tire pressure/hard steering

[lexs470]

I checked the tire pressure and according to the manual made it 29psi front and 32 rear. It was around 34psi front/rear before.
But the steering feel has become considerably heavy now.
the lx has a brand new power steering pump which was replaced last month and I hand't checked the air pressure since.
I am curious if there's a bleeding process involved after changing the ps pump which the tech. forgot to do
can someone else chime in to let me know how their steering feels with the 29/32 psi pressures.
thnx.

 

[hank14]

Have you tried airing your tires back up to 34 and see if the condition is repeatable?

If so, take it to the servicing shop that replaced the pump. Should be under warranty, right? My tires are larger than stock, so the air down procedure wouldn't be applicable to help you.

 

[lexs470]

yes, airing them back to 34 has made the steering much better.
does this mean that the pump is ok or is the pump bad ?
I stopped by the dealer today who have replaced the pump. the tech sat in it for a second, turned the wheel 1/4 and came out. said it 'feels' fine to him. and that was it !
ridiculous !
how can I make a case to prove that the steering feel was so much better before they changed the ps pump. the reason for changing the pump was because it had developed a small leak.

 

[lexs470]

I would also like to know what others are keeping their tire pressures at so that we can get some consensus on what the avg. tire pressure should be...

 

[jjbodean1970]

i go with what is recommended by the tire manufacturer, typically in the 35 range iirc

 

[jjbodean1970]

i would have to speculate that the steering is "heavier" feeling due to the lower tire pressue, especially up front, and your tires are now mushier. it's obviously not the pump since your steering goes back to normal when you air back up to the higher pressure.

 

[lexs470]

hmmm. interesting thought.
the manual says 29 infront even under load. that's way too low because the steering becomes heavy as a truck without power steering.
however I would like to find out what other owners are running their stock tire pressures at and how their power steering feel is like...

 

[jjbodean1970]

mine is fine at the 35 psi i run on stock michelin tires

 

[Jukelemon]

You must have super senses friend to be able to feel a 5 psi drop in your front tires. Are you positive that your air gauge is correct? A .50 cent gauge has a tendency to decalibrate over time.

I run at 35psi's and my footprint is perfect. Different tire mind you. I am just amazed how you could tell a difference in 5 psi's.

Run them at 35. All will be fine

 

[Greg B]

OK, I went home at lunch and tested this out. I dropped the pressure in my tires to 20 psi and drove around my neighborhood going as fast as 25 mph. I then aired up to 45 psi and did the same. Then finally went back to 35 (where they normally are) and there was no difference in how heavy the steering was. There was a difference in handling but not in the steering feel, just in body lean etc. This was all done on concrete driveways and black-top roads. No dirt or gravel roads. By the way, I'm running stock Michelins. Something's not right on your steering.

 

[Jim_Chow]

The manufacturer recommendations for tire pressure seem to be on the low side, at least in my limited experience with only owning a few vehicles (all toyotas & hondas). I think it's more for a cushy ride. Bottom line is, how's your tire wear at the lower and higher pressures and fuel economy? I know on my honda prelude, the rear end of the vehicle is much lighter than the front end, yet the pressure spec is equal on all tires. So evidentally, the recommendation doesn't take weight distribution into account. On the toyota trucks I've owned, all spec the rear w/ higher pressure, I guess it's assuming a payload. But for most driving, the rear of the truck is empty, so it's light and bouncy. I know on LC's, the weight distribution is close to 50-50 front/rear, so I'd guess equal pressure unless you have a bunch of passengers/gear in the rear.

 

[lexs470]

thanks for the input.
the reason for the power steering swap was because the old one had developed a leak and the dealer had to replace it.
I asked the tech if he had bled the air out of the system after replacing the pump by jacking it up and turning end to end and the response was that no he didint as it is not necessary !
i realized this much that there's something fishy about the steering system, however given I can not make the tech realize it... he sat in it turned the wheel 1/4 turn and said "everything is fine"... what do u do at that point !
the tech's are funny.. they make it seem as if they're driving your particular vehicle on a daily basis and therefore make the judgement of "everything is fine this is how it is supposed to be"... but when they drive out at night, you see them driving a totally different brand than toyota or lexus...

 

[Jukelemon]

Do I said in terms of jacking the front up and turning to lock to lock. Do this several times, check fluid level. Repeat. See if that works/helps.

 

[lexs470]

jukelemon,
def. a good point. I will have that procedure done. but i'm thinking maybe I will have to take it to a shop to have the front lifted as a single jack wont be able to lift both tires at the same time.
I saw this link on the web describing the process...
http://www.explainers.com/SIG/symbols.pdf