Greetings,
I have a '99 Miata with "Starfire" tires. Are these the originals for this model? The reason I ask is that the Miata owner's manual states that the tires should be inflated to 26 lbs/sq. in. The tires, however, state "44 p.s.i max".
Which figure do I use?
Cheers,
Jon
Use the 26 psi #, that's what my 02 SE calls for. I think the "max" number is an ABSOLUTE MAX. Last year the oil change place pumped mine up to the 40psi max listed on the side of the tire. I noticed it right away and bleed them down to
26 immediately, then called the quick lube and reamed them out.26 is safe.
-jay
NO ! 44 psi is not the inflation pressure ! That is a max. design pressure. 26 psi to about 32 psi is what you want. It depends on how you drive and how "soft" a ride you want. Many drivers like about 29 to
I don't think "Srarfire" came on anything from a factory ! I think someone made a change for you. Be careful with them ! They may not be a performance tire ! If they are too hard, they will scare the crap out of you !!!!!!!
Bruce RED '91
Hmmm, My speedometer shows 140 mph max. however state law says that I should drive between 45 and 65 mph on highways. "Which figure do I use?"
Now seriously:
44 psi is good only while You autocross or drift. Personally 28 - 31 psi is what I like. Less = too soft, more = too "bumpy" on surrounding streets. Try different settings, choose what You like.Kempi '01 silver,IL
No, they're cheap, no-name replacements.
The "max" number is the pressure beyond which the tire might fail (possibly catastrophically) due to overinflation. It's not a recommendation, it's a warning. Use 26-30 psi depending on your personal compromise of comfort versus performance.
Many thanks for all of the responses. They just confirm what I had expected already. I put a little over 30 PSI in them and prefer it to the (admittedly) under-inflated state they where in.
Oh, and BTW, "starfires" aren't no-named! They're made by Cooper! ;-)
Jon
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