I am getting 50 mpg highway mileage on a brand-new Prius, and averaging 47+ mpg overall.
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hummm... I find that extremely surprising.
In my experience in extreme cold climates (involving slush, snow and ice), the tire traction decreases with a decrease in tire pressure. Again, that is not very safe (according to the Department of Transportation) for motorists in the northern climates.
In my vehicles the minimum pressure I choose is max sidewall-4psi. Anything less makes traction noticeably reduced in deeper snow. In icy surfaces having somewhat less pressure does help a little but in our 5 month long winters it does not help enough to offset the advantages of a properly inflated tire.
As far as I know, the only other time when low tire pressure is beneficial is when off-roading... particularly when negotiating rocky inclines - Obvioulsy not with our Prius
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Cheers;
MSantos