Tyre pressure worries!

[bumpyride]

hi! I’ve finally got round to buying a GTI but I’m struggling with back pain -  as the ride is bumpier than my old 1.4 tsi , especially day-to-day round town. I’ve even been negotiating with the garage to swap for, say, a 150bhp EVO - but at a significant cost. Now, I had a breakthrough yesterday when I reduced the Bridgestone tyre pressure from 39 all the way to 30 psi!! It was really smooth over pot-holes and was still fine twisting around country lanes (I like to put my foot down but I’m not a hardcore racer). So - I get that I may be sacrificing mpg and speeding up tyre wear - but is 30 psi actually in the danger zone? It says 36 is recommended on the car (for a low load). I actually took them back up to 33 today and it’s lost a bit of smoothness again. Any thoughts? I’ve looked on lots of forums but haven’t come to a conclusion.

[Watts]

Hi there bumpyride, welcome to the forum You would be better posting this in the mk7 section where there is more footfall - http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?board=117.0

I'd think that by dropping the pressures so low it will affect the way the car responds (braking cornering etc) which okay you may not drive it like a boy racer but if you needed to take evasive action at motorway speeds it could be the difference between hitting something and not. Also the law requires your tyres to be inflated to the manufacturers specifications so in any accident you could come unstuck regarding insurance and prosecution.

I think that there could be two possible solutions, the first being free and that would be to spend time seeing how your seat should be properly adjusted and doing so then see how you feel. I bet that could make a big difference. Secondly, the Bridgestone tyres are regularly commented upon negatively with one aspect being their comfort. A bit risky as you could spend £450+ and perhaps not solve your problems so I'd leave that one to last! Perhaps you could see if a fellow helpful forumite local to you with different tyres could take you for a spin and see how you find it? I've got 19s on mine and had Michelins fitted which were a distinct improvement over my old Pirellis including ride comfort. Good luck

[bumpyride]

Hi, Thanks for such a comprehensive response. You’re right in that I need to run it at the proper psi and find another solution. I also copied it over to the other location and have had lots of responses. Thanks again!