Tyre pressure help

Author
Discussion

JABB

Original Poster:

3,608 posts

248 months

Friday 4th April
quotequote all
I have a car my late father made. It weighs 660kg and pretty evenly balanced.
I have got it out after 11 years storage and need to put air in the tyres. I have no idea how much. Is there a formula?

Far Cough

2,397 posts

180 months

Friday 4th April
quotequote all
Such a light weight car - I`d go with Caterham pressures somewhere between 18-22psi and see how it feels.

wyson

3,197 posts

116 months

Friday 4th April
quotequote all
I’d change the tyres, if they are the originals that have sat in storage that long. Generally for road tyres, the max recommended life is 10 years.

richhead

2,114 posts

23 months

Friday 4th April
quotequote all
I would aim for around 28 psi but hot not cold, so after a good run, so put about 24 in then go for a good drive, and bleed back , then leave to cool overnight and check pressures, those are now a good starting point for future.
But as said, new tyres wouldnt be a bad thing.

JABB

Original Poster:

3,608 posts

248 months

Friday 4th April
quotequote all
Thanks Guys. It is to try for MOT.
The are a matched set of Michelin

Pica-Pica

14,963 posts

96 months

Friday 4th April
quotequote all
By my very rough reckoning, a tyre with no load would need about 20psi.
Now my Fabia at 1300kg needs 32psi (at twice your car’s weight)
My 335d at 1750kg needs 38 psi (at thrice your car’s weight)
So 24 to 26 psi would be about right.
If it were me, I would use 26psi for the MOT, then afterwards (and rectifying any issues) research with some tyre makers what tyres to use and they would advise on the pressure.

Edited by Pica-Pica on Friday 4th April 21:20

TA14

12,899 posts

270 months

Friday 4th April
quotequote all
Most TVRs are 22 front and 24 rear. The post abobe mentions 18-22 for Caterhams. I'd try 22 all round.

11 years is quite a bit. Have they been exposed to sunlight? Too many/deep cracks will fail an MoT.

Maxym

2,332 posts

248 months

Friday 4th April
quotequote all
Pica-Pica said:
By my very rough reckoning, a tyre with no load would need about 20psi.
Now my Fabia at 1300kg needs 32psi (at twice your car’s weight)
My 335d at 1750kg needs 38 psi (at trice your car’s weight)
So 24 to 26 psi would be about right.
If it were me, I would use 26psi for the MOT, then afterwards (and rectifying any issues) research with some tyre makers what tyres to use and they would advise on the pressure.
Thrice. A trice is a very short time, an instant really.

HTH!

Pica-Pica

14,963 posts

96 months

Friday 4th April
quotequote all
Maxym said:
Pica-Pica said:
By my very rough reckoning, a tyre with no load would need about 20psi.
Now my Fabia at 1300kg needs 32psi (at twice your car’s weight)
My 335d at 1750kg needs 38 psi (at trice your car’s weight)
So 24 to 26 psi would be about right.
If it were me, I would use 26psi for the MOT, then afterwards (and rectifying any issues) research with some tyre makers what tyres to use and they would advise on the pressure.
Thrice. A trice is a very short time, an instant really.

HTH!
Indeed. My error.

e-honda

9,426 posts

158 months

Friday 4th April
quotequote all
There is no formula, far too many factors affect it.

The way to do it is with a chalk test where you draw a thick line across part of the thread, drive in a straight line, then see if the chalk mark has worn evenly. If the edges are whiter than the middle then it's over inflated, if the middle is whiter then it's under inflated.

richhead

2,114 posts

23 months

Friday 4th April
quotequote all
JABB said:
Thanks Guys. It is to try for MOT.
The are a matched set of Michelin
If you are just driving to an mot then i would just stuck 25psi in them and go from there.

Burgerbob

489 posts

89 months

Friday 4th April
quotequote all
That weighs about the same as my Westfield.

18 to 22psi sounds about right. I'd try 20 and see how it feels.

e-honda

9,426 posts

158 months

Friday 4th April
quotequote all
If it is just to get to the mot it doesn't really matter as long as it is under the max psi for the tyre which is probably about double what the optimal pressure would be

Jadatis

31 posts

201 months

Saturday 5th April
quotequote all
Yes there is a formula for that, wich this " pigheaded Dutch selfdeclared tyrepressure- specialist got hold of end 2007, but lineair calculation is not that bad.
The official european formula next.

Needed pressure=( real load on tyre/ maxload of tyre)^1.25 x referencepressure .

Or the other way around as lists are made next.
Loadcapacity =( actual pressure/ referencepressure/) ^0.8 x maxload.

That ^X is a power , like ^2 is square, and ^0.5is root, on sciencetific calculators there is a button X^y for that.

In the beginning of my tyrepressure calculation story ( began end 2007) I once calculated it for a Westfield with 400 kg max axleloadcapacity.
I then used wrongly the higher maxcold pressure of 3.5 bar instead of the 2.5 bar referencepressure, and came to 1.4 bar.
So if rightly calculated , it would even come lower.

I can make a cold pressure/ axleloadcapacity- list for your tyre, so you can look back the expected axleloads in that .
With builded in maximum reserve at wich comfort and gripp still acceptable. In that I use an even tighter formula, closer to lineair calc. Lineair calc is same as using power ^ 1 in both formula's.

But problem shal be that your old tyres dont give the needed information on sidewall.
If you can find them, search for next.
1 . Maximum load or loadindex( introduced round 1974)
2. Kind of tyre to determine referencepressure.
3, speedcode , less important , to determine for wich speed maxload is given.

Give it here, and I will make a list.

You can experiënce some discomfort the first 15 minutes of driving.
This because of flattened treath on the ground.At a healty tyre this dissapears itself by driving.

And its yust how the car was stored, if tyres lost their quality.
Tyres covered for UV ( sun) light by storing inside.
And not close to electric devices that produce Ozon as sideproduct.



Edited by Jadatis on Saturday 5th April 11:06


Edited by Jadatis on Saturday 5th April 11:24

finishing touch

811 posts

179 months

Saturday 5th April
quotequote all
Bend the valve stem over sideways.
If cracks appear in the stem then it will (or should) fail MOT.

I've had a car fail on that.
Paul G

Pica-Pica

14,963 posts

96 months

Saturday 5th April
quotequote all
e-honda said:
If it is just to get to the mot it doesn't really matter as long as it is under the max psi for the tyre which is probably about double what the optimal pressure would be
Not necessarily. My wife’s car has 51 psi as maximum, and the optimum is 32 psi.
As regards the MOT, I believe OP knows the tyres will need to be changed, but wants to find out if there is anything else major before spending out.

JABB

Original Poster:

3,608 posts

248 months

Saturday 5th April
quotequote all
TA14 said:
Most TVRs are 22 front and 24 rear. The post abobe mentions 18-22 for Caterhams. I'd try 22 all round.

11 years is quite a bit. Have they been exposed to sunlight? Too many/deep cracks will fail an MoT.
No, it has been stored in a 7.5 t lorry body. The look fine

JABB

Original Poster:

3,608 posts

248 months

Saturday 5th April
quotequote all
Jadatis said:
In the beginning of my tyrepressure calculation story ( began end 2007) I once calculated it for a Westfield with 400 kg max axleloadcapacity.
I then used wrongly the higher maxcold pressure of 3.5 bar instead of the 2.5 bar referencepressure, and came to 1.4 bar.
So if rightly calculated , it would even come lower.

I can make a cold pressure/ axleloadcapacity- list for your tyre, so you can look back the expected axleloads in that .
With builded in maximum reserve atcwich comfort and gripp still acceptable.

But problem shal be that your old tyres dont give the needed information on sidewall.
If you can find them, search for next.
1 . Maximum load or loadindex( introduced round 1974)
2. Kind of tyre to determine referencepressure.
3, speedcode , less important , to determine for wich speed maxload is given.

Give it here, and I will make a list.
Thank you. I will see what I can find out


JABB

Original Poster:

3,608 posts

248 months

Saturday 5th April
quotequote all
Pica-Pica said:
Not necessarily. My wife’s car has 51 psi as maximum, and the optimum is 32 psi.
As regards the MOT, I believe OP knows the tyres will need to be changed, but wants to find out if there is anything else major before spending out.
Absolutly.
And yes, it failed or was abandoned due to rear brake efficiency. I now have to work out what the rear brakes are and probably replace the pistons. ( Drum )