Winter and the Numbers go Down
Racing www.g3pub.com 2008 41 F ALLING T EMPERATURES = F ALLING T IRE P RESSURES by John Latta S ometimes it is what is in front of our faces that we have the most trouble seeing. It's a forest from the trees problem. So it can be when the heat of summer and coolness of the fall drop into the bone-chilling cold of winter. You have prepared your tractor and, as a professional driver, also the family vehicles. But did you remember that at this time of year when the thermometer read-ings fall a drop in tire infl ation pressures corresponds with that dropping mer-cury number. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company experts say that air pressure in a tire typically goes down 1-2 pounds for every 10 degrees of temperature change. Odds are that many motorists haven't checked their tire pressure since the weather began turning colder. If the last time the tire pressure was checked was during the heat of summer, with tem-peratures around 80 or 90 degrees, many people could be riding on severely un-derinfl ated tires without realizing it, said Joey Viselli, Goodyear brand director. Maintaining proper air pressure is the single most important thing drivers can do for their tires. Underinfl ation is the worst enemy a tire can have, as it causes increased treadwear on the shoulder area (outside edges) of the tire. It also can re-duce fuel economy by increasing rolling resistance since soft tires make the ve-hicle work harder. Goodyear suggests checking tire infl a-tion at least once per month with a reli-able gauge. To fi nd the proper air pres-sure for a tire, look in the vehicle owner's manual, in the glove box or on the driv-er's side door jamb. Hint: The infl ation pressure stamped on the sidewall of a tire is the maximum pressure, not the rec-ommended pressure. Even though consumers can simply and quickly check the air pressure of their tires, it becomes a neglected prac-tice by many, Viselli said. That's too bad, because the patches of rubber that come in contact with the road surface are im-portant to the performance of the vehi-cle. They are keys for acceleration, lateral traction and braking grip. At least once a month, take a few minutes and check your tire pressure with an accurate tire gauge. You can't tell if a tire needs air just by looking. It could be underinfl ated by 10 pounds and still look fi ne, he said. FallingTemp_G31208.indd 41 11/21/08 3:41:54 PM