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Chrysler Recommended Tire Pressure for P215/65R16

141K views 29 replies 10 participants last post by  Miron 
#1 ·
What tire pressure does Chrysler recommend for the P215/65R16 tires (what does the door jamb sticker say)?

My 2000 van originally had P215/65R15 on steelies so the door jamb sticker is no longer relevant.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Mine says 36 psi as well, but I'm carrying 40 psi cold. The extra psi helps the tires to wear less on the shoulders and lessens rolling resistance a smidgen.

Inflating "cold" is important as your Owner Manual will tell you. All one needs to know about air pressure in tires can be found here.
Some considerations:
- air pressure can fluctuate a few psi from "cold" in the morning shade to "hot" highway driving, by about 1 psi for every 10F.
- are you carrying heavy loads and what is the load rating on your tires at max. pressure (it's stated on the tire's sidewall). There's a safety factor built into the "max" pressure as well, if it says 45 psi (on the tire) then the tire is designed to handle that and more.
- tire age becomes a concern with Ford, Chrysler and others saying (in their Owner Manual) that 6 years is max. regardless. Can't imagine donut spare tires being replaced in six years though, probably don't even get checked for air pressure within 6 years. They may call for 60 psi and be found containing only 20 psi or so.
Next to the DOT stamp on the tire, the numbers 2606 (made in the 26th week of 2006), or whatever - that was an example, will be stamped (may be on the back side of your tire, instead of the front side). Here's an article on tire age and reading the code. Be careful when buying new tires, they may not be that "new".
 
#4 ·
Informative link Jeepman:thumb:

One thing I couldn't find there was when they refer to "temperature", are they talking about the ambient air temp or the temp of the tire itself? Big difference I would think.

Since the tire's pressure is affected by temp, wouldn't the tire's temp be more important in this formula? Or maybe the formula (1 psi for each 10F) is already based on both factors?
 
#5 ·
Ambient, it's a stabilized temperature during the cool of the day, where ambient and tire temperature are the same. As soon as the sun hits the tires or they have been driven some, tire temperatures can be all over the place, up by two or there degrees or more (the rot 1 psi for each 10F).

If I were checking tire temperatures on a hot day, with the vehicle out of the sun and tire temperatures stabilized, I would find the tire or two with the most pressure, and bring the rest up to that pressure. That's providing that pressure is reasonable and within 10psi of the Vehicle Manufacturer's recommended (not max.) pressure. I would follow up with a redo when the tires are cold at a cool ambient temperature (early morning).

Another way to look at it is that if you are carrying 36 psi at a normal morning ambient temperature of around 60F, then at 90F, expect your tire gage to read near 40 psi. and more if you have been driving on hot pavement.
 
#7 ·
40 must be the lucky number, as that is what I have in both of mine. :thumb:
 
#9 ·
35 psi Nitrogen Filled, its the way to go IMO. Nitrogen resists heat more and has less wear on the tires and less leakage, when I got my Hankooks it was free.
 
#12 ·
Resists heat more? Sorry, not happening. The ~95% nitrogen mix you have in your tires is subject to the exact same "Ideal Gas Law" as is the ~78% nitorgen mix that is called "air".

Less wear on the tires? Sorry, not happening there either. Tires filled to any given pressure, regardless of what the nitrogen mixture is, will wear at the exact same rate.

Less leakage? Maybe. I've seen studies that show that some tires in said studies leaked more with air while others in the very same studies leaked less with air.

Long story short (IMHO), nitrogen is just another scam to separate vehicle owners from their hard earned cash.
 
#10 ·
Nitrogen that's free sounds great. I wouldn't pay for it though - more hype than value considering the high percentage of nitrogen that's in the air already.
Had a set of tires once that had leaks around the rims, the Michelins? or Good Years? rim beads didn't seat well, a tire issue. Nitrogen seemed to work for awhile but didn't last.
Even with nitrogen, I would go with 40 psi.
 
#11 ·
Nitrogen is a dicey issue on this site. I love it, highly recommend it, and have it in every vehicle I own. I put it in the 07 before I even brought the van home when I bought it. And no, I don't get it for free.

Michelin was going to recommend nitrogen, according to my friend (how owns a tire shop) and has been to the Michelin proving grounds in Greenville, SC. The reason why they didn't is because during their trial recommendation test in what ever market they used, the kept having tire people tell "If you put Nitrogen in your tires you no longer have to check air pressure ever!" Of course that is not true, the nitrogen will dissipate like normal air, just at a slower rate. To me, that is not the benefit of Nitrogen.

The big benefit to me is that the Nitrogen is a dry gas. It has no moisture in it. A tire being driven on an 85 degree day can reach well over 240 degrees due to the sun hitting the black tire and the friction from rolling down the road. At 230 degrees the moisture in that tire turns to steam, and tire pressure jumps around 15 PSI. With nitrogen, you don't have that issue. This information is straight out of the Michelin Rep's mouth. I've never took a laser temp gauge and checked my tires. I have however drove down the interstate on a hot and sunny day 75 MPH, pulled over to a rest area, and felt the Nitrogen filled tire. It was cool. That is the biggest reason why I highly recommend Nitrogen. :thumb:
 
#13 ·
Jeff those are the same kinda reasons I use it, and the reason I run at 35psi is because thats what both Hankook, the Chrysler dealer, and the tire shop I changed them at recommended. I asked why not go 40, the response unanimously "It puts too much pressure in the center of the tread causing uneven wear." Now I had been running air at 40 before getting new tires and there was a little more wear on the center than the edges but nothing to get up in arms about. So far over the past 3 months the pressure hasn't changed and the fuel milage has stayed at the same 22.5 MPG I had previously. I'll just say this is a touchy subject that all really comes down to personal preference.
 
#15 ·
I'll just say this is a touchy subject that all really comes down to personal preference.
Yeah that is what I was also trying to say, with some facts from a study funded by Michelin. Of course some people on this list can not resist to tell the world every one else is wrong and they are right. Guess that big study funded by Michelin was wrong. Of course with what the Nitrogen containers cost our dealership, and the money we pay the technician to put the stuff in, our dealership makes around $0.25 on every nitrogen sell. Yeah that's our purpose in offering it. Lots of money to be made at a quarter per transaction. :jpshakehe

Since I am wrong, and Michelin is wrong, I have a story. One of my technicians at work use to live in Clearwater, Fla. He has a lifted Dodge truck with big tires. He drove the interstate to work and home. Some Nitrogen generator company told him the tires would be cooler after his drive home, he said "BS". So he took the laser temp gun and drove home. The outside temperature was 101. He checked his tire temperature before he left and it was 143 degrees. When he got off the interstate he pulled over and checked the tire temperature, 252 degrees. The next day he put Nitrogen in his tires and drove home. Outside temperature that day as 103. He again checked his tire temperature before he left and it was 147 degrees. Drove home the same speed on the same interstate and pulled over at the same spot. Tire temperature with nitrogen, 142 degrees. The tire cooled down 5 degrees with the Nitrogen. When he told the Michelin Rep. this, the rep said 'Exactly'.

But again I'm wrong. Michelin is wrong. My technician is wrong and so was the laser temp gun.
 
#18 ·
"It puts too much pressure in the center of the tread causing uneven wear."
Too funny, between my wife and myself we've driven over a million and a half miles and never (as in not even once) had uneven wear on our tires due to inflation issues. The whole "too much pressure in the center of the tread" thing is just part of the scam.
 
#19 ·
Here is an identical picture that our Automotive Service Technician textbook shows on tires,
 
#22 ·
Here is an identical picture that our Automotive Service Technician textbook shows on tires,
This picture is for severely overinflated tires, inflated over the sidewall maximum pressure.

Chrysler says 36. The tire says a max of 44. 40 is right in the middle, and for me is the magic number. I've ran 36, wore the edges of the tires (we do have lots of curvy roads here in the south). I've ran 44 and it road just a tad too rough (have no idea about tire wear as I put it down to 40 rather quickly). 40 is the best for me and my driving conditions.
 
#16 · (Edited)
"Fill your boots" with nitrogen, but beware of the hype about it and its lack of availability for topping up. It doesn't deserve a pedestal.
Here's what Tire Rack says about nitrogen at this "Clearing the Air About Nitrogen Tire Inflation" site.
What are the effects of using pure nitrogen to inflate tires?

-Nitrogen is a gas and is still affected by changes in ambient temperature (about one psi for every 10° Fahrenheit). Nitrogen filled tires will require pressure be added during the fall/winter months as ambient temperatures and tire pressures drop. Nitrogen is good but can't change the laws of physics.
- Nitrogen reduces the loss of tire pressure due to permeation through rubber over time by about 1/3. This helps maintain the vehicle's required tire pressures a little longer, but doesn’t eliminate the need for monthly tire pressure checks. This is good for people who don’t maintain their vehicles well.
- Nitrogen is non-corrosive and will reduce oxidation and rust due to the absence of oxygen and moisture. This will help minimize wheel corrosion to promote better bead sealing. Tires that are used routinely will be replaced long before any life benefit would be received by using Nitrogen. This is most beneficial for drivers who drive their vehicles infrequently (car collectors, track drivers, snow tire users, motor home owners, etc).
-Nitrogen is a dry gas and will not support moisture that could contribute to corrosion of the tire’s steel components (bead, sidewall reinforcement and belts) due to the absence of moisture over extended periods of time. However it’s important to remember that atmospheric pressure is constantly pushing oxygen and moisture into the rubber from the outside of the tire. This is especially good for low mileage drivers who don't wear out their tires quickly or those that run average annual mileages but use long wearing radial (60K and 80K warranted) tires.
- Nitrogen assures more consistent pressure increases due to increases in operating temperatures in a racing environment because of the absence of moisture. This is especially good for participants in track days, high-performance drivers education schools and road racing.
- Drivers should use standard air if pressure adjustments are required when a local source of nitrogen can’t be found during a trip. While this reduces the benefit of higher nitrogen content, it is far better than running the tires underinflated in search of a source. Often the original nitrogen provider will refill the tires for free or a nominal cost when the driver returns to his hometown.
 
#17 ·
I checked my tires today after not checking them since it was cold. They had gotten to 47-50psi cold. Lol make sure to check them with temp swings. The whole nitrogen deal is not necessary for me as my compressor (and most other places too) has a moisture remover on the line. I leave it always connected and empty it occasionally because I need it when I paint cars.
 
#20 ·
I am running at 36-38 psi... over this range the ride becomes too much bumpy (depends on the quality of the roads) and I don't think it's healthy for all the suspension system...
 
#23 ·
I used to run close to 40, but I also have backed it down to 35-36. I wonder if the FIVE sets of sway bar bushings I've gone through (and it needs two more, again) have to do with the over-inflated tires. Ours rides pretty choppy with 40 PSI in the tires; but pretty well at 36 PSI. If that means I only get 60k miles rather than 70k out of the tires, I'm okay with that.
 
#28 ·
Mu old van (1988) was stating 35 and the T&C is stating 36. Keeping the pressure between 35-38 I never had any wear issue but going over I feel like driving on a stone paved road and every little something on the road is felt on the steering wheel, especially at city speed.
 
#29 ·
Depends on the hardness of the rubber, % of tread left and the stiffness of the sidewalls / load rating of the tires. Snow tires will feel different from all season tres for example.

The disussion at this site is very interesting. An example, and it gets better:
As an instructor and owner of Control Driving Skills in Smiths Falls, Canada, our classes are taught to keep their tires at the "Maximum" air pressure indicated on the sidewall at all times for safety and vehicle control reasons. I agree that under "normal loads" the manufacturer's recommended pressure is sufficient. "Normal loads" only apply when everything is under control. During emergency situations it is not uncommon to load an individual tire with 10 - 20 times the normal load if heavy braking or aggressive steering is undertaken. Now you need and want maximum pressure to ensure the tire will stay on the rim. You will not have time to stop and increase your pressure before you complete the exercise.

Maximum pressure is compared to an insurance policy—you hope you will not need it—but if you do ... you'll want it NOW!

Stiffer side-walls give better steering response, as well as better braking response, cornering control, and keep the footprint properly placed on the road surface for maximum traction. Softer tires wear out quicker, hydroplane at lower speeds, and roll more with lateral pressure.

Also, air pressure loss due to temperature drop is not as critical, not to downplay the practice of constantly checking air pressure. We tell our students that especially during the fall, winter, and spring to check their tires every two weeks.

When I get told that harder tires result in uncomfortable ride, my response is that 90% of comfort is the result of the vehicles suspension system and the thickness of the seat you are sitting on. But if they insist, I tell them that they have to sacrifice a little comfort for better control.
 
#30 ·
"our classes are taught to keep their tires at the "Maximum" air pressure indicated on the sidewall at all times for safety and vehicle control reasons"

I never heard such an oxymoron... and I will never do that unless I'll become a race/stunt driver :biggrin:

In my experience (all seasons tires) going over 37-38 the ride becomes too bumpy and I think, in time, it will damage the suspension system. All the 'advantages' shown in that article are not applicable to me and I think are not applicable for most minivan drivers. Minivans are not rally cars :lol:
Winter tires are much more 'soft' but I would not over-inflate them because you may lose exactly their winter features such as better grip.
 
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