jebia

Hi,

I'd like to introduce myself to this forum. My name is Jon Ebia, I live in Albuquerque, and I bought a 2001 996 tt turbo (10k miles) a month ago from our local dealer. I used to own a 993 tt.

How much tire pressure should I run for around town driving (i have an almost new, set of the Pirellio asimmetrico's (sp?))? My manual said 34/44 psi. It seems kind of high.

Thanks in Advance

Jon

jebia

I should have said "my manual said 36/44", I think. Anyway, what tire pressure do you run.

wross996tt

36/44 with my PS2s (OEM size). You are of course welcome to vary this based on the performance and comfort you want (not sure of effect on warranties). I personally like to feel the road and don't want side wall flex so I keep them "as specified". I do not track either and this may also affect the pressure you want.

Oh and BTW, welcome to the 996 version...let us know how you think it compares with the 993 (I used to have a 930).

Woodster

I had 87 Turbo, 91 964 Turbo, 96 993 Turbo, and now
my water pumper, I like it the best!!!

36/40 for me on street tires (S02-A)

MK

jebia

Thanks guys. I'll try the 36/40, the roads are a bit bumpy around here.

I like my 996 better than my 993 tt (as a daily driver). I used by 99tt 6 speed for a daily driver for about 2 years (15k miles). I really used to get tired shifting in stop and go traffic. That is what I want, a daily driver. To that end the tiptronic is easier in stop and go, and the AC is better. I wasn't sure about the tip at first though, but the more I drive it the more I like it. I track a car 2 or 3 times a year with the pca or corvette guys on our local road course, I can't wait to get the tip on the track, now I can concentrate more on my line, than what gear to use. The steering on my 996 feels more precise (lighter?) than the 993, it might have to do with having the smaller diameter "sport" steering wheel. I know the 993 is already a classic, but side by side I like the way the 996 looks more (the 993 looks dated to me now).

This one squeaks/rattles a bit and my 993 did also, the build quality to me is a wash. I just turn up the radio or roll down the windows and listen to the engine. Life is to short to sweat each rattle or squeak. The car drives great.

The colors are the same (polar silver with black interior), I just got lucky on that. The stereo is better on the 996 (I have the bose system). I have the sport seat option, the boosters are much to small, my '89 944s with sport seats were much more supportive. I hate the PCM though, why not just a radio with *****! I have to click, scroll, click and scroll/click just to change the treble or bass. Less is more.

Jon

Kiko

I used 34/40 on the P-Zeros. Now, I use 36/46 (yes, forty six!) on the PS2's due to the fact the sidewalls SUCK big time...

ebaker

I ran 32/36 cold in everyday street use.

TD in DC

If your roads are bumpy, you should consider using higher pressure rather than lower pressure. The lower the pressure, the greater the chance you will damage your rims/tires when hitting a pothole.

jebia

Good point.

RoadKill

32/34 Cold works for me. It gives me a little more neutral handling than the 32/36 I origanally used.

SilverBlue

Ditto, 32/36 for me too. BTW, I thought I was wimpy going to this tire pressure; now I know it's more common to drop to this level. It made the daily driving much more tolerable.

John

Kiko

With the Pirelli's 34/40 is a safe bet with the best performance (on the road) coming at these pressures...at least on the RoW suspension

kkrueger

All, so many different opinions on tire pressure. I have a 2004 994 with 18" tires. Factory says 36/44. I just drive this car on the weekends, but no track. What's the real story? Any help would be appreciated!

brooklynkid

Im running sumitomos at 36-40 here in santa fe. Ride quality is very good at those pressures. Congrats on the new toy!

Macster

What tire pressure you settle upon is really up to you.

Start with getting a good reliable/accurate tire pressure gage. Set the tire pressures to the recommended settings.

Drive the car over a distance that represents the type of roads you drive on and your style of driving.

Make a note of what you like or don't like regarding tire related behavior.

Next day or under similar conditions drop the tire pressure from the recommended setting by say 2psi.

Take the same drive under as near identical conditions are you can.

Do you like the way the car feels with the lower tire pressures?

Try again going up 2psi of the recommended settings.

And so on. When (if) you find a setting that floats your boat that's the setting for you.

Or frankly just set the tire pressures to the recommended setting and spend your time driving the car and enjoying the car rather than worrying about tire pressures.

I can't believe you're going to be able to arrive at a setting that somehow transforms the car from what is into something else, a better something else. I mean what are you hoping to accomplish with the tire pressure experimentation?

Early on I experiemented with tire pressures on my Boxster to see if I could reduce center tread wear. I found with a bit too much tire pressure in the front tires a vague vibration would develop.

Lowering the tire pressures to recommended pressure cured that. I found out later center tread wear normal and not as I had suspected due to tire growth at 'high' speeds. The high though legal speeds at which I drove were no where near the speeds at which tire growth and center wear becomes a reality.

What I found also was too low tire pressures and the car feels squirrelly. More than once I've pulled off the freeway to check for a low tire only to find the tires ok but just overall with too little air. Some road surfaces cause the car, the rear tires to just wander/hunt all over.

And with lower than called for tire pressures I believe gas mileage suffers a bit too.

With my Turbo I didn't bother with tire pressure experimentation. I just ensured the cold tires had the recommended tire pressures.

Since I have owned the Turbo I have covered over 40K miles in the car with the tires at these pressures and in covering these miles have driven over a variety of roads from the potholed to the very smooth at speeds from a crawl to well much higher than a crawl in near arctic cold (<20F), with or without snow, or in desert heat (118F) in dry, damp, downright wet conditions and overall I can't imagine any setting that would have made my experience any better and some settings that could have made for a worse experience.

Sincerely,

Macster.