The point I was trying to make is that you cannot just divorce the recommended pressure for a tire from the size of a tire. Volvo choose smaller sized tires for a 240 than a similar sized US car would have been equipped with. With a smaller tire, you need to specify a higher inflation pressure to achieve the same load rating as the larger tire for a given vehicle weight. Smaller tires cost less and running them at a higher pressure can improve gas mileage without causing strange wear patterns. If you ran the Lincoln tires in my example at 36 psi, there is a possibility that they would wear faster in the center.
I suppose they are entirely appropriate for the car, as long as you don't over load the car. However, with larger tires, you can specify a pressure that provides at least as much load carrying ability at a lower pressure which may improve both ride and handling. Running the Lincoln tires at 30 psi is not likely to result in strange wear patterns. The combination of tires and tire pressures are appropriate in both cases. Characterizing the pressure recommendation as "floaty" is just wrong. I am old enough to remember much lower inflation pressure - 1968 plus 1 Ford Country Sedan Wagon - 22 front 27 rear. Wear on the outside edges is not only a result of low most of her driving on highly cambered city streets at relatively low speeds.
Ed
