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Published information on studies of something so critical to safety as passenger vehicle tire pressures can be found [1, 2]; however, they only account for rolling tires. Studies related to spare tire pressures are lacking. This paper is the result of measurements on 150+ vehicles and the most surprising results are presented regarding the influence of Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) and the new spare tire locations and use. A statistical study was performed on the collected data to determine the correlation between tire pressures, vehicle age and TPMS. One particular topic of investigation was the relationship between various factors that influence spare tire pressure. Some newer models, particularly some mini-vans, have placed the spare tire in an unusual and inconvenient place for regular maintenance. Based on the data collected, TPMS has a positive influence on rolling tires but not on spare tires. The results support the need for TPMS to also monitor spare tire pressures.

This paper is part of a bigger research effort that aims to capture the influences of static wheel alignment measurement accuracy for road going vehicles. Vehicle alignments can and often are the bottleneck in automotive and truck assembly lines and a greater understanding of the issues are very valuable. The alignment equipment in this research has been tuned and adjusted to minimize external variables and the team of authors have 300+ vehicle measurements. Of the many things that influence the accuracy and repeatability of vehicle suspension alignment measurement and adjustment, the measurement procedures can be the most significant. This includes but is not limited to alignment machine setup and vehicle tire pressures.