[Mach1351must]

My Ody got a screw in the tire yesterday. While checking the pressure in the others i noticed the front two are at 38 PSI and they look like they are really soft? They look like a typical radial at about 20 PSI. I have the Symmetrys by Michellin. Anybody else notice this. They feel awefully soft too. BTW, my pressure guage is good.

Mac

 

[ndb]

I'm seeing the same thing. My is also 38PSI looking a little flat. I can't remember what PSI the manual said but it certainly isnt over 38PSI. I think i'm gonna pump some air into those tires - 40PSI maybe. They just look flat at 38PSI and they don't feel right either.

 

[exindenver]

The manual says 35 psi and that happens to be the max pressure written on the side of the Symmetrys. FWIW

 

[gram_parsons]

I thought the same thing. Checked them and they were both at 36 psi.

Not going to mess with the max pressure . . there's a lot of vehicle riding on those relatively small donuts (compared to other 4200lb vehicles). Same goes for underinflation. With that much weight, underinflation could lead to excessive heat. To coin a phrase, you don't wanna get "Firestoned".

I have a feeling that the Ody's going to eat tires pretty regularly.

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'01 SS Honda Odyssey EX
'99 F150 XL Supercab
'00 Kawasaki ZR-7

 

[Mach1351must]

What would be the best way to go when the tires need replacing to get better handling and wear?. Taller? Wider? Lower profile?

 

[hgani]

ndb - you should stick with 35psi cold inflation (measure in the morning before the car is driven). Typically, 35psi tire will become about 38-40psi after being driven for a while.

Mach1351must - replacing the tires with lower profile will help a little bit because less side wall equals to less flexing, but Odyssey is such a big car that it would requires better shocks/springs to improve its handling. As for tire wear, it is the exact opposite of handling. Better handling tires means softer compound which don't last long, on the other hand, long lasting tires such as Symmetry or Affinity have harder compound but don't give good handling.
www.tirerack.com has an extensive database on tires, email them for advice for a good compromise betweed handling and wear.

 

[gram_parsons]

I made the mistake one time of putting the super-high mileage guarantee tires on my vehicle. They were high quality Michelins, guaranteed to 80k. What I didn't understand was that they were also as a result very hard and less grippy than the stock tires that I replaced (it was a '92 mitsubishi eclipse). One day shortly after I got the new tires braked rather casually and the tires lost their footing. I ran off in a ditch to avoid a car, but I'm certain the softer stock tires would have gripped just fine.

So, there's definitely a balance.

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'01 SS Honda Odyssey EX
'99 F150 XL Supercab
'00 Kawasaki ZR-7