World's Worst Tuner

[Newton Hunt]

>"Sure, we checked them. Some had more pressure than others, so we made
>them all the same. They all have about 28 pounds pressure in them."
>"But the sidewall says they should have 35#, not 28#", you reply.
>"Oh, it doesn't matter, as long as they are all the same", they reply.
>Balogna! It DOES matter!

Dear Randy,

I agree with what you wrote, except for the above.

I too use car maintenance procedures to relate piano maintenance.

What is amiss with the paragraph is that the 35# figure is the MAXIMUM
pressure the tire can take, NOT the optimum.  The optimum is generally what
the car manufacturer posts on the drivers side door or door frame (or inside
the glove box or on the lid of the openable center arm rest.

Optimum is based upon the tire size and the weight of the car, not on the
maximum safe inflation pressure.

My car requires 32# from and 29# rear and I have to adjust the pressure
myself after having the car serviced, by the dealer, yet.

Over or under inflation causes premature wearing of the tire, loss of
braking, loss of traction.  Proper inflation is determined by the footprint
of the tire when cold (not driven over a mile).  Over inflation causes only
the center of the tire to touch the road and under causes only the outside
edges of the tire to be on the road.

        Newton
        nhunt@jagat.com