215/45x17 tyre pressure

I had Rodders fit my suspension and set it all up. Must say all tyres wearing very evenly, I must have done around 12k miles. I switch front to back each year to keep them all wearing at the same rate, 28psi.

I’m on 215/45x17 and use 29psi, wear is even across the tread.

I would still suggest th Is is other factors rather than air pressure, and certainly being so close as to make no difference to standard. Radial tyres are very good at staying flat. Is it all tyres worn in the middle or some.
The Jaguar XF was very good at wearing the shoulders off the fronts and the middles out of the rear. If you are driving a lot on essentially straight roads then it is reasonable that the main forces are just traction and braking on the centre section of the tyre, or that the tread pattern is such that the shoulders are supported more and have larger tread blocks that have a higher thermal capacity allowing higher rubber temps on the centre ribs during long journeys.
Something that stands out, and I have not read back, is the mention of 4,000 miles and the centre tread depth being 4mm. If this is from new then you are only looking at 6k life. I have worn numerous sets of tyres out in this time but I would not class it in any way an economy drive. Even at the shoulder depth, the wear rate would only equate to 10k at best. Maybe the wear is not excessive in the middle but conservative on the out sides. Lowering pressure will just remove support from the sidewalls, the radical cure migh be that you need 32 cold for your long journeys.

Personally, I can’t see that you have a definitive answer really.
Tyre companies spend thousands developing tyres and what suits one car doesn’t always suit another or what the driver wants.
Other factors include how many plys, what they are made of, what make of tyre, what the tyre “compound actually is”, the load rating, (the higher the stiffer/more of the plys in the main), the make up of the tread pattern, heat, (too low will make them run hotter than normal), coefficient of friction and on and on and on.
You only have to look at the rating label to see the difference.
It’s all a balancing act at the end of the day and generally what you adjust to from the recommended pressure.
I had Bridgestone Potenza’s when I bought the car and quickly dumped those before the car dumped me in the hedge row!
Just an opinion, but I would stick with your 28 as that seems to work for you. :+1:

Thanks for the info

Thanks. I’m on Continental Contact Sports and they’re infinitely better than the Bridgestonec

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Total mileage on the tyres is about 8k, 5k on the long trips last year.
It’s the rears that are showing most wear and both are consistent across the whole width. The fronts show less wear and don’t appear as excessively over inflated. With the extra weight on the long trips I keep to 29psi cold for safety.

Off topic slightly, but I was going to put (Standard 205’s Dunlop Sportmaxx RT/RT2’s on.
(Always been a Goodyear man previously).
For the grip, compound, wet weather and rim protection etc.
My tyre place suggested Maxxis Premitra’s HP5’s… I thought yea that’s because you are the supplier. He said that he sells loads (of course). If I bought them and didn’t like them I could return for a full refund (even though we were popping off to Croatia in the car!
Half the Dunlop price too.
Researched them first and took the plunge.
With wet roads, fast mountain dry and wet roads, motorways they never missed a beat and just a great all round tyre and sensible money.
Funny old world really…

Good to know. Also good that so many people were getting off on so many random European trips

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The source of these issues can always be quite complex and ultimately there may actually not be an issue at all, it is just the way it is. As you talk about weight and long journeys, there are things to consider, the rear of the car will be more compressed bringing in suspension alignment and the action of the toe links. As it is the rear tyres and the centre section it suggests traction and braking loads, again which will be more prevalent, especially under braking with more weight on the rear. However, I would suggest your tyres on the rear are under pressure then for the weight. Obviously the weight is nowhere near what you would have in an estate car but equally they would be on wider tyres and likely running 36 and notably higher for speed and load, to start with. I am saying this as expect you need to support the sidewall more to take the load off the middle of the tyre. You have a none siped center rib which which will flex less and due to the increased contact patch due to weight and lower pressure will experience more load, will scrub more and experience more local heat. All this said Conti Sport Contact are certainly on the soft side of road rubber, most new cars, even those with sporting aspirations will come on Premium Contact. So, averaging out your mileage to 12K I don’t see that as particularly bad for a proper sports bias tyre.

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Thanks Nick
Not unhappy with the tyre wear which should work out at about 16k which I tend to average.

Will try increasing rear pressures more under full load. Probably about 30 kilos max in luggage and we weigh in about 150 kilos together so hardly excessive. Not getting a big drop in ride height on Eibach springs but obviously the car’s fairly low without load but Mr Roddison has set it up at that height.

That’s 16k averaged across the 4 tyres, still 5mm+ on the fronts. Won’t be able to swap them front to back with this wear pattern

16k seems good to me.
These are the same size but 34 all round and about 4 or 5k so far.

As I’m retired most of my mileage is with my other half so carrying speed and driving smoothly is the norm. Only put the tyres under pressure on the few occasions I can get out on my own so pretty light on tyres.