Tire pressure - effect on suspension / car feel

I didn't want to post this in wheels/tires section because I want to hear thoughts from you suspension gurus.

This morning I got in my car and tire pressure had dropped to 30 psi due to the cold weather. So using my air pump I put more in. It's always a guessing game because my air compressor gauge is not very accurate.

I ended up 34 PSI instead of 32 cold. Except right front was only 33PSI, but we can call it 34 PSI all around. The car seems ride smoother? And I'm not sure but it's almost like it corners a bit easier?

What affect does tire pressure have on the suspension and feel of the car? What PSI do you all set your tires to?

I have also noticed (different car) that lower PSI can sometimes feel harsher than higher. I don't really get it, you would think extra softness would make the overall feel softer.

Maybe there is a particular amount of impulse required to make the shocks work, otherwise they're more solid? Too soft tyres soak up enough impact to make the shocks hardly move / work, transferring more impact through them then otherwise would happen. That's the only thing that really makes any sense to me, but also not really.

Maybe the smoothness is just from rounder tyres rolling more freely over the road. One would think smaller bumps would be more noticeable though.

pressure changes the shape of the contact patch and changes how well the tire shoulders are supoorted, which affects the a lot about the feel, dynamics, and ultimate grip level of the tire.

Its a huge topic

NightmareMoon said:

pressure changes the shape of the contact patch and changes how well the tire shoulders are supoorted, which affects the a lot about the feel, dynamics, and ultimate grip level of the tire.

Its a huge topic

Click to expand...

Well yes, but how specifically can / does an increase in tyre pressure reduce harshness?