Tire pressure question -- '04 Golf GL TDI

[OlyTDI]

I'm curious why the recommended tire pressures listed on the door frame of my 4-door 2004 Golf TDI are so much greater for the rear than for the front.

The recommendation is 33 psi front and 41 psi rear. I would imagine that the front is heavier but really, I'm not sure but the 41 psi rear baffles me. I run the vehicle on the light side (no passengers or cargo for that matter) so I'm trying to figure out what the best psi should be for front and rear given that the recommendation for the rears is 8 psi greater inflation than for the fronts. Should they really be that inflated on the rears?

I just bought new Michelin tires with a 51 psi max pressure and the shop said "just keep them at 35 psi front and rear" which confuses me even more since it doesn't account for any difference between front and rear as indicated by VW.

Stock rims on this car are 195/65/15 but I am running 205/55/16. From what I can determine, the pressures between these two rim/tire sizes are within 1 psi so I've removed that variable from my thinking.

Any educated recommendations?

Thanks up front!

 

[burpod]

My preference is 42/42..... I ran higher years ago when I had 51psi max tires, 45psi. 32psi seems craZy low and doesn't feel right

 

[GlowBugTDI]

I agree with burp, 40psi is right around the sweet spot. Typically I do 40 front and 38 rear and my tires wear perfectly. 35psi is to low IMO and causes the sides to wear out slightly faster. On top of that you may notice decreased acceleration and a slight loss of MPG. I know a lot of people who run 35 psi especially in the winter (because "I get better traction at 35"), but I don't like it. It's to mushy and bland.

 

[Sting]

Looks like I need to up my pressure a bit...

 

[OlyTDI]

Thanks, guys.

Sounds like you guys run equal front to rear or slightly higher in the fronts. Why would VW recommend so much more pressure in the rears than the fronts?

 

[GlowBugTDI]

Thanks, guys.

Sounds like you guys run equal front to rear or slightly higher in the fronts. Why would VW recommend so much more pressure in the rears than the fronts?

Because the Germans knew that us on the American diet would need the extra psi for hauling our lardy kids around.

 

[burpod]

Thanks, guys.

Sounds like you guys run equal front to rear or slightly higher in the fronts. Why would VW recommend so much more pressure in the rears than the fronts?

iirc it has something to do with understeer/oversteer, but i'm not a suspension/steering geometry expert or maybe because americans need "plushier" feeling rides lol... same reason why they come with the squishy front control arm bushings. blech

 

[OlyTDI]

Well, I would think that 41 psi in the light rear of a Golf would be harsh and maybe even bouncy. There has to be a rational that is geometry-related.

I may post the question on the Vortex as well and see what others might think.

 

[CanadianALH]

I guess it’s time to air my tires up. I’m around 33 right now.

 

[GlowBugTDI]

I guess it’s time to air my tires up. I’m around 33 right now.

You have canadian air though... due to temperature differences your 33 is 44 here.

 

[Prairieview]

Perhaps it has to do with the fact that the krauts lost the war.

 

[burpod]

I guess it’s time to air my tires up. I’m around 33 right now.

33 is insane, IMO. i'd feel like i was driving on mush with that. IMO worse handling, and worse fuel economy. if my tires are at <35 i'd be wanting pull my hair out, especially with a stock geared tdi

 

[CanadianALH]

33 is insane, IMO. i'd feel like i was driving on mush with that. IMO worse handling, and worse fuel economy. if my tires are at <35 i'd be wanting pull my hair out, especially with a stock geared tdi

I went up to 35. Cause when they warm up they will be around 40ish I did notice a difference though so hopefully I will see an increase in FE a little.

 

[burpod]

35 still seems crazy low to me. i couldn't live with that, personally.

 

[Matt-98AHU]

My personal experience is if you run less than about 38 PSI regularly, especially in your front tires, you WILL wear out both edges of the tires prematurely.

If you overinflate your tires, you will wear the centers out early. If you underinflate, you wear out the edges first.

The sweet spot for these cars in reality tends to be between 38 and 42 PSI in my experience, strictly from keeping tire wear even perspective. The higher pressure of course also helps reduce rolling resistance, which is going to help fuel economy, too.

The original recommendation from VW might have been more a concern for handling and/or comfort.

In more modern cars, VW has *mostly* upped the recommended tire pressure and often has it even front and rear. There's quite a few of them that have their tire sticker that says either 35/35 or 38/38. Maybe the CCs say 33/33 because they have big wheels, meaning less sidewall on the tire to absorb impact. The lower pressure there is more of a comfort thing, but you still are more likely to wear the edges of the tires prematurely at those levels.

So yeah... If you want to keep your tires wearing evenly and also get decent fuel economy, 38 to 42 seems to be the range. Keep it within those numbers and you should be fine.

 

[2004LB7]

I run the max tire pressure rating of 51 psi on mine and wear has been good. I do tend to haul several hundred pounds of tools in my trunk on a daily basis so that might make a difference.

If I run anything less I can feel it. Like burpod says, mushy

 

[wonneber]

I'm curious why the recommended tire pressures listed on the door frame of my 4-door 2004 Golf TDI are so much greater for the rear than for the front.

The recommendation is 33 psi front and 41 psi rear. I would imagine that the front is heavier but really, I'm not sure but the 41 psi rear baffles me. I run the vehicle on the light side (no passengers or cargo for that matter) so I'm trying to figure out what the best psi should be for front and rear given that the recommendation for the rears is 8 psi greater inflation than for the fronts. Should they really be that inflated on the rears?

I just bought new Michelin tires with a 51 psi max pressure and the shop said "just keep them at 35 psi front and rear" which confuses me even more since it doesn't account for any difference between front and rear as indicated by VW.

Stock rims on this car are 195/65/15 but I am running 205/55/16. From what I can determine, the pressures between these two rim/tire sizes are within 1 psi so I've removed that variable from my thinking.

Any educated recommendations?

Thanks up front!

I just follow what's in the door jam plus 5 pounds.
No good reason why.

I always wondered if the tires ran cooler with a bit more in the summer?

 

[ducatipaso]

40/40 here too

 

[Bradm]

Do you all run ~40 with snow tires also?

 

[spifflifkin]

This is great info! Sounds like I should pump mine up some.

 

[Zak99b5]

Do you all run ~40 with snow tires also?

Good question. Enquiring minds want to know.

 

[csstevej]

Yeah I’m in the 38-40 psi range on all my tires too.

 

[Sting]

I bumped mine up to 40/40 over the weekend. Things do seem firmer than before. I'm sold.

 

[BobnOH]

Today's tires are so damn good you can run them about any reasonable pressure you like. I have, no noticeable difference in ride or fuel economy

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

I think the 41 rear recommendation is for a fully loaded vehicle.

I run lower pressures than most here, 36F/34R in both my Wagon and Golf. For me it's a sweet spot between FE and ride quality. If I get the pressures to 40 I feel a lot more of our horrible roads, especially if I'm driving to NYC. No issues with uneven tire wear.

 

[DS4465]

Recommended tire pressures are set on COLD tires.

I run 32 PSI in summer and 35 PSI in winter, front and rear. I have driven like that on my 1.9 ALH for over 6 years, size 195/65R15, the latest are AllSeason2 Continentals. I never had uneven tire wear. The tires last 24 to 28 thousand miles (normally 2 years, swapping front to back every year). The ride quality is (for me) top-notch (Bilstein B12 sportline suspension kit). My consumption is 51-55 MPG, depending on my right foot.

A reference guide to wheel and tire sizes for your car

Wheel and Tire Sizing Guide and Knowledge Base. Get answers to your questions about wheel specs for your vehicle.

www.wheel-size.com

My 2c. _