Tires: Correct tire pressure, correct tire pressure, mazda 3


Question
Dear Sir,
My wife recently replaced the tires on her '06 Mazda 3 hatchback. The old tires were 205/50/17. The new tires are Falken ZE912s size 215/45/17. The placard on the door sill states the pressure should be 32 lbs/sq.in..I checked the pressure and they are at 32 lbs..
My question is this; Should the pressure be adjusted up or down to compensate for the difference in size?
Thank you in advance and have a great day!

Answer
Jim,

When I look up the load carrying capacity of the 205/50R17's and compare that to the 215/45R17's, they are nearly identical - with the 45 series requiring 1 psi more.  But, the lower aspect ratio means the tire has about a quarter of an inch shorter section height- so that makers the tire a bit more susceptible to impact damage, so it might be helpful to use a bit more pressure to prevent that damage - say 3 psi.