Buick · Special · PSI

What PSI for a Buick Special?

Drivetrain: front-wheel drive
Body: passenger car
PSI F / R: 32-35 / 32-35
Bar F / R: 2.2-2.4 / 2.2-2.4

psi

34 / 34

Catalogue mid-points, front / rear · 2.2-2.4 / 2.2-2.4 bar

32-35 psi F · 32-35 psi R · 2.2-2.4 / 2.2-2.4 bar · 231/231 kPa

If a Special owner asks “what PSI?”, start at 34 at the steering axle and 34 at the rear, then confirm the placard. Under-inflation cooks the shoulders of a Special; over-inflation wears the centre rib and bangs every cat’s eye.

Buick Special placard versus sidewall

The tyre-information placard on a Buick Special sits on the driver’s door pillar (sometimes the fuel-filler flap). Catalogue figures here are a general band: 32-35 / 32-35 psi.

PSI, bar and kPa

PSI-led conversions for the Buick Special band (32-35 / 32-35).

PSI	Bar	kPa
30	2.07	207
32	2.21	221
33	2.28	228
33.5	2.31	231
35	2.41	241
36	2.48	248
38	2.62	262
40	2.76	276
44	3.03	303
50	3.45	345
60	4.14	414

Estimated pressure by tyre size (205/55R16 and others)

205/55R16 is the first planning size here. 225/40R18 is usually the plus-size or LT step. Keep load index at or above original equipment.

Tyre size	Front PSI	Rear PSI	Front bar	Rear bar	Front kPa	Rear kPa	Note
205/55R16	34	34	2.34	2.34	234	234	Typical mid-compact OEM
215/50R17	35	35	2.41	2.41	241	241	Plus-size 17-inch
225/40R18	36	36	2.48	2.48	248	248	Low-profile 18-inch
225/50R17	35	35	2.41	2.41	241	241	Touring 17-inch
245/40R18	36	36	2.48	2.48	248	248	Wide touring 18-inch
185/65R15	33	33	2.28	2.28	228	228	Small / older car
215/55R16	34	35	2.34	2.41	234	241	Slightly wider 16-inch
205/60R16	34	34	2.34	2.34	234	234	Taller 16-inch

How to set the Special

Measure before the school run, not after the M25.
Write LF / RF / RR / RL. Do not keep Special numbers in your head.
Add air in short bursts toward 34 psi (2.31 bar) front and 34 psi rear.
If one corner is 4 psi down, hunt for a nail before you blame the weather.
Log date, ambient temperature and the four readings.

Load notes

Load moves the rear of a passenger car first. If the factory placard already has a “laden” column, use that instead of these sketches.

Condition	Front (est.)	Rear (est.)
Driver only	34 psi / 2.34 bar	34 psi / 2.34 bar
Full occupancy	35 psi / 2.41 bar	36 psi / 2.48 bar
Motorway + luggage	36 psi / 2.48 bar	37 psi / 2.55 bar

Temperature drift

Roughly 1 psi per 5–6 °C. The table uses 34 psi as a 20 °C baseline for this Special.

Ambient	Gauge (front mid)	Bar	kPa	Note
−5 °C (hard frost)	31 psi	2.14 bar	214 kPa	Gauge reads low; do not overfill once warm
0 °C	32 psi	2.21 bar	221 kPa	Gauge reads low; do not overfill once warm
8 °C (UK winter morning)	33 psi	2.28 bar	228 kPa	Gauge reads low; do not overfill once warm
20 °C (set cold here)	34 psi	2.34 bar	234 kPa	Baseline
30 °C	36 psi	2.48 bar	248 kPa	Do not bleed a hot tyre
38 °C (heatwave tarmac)	37 psi	2.55 bar	255 kPa	Do not bleed a hot tyre

Buick notes

No special Buick exception: the Special uses the door-pillar placard. Size estimates on this page only help if you have left the original load index behind.

Spare and inflator kit

A matching full-size spare on the Buick Special usually follows the higher axle (often the rear, near 32-35 psi). A space-saver is commonly 60 psi / 4.1 bar — read that tyre’s own sidewall. An inflator kit is not a spare; check the sealant date.

If the Buick sticker and this page disagree, the sticker wins.

Other Buick models

Regal Riviera Enclave Verano Envision Park Avenue Roadmaster Lacrosse

Questions about this Special

Front versus rear on the Buick Special?

This row is 32-35 F / 32-35 R. Even when they match, a laden rear can justify a higher number if the sticker prints one.

What is that in bar and kPa for the Special?

Mid-points are about 2.31 bar (231 kPa) front and 2.31 bar (231 kPa) rear.

What PSI if I plus-size toward 225/40R18?

Keep load index at or above OEM. Low-profile sizes usually stay at or slightly above the placard. Use 205/55R16, 215/50R17 and 225/40R18 as a planning band.

When does TPMS warn on a Buick Special?

Direct TPMS typically flags about 25% below placard — near 25 psi on this row. Fill to the sticker, not to the lamp.

Is the sidewall number correct on a Buick Special?

No. Sidewall PSI is a maximum. The Special placard is the operating target, near 32-35/32-35 psi.

Handbook: placard · bar vs PSI · front vs rear · cold inflation