Ask the Experts: Front and rear tyre pressure (2024)

03:5110 October 2016

What would happen if I pumped the front tyres higher than the rear ones, because I'm assuming that front tyres get more load.

Juni

In short, they're not. Tyre pressures are normally higher in the front than the rear, to compensate for the extra weight of the engine and transmission, especially on front-wheel-drive cars.

Some makers (BMW is one) run lower pressures in the front, mainly to improve tyre wear on rear-wheel-drive cars. Rear-drive cars generally have less weight over the front tyres and a number of BMWs have an even 50:50 weight distribution between front and rear.

Remember, recommended pressures can change depending on the load on board. If you have a full complement of passengers and luggage, car makers often recommend pumping up the rear tyres to compensate.

Follow the manufacturer's specifications on tyres as closely as you can. If you change the brand of tyre on your vehicle, check what the manufacturer of the rubber recommends for your tyre size and type of vehicle.

Send questions to qa@drive.com.au or discuss at drive.com.au/qa.