I have been following the discussions here for a while and decided to jump in on this one. For those out there that have raced in SCCA or rally competition, most of you would never keep a tire at or below "recommended" air pressure.

The tires run cooler, have a precise "turn in" when cornering and are more stable and predictive when inflated 3 to 9 pounds below maximum. The tires will not scrub off speed in a corner nor roll over on the sidewall under severe lateral load like a tire that is at standard pressure or below. This will place the tread where it will do the most good (flat on the road). The only place for an under inflated tire would be on the drag strip or rock crawling.

The manufactures have to balance ride qualities along with other issues (they do not know what type of replacement tire you will use) when deciding the "recommended" tire pressure on a vehicle. The best bet is to buy the same type of tire over several cars, watch the tire wear and pressure and make your own decision about inflation pressures. By the way, mine are factory Bridgestone’s (until they wear out) inflated to 42 psi.

When these are replaced it will be with Michelin tires at 41 psi. I have put about 550,000 miles on those tires in our family in the last 11 years and I trust them with my life. More importantly, I trust them with my family's lives in all weather conditions.
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