if u lower the psi in street tires, do u grab more?

common sense would say yes, since more suface area on the ground = more traction.

is that statment true or are street tires at full traction capactity at the recommended psi?

any reply's would be nice.

 

The goal is to have the most amount of air that will hook. Generally, lower air pressure simply adds a bit more sidewall flex to a street tire. If too much air is let out, the tire will "cup" on a rear wheel drive car. If the tire cups, the center will lift off the track surface and actually provide less traction than a normally nflated tire. Generally in a 4th generation f-body, between 20-28 pounds is somewhere about right. The actual amount of air will vary based on the actual brand / model of tire, how the car transfers weight, amount of surface grip at the track, and the power of the car.

 

thanks

i am running eagle hp's p245 50r16's and i had them at 30psi, but just put them up to 40psi.

it doesn't give me a suggested amount but just a max psi of 44. i figured i was too low with 30psi.

 

Radial tires don't work as well with lower air pressure. The sidewalls are too stiff. If pressure is too low, the center of the tire will cup up off the ground.

28 psi is usually the lowest you want to go with a radial tire but as mentioned above it all depends on the tire. Generally radial tires are inflated to 32 psi. The maximum rating on the sidewall is only the maximum, not the recommended. Maximum pressure is required when the vehicle is loaded to it's maximum capacity (4 passengers, luggage etc). Many radials hook up better when the pressure is increased to around 35 psi.

 

I was running 40 psi for more of the day yesterday and was having some bad traction problems.

a friend of mine said to drop it down to 25 psi, he knows what he's doing so i went ahead and droped the pressure,

tires will still spin when they hook better and faster traction gain out of the spin.