Risks of over-inflating tyres

Over-inflation is less discussed than under-inflation because it does not build heat the same way. It still wrecks tyres. Extra pressure arches the tread so the centre carries the load. Wet grip at the edges falls off.

Ride quality is the obvious clue: every expansion joint becomes a bang. On low-profile plus-size wheels that bang is also a risk to the rim.

The usual cause is reading the sidewall. Another is “I added 5 psi for the motorway” and never taking it back. A third is a compressor that overshoots while you buy a coffee.

Laden-van exceptions exist. A Transit with a full rack may have a printed higher rear number. That is not over-inflation; that is the placard’s load row. Guessing +0.5 bar on a Fiesta for a suitcase is not the same thing.

If you overshot by 1–2 psi on a cold morning, leave it. If you are 6–8 psi over, bleed slowly to the placard while the tyre is still cold.