psi, tracking and balancing?

[jarvo]

hi,

ive just fitted some nice new 16" nimrods with 195/50/16 on to my 206 1.4hdi.

now first question.

what psi should i run?

(sticker on door frame says 2.4bar/35psi.
does that sound right.)

now the tracking is slightly off, and give a little vibration over 70 mph.

if i take it to peugeot express fit, will they charge me to sort tracking out?

finally what is balancing?

cheeers

[M3RAN]

i normally put it 30 PSI......because i dont carry loads of weight no need for the extra PSI....its preferance really...i tend to get allot of thumpin if the PSI sits high....

[chi_chee]

i have mine on 31 psi, dunno think car runs fine with it but its down to preference and obviously the usage of the car.

tracking is when they align (i think coz it happened to me) the wheels in position so they sit straight and in line with the steering wheel.......it does help with the handling and ride and is much more smoother.

people please quote me if i am wrong

[Jonney Napalm]

The tyre pressure depends on the size of tyre your running.Is the sticker refering to your old sized tyres? (i.e the original ones for the car? if so it is not correct for your new 'non-standard' sized wheels)
You should use the correct pressure as it helps with the cars handling and if you are not running the correct pressures your tyres will wear unevenly and more quickly.
I'm sorry but I don't know the exact pressure for 195/50/16's but it will be around 33/34 PSI I think, but better to wait until someone confirms that.

Tracking is also important as this will affect handling, stability and finally tyre wear again.
I had mine done at an independant tyre place who use a computer system for greater accuracy. It was £19 for a check and £34 if they had to adjust it.
Only the front wheels on the 206 can be 'tracked', the backs have no adjustment.
This may seem pricey but I'd just spent £300 on new tyres and I didn't want them wearing out to quick.
I had a mate with a 206 GTi who knew one of his front wheels was out of alignment but just left it. It wore unevenly and became illegal so it ended up costing him the price of a new tyre for his laziness and the cost of the tracking.
Going over speed bumps too fast or hitting a kerb too hard etc. can knock your tracking out so be warned.

As for balancing, thats when the spin your wheel on a special machine and add weight to the rim so it is perfectly balanced as it rotates. (Them's the little lead weights you see on wheel rims)
This can stop vibration from your wheels as your driving along. (This may be the cause of your vibration)
Any tyre place will balance your wheels for a small fee.
And yes, I'm sorry to say, I think Express fit will charge you for tracking.
Best to phone around and get the best price to get all four wheels balanced and your tracking sorted. It may save you some cash in the long run.


Jonney ;D

[jarvo]

cheers,

i will give a few places a ring this moning,

i think the tracking is only slightly out, as its not noticable til around 70mph.

i "read" that the psi for your car remains constant no matter what tyres you put on, but as i know nothing i dont really trust anything

[Roy]

do you think its worth just gettin your trackin checked out every now and then just incase?

[Wardy!]

Sure, because if you ever park up a kerb, no matter how slow you go you will stand a chance of slightly mis-alligning the wheels, you won't notice it a lot at first, but the more you leave it the more wear your put your tyres on and more fuel you'll use.

[Jonney Napalm]

Your PSI you put in the tyres is dependant on your tyre size.

165/70/13 are 2.2 BAR (31 PSI)
175/65/14 are 2.3 BAR (33 PSI)
185/55/16 are 2.4 BAR (34 PSI)
205/45/16 are 2.3 BAR (33 PSI)

They are all around the same pressure but its best if you can be as accurate as possible.
You have to check your tyre pressure when the tyres are cold i.e not just after driving or this gives you a false reading.


Jonney ;D

[jarvo]

i might pop to local peugeot dealer at lunch.

see what he can do with the tracking.

[chi_chee]

yeh its def worth getting your tracking done every now and again (i say 4-5week duration) but its worth doing it coz of the money you save is greater than having to fork out ££ for new tyres.

[diag2000]

4-5 weeks is a bit over the top if you ask me more like once a year should see it right
Don't forget though the main cause of unevenly worn tyres is incorrect pressures followed by thing's like worn ball joints ,sloppy lower arm bushes and harsh driving.
Yes tracking is very important and does effect nearly every aspect of the handling of your car
hope this helps