Tires: Pressure, continental contitrac, inflation pressure

Question
Hi Barry,

Hi Jack,

I just bought a 2005 Ford Escape. It has  P235/70R16 Continental ContiTrac tires. The recommended pressure on the door is 30 PSI. The Max Inflation Pressure is 44 PSI. The pressure as bought is 40 PSI. I'm not sure what pressure to keep them at. 30 PSI seems low. But the Max is 44. I drive it to work without a load. What, in your subjective opinion, is a good pressure to keep them at? Thanks.

Answer
Check to make sure you've got the same size as what is on the placard, and if it is the same, use what Ford recommends.  They spent a lot of time selecting that pressure.  

Having said that, there is a lot to be said for 3 to 5 psi above that figure.  Better fuel economy, wet traction, snow traction, tire wear, tire durability, steering response and only a bit of a drop in ride quality.  

But don't use anything lower than what is on the placard.  Pressure = load carrying ability  and overloaded tire failures can be pretty ugly sights!