Q: I have a 2000 Lexus RX-300 and my wife has a 2003 Toyota Camry.

Our owner’s manuals state that the tire pressures should be 29 and 30 pounds, respectively.

Our local tire shop periodically inflates both our vehicle’s tires to 35 pounds. When asked, they said that the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations are for ride comfort and that they use 35 pounds for reasonable tire wear.

I inflate my own tires at home using an air compressor, so I’m confused.

Should I go with the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations or the local tire shop recommendation?

A: Proper tire pressure is important for proper stability/handling, tire wear, tire structural stability, ride comfort and fuel economy.

These are the factors that go into the vehicle manufacturer’s numbers printed on the tire inflation placard (found on the driver’s side door edge or adjacent body pillar).

Your tire shop’s recommendation to fudge the pressure up somewhat from the door placard numbers is reasonable, as long as you’re OK with a firmer ride and vehicle handling is unaffected.

They’ve probably seen a lot of tires that have worn prematurely on the outer edges due to insufficient pressure, aggressive driving techniques, or heavier-than-typical vehicle loading.

Try this: inflate one front tire to 29 and the other to 35, spray some water on your driveway, and look at the subsequent tracks on the dry pavement.

If the two tracks are of identical width and uniform, I’d feel comfortable with the increase in pressure. If the higher pressure tire shows a narrower track, back off the pressure.

I’d consider an increase of perhaps 3-4 pounds.

When checking tire pressure, it’s important to do so when they’re cold.

After tires are warmed by the sun or driving, the pressure increases by about five pounds.