I got a '86 944 Turbo about 2 months ago and wanted to know about what my tire pressure should be? I know on the side of the door it says 36 psi but also heard that you don't want to run them low because the tire can come off the wheel. So I am very worried about getting lower then 36. thanks

 

36/36 F/R is the recommended tire pressure for stock tires (205 F/225 R). I understand that Porsche recommended this largely because these cars are expected to run at Autobahn speeds. You want firm tires at high speeds to prevent heat build-up and tire blow-out. In North America, anything over about 25 psi is probably safe, but may not give the best performance.

For best handling, 36/36 is probably a good starting point. I am running 225 F/255 R on 17" rims, so I run 36 F/32 R to give a little more ride comfort and a better contact patch for traction on the larger rear tires.

I think you would have to run them very soft to worry about the tires coming off the rims, unless they are the wrong size tires for the rims.

 

and check your air pressure after the car has been sitting at least 2-3 hours...

 

Should the tires be inflated while at operating temps or at doing nothing temp?

 

36 cold should be fine for daily driving, I typically run 32-34 'warm' (just after a course run) for auto-cross. I know a guy w/ a 968 (who worked for Bridgestone for a number of years) who runs close to 40 warm for auto-x. Anywhere between 28 to 40 is probably safe, they start losing some grip (but are still otherwise safe) to the outside of the range.