Tire pressure question

[BRGIzzy]

I have a question for you guys about my new Cooper -

The manual lists different pressures for the front and rear tires... with the rear tires having higher pressure - is that right? I would have thought the engine weight in front would command the higher pressure.

Any light anyone could shed on this would be appreciated.

Thanks!

BRG Izzy

[retired00]

front/rear differentials have little to do with weight but more with the effects of weight on balance and oversteer (rear end comes around) / understeer(car plows), Passenger weights can affect the settings but the pressure differential tries to balance the handling of the car for safety and handling performance. You can tinker with it within a range yourself to achieve you own preference on that safety/handling line. Personally, on my MCS 32psi all around suits me but I am just doing normal driving.

[justbob]

I have an MCS and run 34 front and 32 rear. Sometimes I drop the rears to 30.

Why? I noticed that my front tires wear on the outside and my rear tires wear on the centerline.

I also like the handling balance better. Recommended for my car is 32/32.

Also, I rotate my tires every 5,000 miles.

Just for the record, I'm at 34,000 miles and still on the original tires. They're still good in the dry, but they're a bit squirrely in the snow, so new tires are in my future.

BTW--good advice in the post above: decide whether you like over- or understeer, and experiment to find the best balance.