Technical Tyre Pressure for a 500F with a 126 engine?

[Strada Bianche]

Hello,

A simple question hopefully but one I am struggling with!
I have a 500F with a unmodified 652cc engine from a 126, I am running new 125/80 x12 radial tyres.
My 1970's user manual states that the front should be 16 PSI and the rear 23 PSI, as the engine from the 126 is heavier (I presume bigger cylinders alternator etc) what pressures should I be running for front and rear?

Thanks in advance for your help!
Strada Bianche

 

[the hobbler]

The recommended tyre pressures for a Fiat 126 are:--20psi (F) and 28psi (R)---the 126 is a little heavier overall, so I would suggest that you leave the front 'as is' and take the rear pressures up to 25psi--see how that goes.

 

[the hobbler]

Where about in the UK are you--there may be a Forum member close to you who has run into this problem and can give you some advice re. his (or her) experience.

 

[Strada Bianche]

Thanks for the fast response tyres pressures are now where they stood be and looking sweet!

 

[thepuddlejumper]

Hi, I have a Gamine with a 126 engine fitted and found that 15 psi up front and 18-20 on the rear (165x50x13). The Gamine is a lot lighter than a 500 and bounced about a bit with anything higher. I have run this for at least 6 years and the wear pattern on the tyres is even. It took me quite a while to find this solution.

Ralph

 

[fiat500]

Re: Tyre Pressure affects handling???

Just lately, after I replaced a tyre on one wheel and an inner tube on another, I have been bit wary of the handling on fast bends I normally do a lot of those. ) I came to the conclusion that tyre pressures were wrong as Murf normally corners like a go-kart.
I've always found tyre pressure gauges a bit suspect; even a digital gauge that I bought was able to show me a different reading on the same tyre just moments apart; so I binned that. I lost my old-fashioned analogue device and the tyre inflator I had had gone wonky after I left it out in the rain.:bang: So although that isn't accurate, all I could do was to even out the pressures on each axle and make the fronts a bit less than the back.
So I bit the bullet and spent over £20 on a aircraft quality tyre gauge. When you're dealing with such minimal pressures as found on the 500, small errors will make a big difference.

MAL_6310 by Peter Thompson, on Flickr

I discovered that the fronts were way too low at 13psi. and the rears too high for the light load that I am at 28psi. Now I can set pressures at a true 16 on the front and 23 at the rear and look forward to a less hairy and exciting drive.

 

[BambinoClassic]

Interesting! I'm not happy with my tyre pressures either. They just look too flat but read high on my bike pump pressure gauge.

Do those gauges at petrol stations tend to be accurate I wonder? As that is next step for me.