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Tks for Pwr Steering Input and Tire pressure Q? S70

Thanks for all of the input to help resolve my recently posted power steering issue. I'll be sure to let everyone know how long the fix lasts. I added fluid, which the dealer mentioned is fairly common (We'll see how common), and added some tire pressure. By the way, I have Michelin MXVs and every time the Volvo dealer balances and rotates my tires they set the cold inflation pressure at 25 psi. The recommended pressure on the fuel door of the car is 36 psi. The sidewall of the tire says 44 Max. I raised the pressure to about 30 psi just to see if it would further reduce the stress on the power steering and it made an even greater improvement than topping off the power steering fluid. In fact, the shudder is completely gone.

What tire pressure should be followed? It would seem there should be some agreement in all of these numbers. I assume wear would be a big component. They seem to be wearing quite nicely at the low pressures they have been running on since new. The first set I had were run at higher pressures and wore pretty quickly (Oh, and also thanks to the Volvo service department that obviously failed to rotate them during a scheduled maintenance).








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    Tks for Pwr Steering Input and Tire pressure Q? S70

    25 PSI is way too low. At freeway speeds your tires run hotter
    when they have less air pressure. Too much heat will cause tire
    failure. If they really are setting it to 25 then that is just
    wrong and they need a scolding. The only reason I can see them
    doing this is because of complaints about a harsh ride -- Volvos
    do ride harsh compared to soft American cars but lowering tire
    air pressure is not a safe way to address the issue.

    I run about 34 lbs in front on our 855 and S70. Adding a bit
    more for highway trips when the car is loaded and speeds are
    higher. Around 32 or 33 in back.

    The number on the fuel door is the pressure used for EPA fuel
    milage ratings. It is a bit too high for every day comfort so
    they list an optional number, too. The optional number is the
    correct air pressure to use.

    In europe, where they drive fast, the higher number might be
    more appropriate (faster you drive the more air pressure you
    need to prevent tires from overheating).

    The max value on the tire is the manufactures max value that can
    be safely used with that tire. It should never be exceeded even
    if the car manufacture's number is higher (in this case, you have
    the wrong tires for your car). It is basically there as an
    additional sanity check and for safety.








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      Tks for Pwr Steering Input and Tire pressure Q? S70

      question- I usually set all my tires to 35 psi (what it says on my tires) when they are cold. Does that mean that when I drive it, and the pressure goes up that it is actually dangerous?

      -Alex
      1998 V70T-5M








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        Tks for Pwr Steering Input and Tire pressure Q? S70

        The pressure does go up but it is not dangerous. All air
        pressure numbers are when tires are cold. If you take air
        out as the tire heats up the tire will heat up more and more
        til it fails. Its the rolling friction that creates heat.

        As a teenager, my brother learned this the hard way towing
        a boat. They checked the pressure when warm and let some air out.
        They drove and the tire blew. They fixed it, drove, stopped to
        measure and went "hmmm, darn pressure is up, its gonna happen again,
        better let some air out." They did and the repaired (or new) tire
        blew a second time.








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        Tks for Pwr Steering Input and Tire pressure Q? S70

        That's my understanding. I think the rule of thumb is about 4 psi higher with hot tires. At least that's what my little Michelin manual and the drivers manual state. I don't think there's anything "unsafe" about a hot temp at 39 psi if you go by Ray's logic. It's just a more harsh ride.

        Thanks for the detail Ray.








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          Tks for Pwr Steering Input and Tire pressure Q? 850 1995

          25 psi is really too low. don't mention what size tires they are 15", 16", or 17". 15 or 16 would be fine anywhere 32-38 psi, possibly 40 psi even though it may be a little hard on the ride. it is correct to assume roughly 4 psi extra on hot tires. too low air, results are too hot, too prone to bulging and possibly blow-outs on potholes/rough roads, and insufficient support from tires and might damage wheels. too high, and u might blow-out prematurely just from too much pressure. one way to check if u've got the correct is to look at the wear on your tires. if it's wearing out in the middle, it's too high. the tires should give a little where the tire meets the road, but not too much or else it's too low; u would probably see some funky wear on the sides of the tire instead of normal wear out the treads. too low, u will also have very weird handling, as the tires squirm a lot more. 44 psi is usually the max on many tires. i've got 17" and i used to run on 32...had too many blowouts (although all reimbursed by cities)...so i run 39 psi now. yeah, u do notice the ride is harder, but at least there's more air to take up the hard hits from potholes and save urself the hassle of repair/replace and asking cities to reimburse. hope that helps. just make sure it's not over the TIRE manufacturer's max pressure, even when it's hot, which can be located on the side of the tires.







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