# Continental tyres on a Pilote.



## KeithChesterfield (Mar 12, 2010)

I've just taken delivery of a Pilote, six months old, and the tyre pressures have been set by the Dealer at 70 psi for the front and 77 psi for the rear.

The ride seems 'hard' and the pressures are much higher than ones I ran on my Knaus MH.

I've seen the post below from a few years ago and I have the same make, axle loads and size of tyre as the OP.

I'm going to drop the pressures down to the manufacturers recommended pressures on the earlier thread and see how it drives.

Does anyone see any logical reason for me not dropping the pressures?


'The following is the reply from Craig, the Product Support Engineer of Continental Automobil. He has consented to having his reply published on MHF: 

The pressures you require are as follows: 

Front: 3.25bar - 47psi pressure applicable to a maximum permissible load of1590kg. 1850kg Max loading at 4bar - 58psi (1875kg maximum at this pressure) 

Rear: 4.25bar - 61psi pressure applicable to a maximum permissible load of1970kg. 2000kg Max loading at 4.5bar - 65psi (2060kg maximum at this pressure) 

As a general rule for pressures on this tyre, every 100kg added from the base figure of 1490kg at 3bar (43.5psi) will require an increase of 0.25bar(3.6psi) in pressure up to a maximum of 2060kg at 4.5bar (65psi)'


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## coppo (May 27, 2009)

Yes, DROP EM.

If you'll pardon the expression :lol: 

Paul.


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## NeilandDebs (Aug 28, 2008)

*Tyres*

Hello,

I have continentals on the front and michelins on the rear. Over 7ys and 87000miles I have settled on 65psi all round.

Neil


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## motormouth (Jul 3, 2010)

*Re: Tyres*



NeilandDebs said:


> Hello,
> 
> I have continentals on the front and michelins on the rear. Over 7ys and 87000miles I have settled on 65psi all round.
> 
> Neil


Not on the same tyres surely?????


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## NeilandDebs (Aug 28, 2008)

*tyre pressures*

I wish!!! No on my 3rd set on the front and 2nd on the tag axles.


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## greygit (Apr 15, 2007)

KeithChesterfield said:


> I've just taken delivery of a Pilote, six months old, and the tyre pressures have been set by the Dealer at 70 psi for the front and 77 psi for the rear.
> 
> The ride seems 'hard' and the pressures are much higher than ones I ran on my Knaus MH.
> 
> ...


Lots of posts on this but basically you need to visit your local weighbridge, weigh your vehicle fully loaded to get front and rear axle weights then ring your tyre manufacturer and they will give you the safe pressures to run at. Also they will need the load rating of the tyre and tyre size both written on sidewall.
When we did it the manufacturers said to reduce the front pressures to 65PSI it was such a better drive after that.


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## TerryL (Feb 19, 2009)

KeithChesterfield said:


> The pressures you require are as follows:
> 
> Front: 3.25bar - 47psi pressure applicable to a maximum permissible load of1590kg. 1850kg Max loading at 4bar - 58psi (1875kg maximum at this pressure)
> 
> ...


I contacted Continental, just as above and got a virtually identical response (numbers wise). Have been running at those pressures now for 24000 miles and wear has been steady and even, the ride OK (well as good as it gets on the camper chassis) and quiet. Mine are the Vanco 2 Winter tyres. They have performed well, even in 40's temps we got in the Dordogne, and have also got me off wet fields where others have had problems.

The rears are showing hardly any wear but, as expected, the fronts look to have about 5000 miles left in them and I am thinking about replacing those before heading off to Spain for the winter. I'd rather replace them in the UK at my leisure than have to "panic buy" in Spain.


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## KeithChesterfield (Mar 12, 2010)

I had the MH weighed a couple of days after getting it but I wasn't sure how close to the maximum we would be when fully loaded.

Working on a front axle weight of 1620 kg and a rear axle of 1880 kg (total 3500 kg) I've set the tyre pressures in line with the advice from Continental.

Front at 50 psi and rear 60 psi seem to correspond with their figures and I'll see how they perform next week when we go away for a few days.

I'll keep the foot pump handy in case they seem too soft but only running them for a long period of time will show how good, or bad, the tyres wear.

Thanks for the helpful replies. 

:wav: :wav: :wav:


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## harveystc (Sep 20, 2008)

*continental tyes on a pilote*

Hi,As every one has different advise,all i can tell you is that a local courier company that i know carries up too 3.5 tons on his vans and he said that they have continental vanco tyres whish they run at 50psi in the front and 65psi in the rear, because when they get warm the pressure increases to 55 front and 70 rear,so i have now been on this setting for 4 years now with no sign of undue wear,and 26.000 miles and a better ride then when new as tyre setting was very high.hope this helps regards H. :lol:


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## greygit (Apr 15, 2007)

*Re: continental tyes on a pilote*



harveystc said:


> Hi,As every one has different advise,all i can tell you is that a local courier company that i know carries up too 3.5 tons on his vans and he said that they have continental vanco tyres whish they run at 50psi in the front and 65psi in the rear, because when they get warm the pressure increases to 55 front and 70 rear,so i have now been on this setting for 4 years now with no sign of undue wear,and 26.000 miles and a better ride then when new as tyre setting was very high.hope this helps regards H. :lol:


Your quite right tyre pressures do increase with use but the manufactures quote you the safe pressures to use........under inflation can cause blowouts. 8O


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

*Re: continental tyes on a pilote*



greygit said:


> harveystc said:
> 
> 
> > Hi,As every one has different advise,all i can tell you is that a local courier company that i know carries up too 3.5 tons on his vans and he said that they have continental vanco tyres whish they run at 50psi in the front and 65psi in the rear, because when they get warm the pressure increases to 55 front and 70 rear,so i have now been on this setting for 4 years now with no sign of undue wear,and 26.000 miles and a better ride then when new as tyre setting was very high.hope this helps regards H. :lol:
> ...


Which is why tyre pressures should be checked when the tyres are cold. Even moving to the local garage, or sun on a tyre, can increase pressures by a couple of Ibs.
Low pressures also decreases the mpg you will achieve! Also low pressure makes a larger bulge at the bottom of the tyre and as the tyre rotates, this creates the heat which can make the tyre blow!
Our van is on Continental and from memory the fronts are at 60psi and the rears at 70psi, running at full weight 3500kg


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## greygit (Apr 15, 2007)

*Re: continental tyes on a pilote*



Grath said:


> greygit said:
> 
> 
> > harveystc said:
> ...


As an ex mechanic employed by one of the largest tyre manufacture in the world I'm aware of what you say but I still don't understand why you would listen to a van driver and not the technical department of the tyre manufacturer themselves. :?


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

*Re: continental tyes on a pilote*



greygit said:


> Grath said:
> 
> 
> > greygit said:
> ...


I am not quite sure where you are coming from as the above post is my only post in the thread and I have not said I would not listen to a tech dept!
However, all the tech reports have to be read in conjunction with experienced 
user experience!
I think your quote should have been member "harveystc"


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## greygit (Apr 15, 2007)

*Re: continental tyes on a pilote*



Grath said:


> greygit said:
> 
> 
> > Grath said:
> ...


Yep ,your right my apologies.


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