[Plumcrazycharger]

I just purchased a 2007 Daytona which has 22" wheels. The tires show a max press of 51psi, which of course the previous owner inflated all the tires to. This seems a little high to me, but 32 also seemed a little low. Anyone found an ideal sweet spot they can recommend? I don't have much experience with these ultra low profile tires.

 

[Navajo415]

I am running 265/35/22 on my 2010 charger and I like them around 40.

 

[djalbin]

Wow, the previous owner drove with 51 PSI? That must jar your teeth loose every time you hit a pebble in the road.


I have 265/35/22 tires and I cold inflate mine to 36 PSI. Driving around will heat the tires and increase the tire pressure. The heated tire pressure increases to 38 - 40 PSI ... depending on whether it's high speed interstate or just around town. The brand of tire will make some difference as well. Some brands have a stiffer sidewall and will ride stiffer.


I agree that 32 PSI is too low for the 22" low profile tires. I would start at 36 PSI and increase the pressure to a point where the drive feels firm but not too harsh. I usually look at the contact patch on the tire tread to determine whether to increase/decrease the tire pressure.


Wipe some tire shine (e.g. Armor All) on your sidewall plus and inch or so onto the tread. Drive the car around for a day or so and then look to see how much tire protectant has been removed on the tread. Ideally, you would like the wear pattern to come to the edge of the tread without going over to the sidewall (psi too low). You also don't want the wear pattern too far from the edge towards the center of the tire (psi too high).


Depending on the weight distribution of the car, you may have different PSI for the front vs the rear. Since the Dodge Charger is close to 50/50 I have found that the same PSI all-round works fine for my car.
Reported weight distribution is 53/47 (V6) and 54/46 (V8).
.

 

[Plumcrazycharger]

Thanks for the advice!

You know, I did something similar about 30 years ago on an old Mustang with wide tires on the back using phosphate dust. Forgot all about it until I read your post. Great (and less messy) tip!

 

[Ddaddy]

Another easy way to check if the pressure is correct is to park a tire on a flat board and use a dollar bill to slide under the outer edge. It should not slide under the tread. If it does you are over-inflated.

Also remember that the correct pressure is determined by tire width and based on the weight of the vehicle. The side wall height adds to the determination too. The wheel diameter is mostly irrelevant unless it is so low that you need increased pressure to protect the wheel from impacts.

In general on a Charger, for a 245/45 tire the pressure should be 34-36 psi cold. With a 275/40 tire it should be 32-34 psi cold. Those numbers are the same across a range of 18"-22" wheels.