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tire questions

layoutshooter

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Ok, assuming proper inflation, alignment etc, how many miles should a D unit get on the steers? Good tires, not cheap stuff.

Question two: Do the automatic tire inflation systems work? Does anyone have them? Are they worth the money?

Thanks, Layoutshooter
 
jaminjim

jaminjim

Veteran Expediter
Should get 160K on the steers, more if you stay out of Detroit. The inflation system is great, but so is a tire gage.
 
layoutshooter

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
I live south of Detroit and still manage not to drive there very often. Seems the roads are just as bad everywhere else I go.

I use my guage often. Just wondering about the newer systems out there. Always looking for the perfect solution for everything. I will let you know if I ever find it.

Layoutshooter
 
greg334

greg334

Veteran Expediter
>I live south of Detroit and still manage not to drive there
>very often. Seems the roads are just as bad everywhere else
>I go.

So true, stay out of Michigan if you want to keep you vehicle aligned and maximize you tire life.
 
R

RichM

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
I usually get 180-200 out of the steers. I consider I 10 in LA to be one of the worst roads for knocking out your alignment,also any of the Expressways in NYC can give Detroit serious competition.
 
rode2rouen

rode2rouen

Expert Expediter
I recently replaced the BF Goodrich ST234 steering tires on my International 9200. They had reached 187407 miles and still had "DOT Legal" tread depth, but they made me a bit nervous.

I thought that was pretty good. I'm hoping the new Goodyears will go farther, like 200+K miles.

I check pressures weekly and there are Centramatic balancers on the fronts.

EDIT: When the sign in NY sez "Pothole Crew Ahead" it means they are installing new ones!!!


Rex
 
layoutshooter

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
I agree on I-10 in LA. Not only does it mess up a front end alignment it knocks you spine out too!!!!!
 
layoutshooter

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
How often does everyone align the front end? Do you always do a all axle alignment? Thanks as always, Layoutshooter.
 
jaminjim

jaminjim

Veteran Expediter
I get it done every 60K. I only have the two axle done. If I know I hit a big hole or my co driver hit a curb}> then I will get done while at home the next time.
 
ATeam

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
No automatic inflation system on our truck but I make frequent use of my tire guage. We had a gladhand installed on the truck and carry one of those glad hand air hoses you see sold in truck stops. That makes it so much easier to tend to your tires. No longer worry about delaying the guys behind me at the fuel island. So much easier to check and inflate your tires in a quiet parking lot instead of a hectic truck stop.

Only disadvantage of the glad-hand system is truck compressor will only air tires up to 110 lbs. Our steers take 120. But doing steers only is quite easy at fuel islands.

Yesterday we drove from Tuscon to Las Vegas via Phoenix, where official temp hit 109 F. and our truck outside temperature indicator read 111 F. Tire pressure rose about 10 lbs all the way around. Steer tire temperature was about 160 F, drive tires about 150 F.

I used a thermal gun to check tires all the way around several times on that hot day. It's a quick and easy way to early-detect anything that might be going wrong with tires, hubs or brakes on hot days and all others.
 
rode2rouen

rode2rouen

Expert Expediter
>How often does everyone align the front end? Do you always
>do a all axle alignment? Thanks as always, Layoutshooter.


I just got my truck aligned today and had the rears all rotated.
(I had new steers installed a couple of weeks ago and the truck needed kingpins and spindle bushings....and the alignment tech went on vacation)

I spoke to the alignment tech at length about frequency of rotations and alignments, and based on his input I'm going to be getting an alignment check and rotating all tires at 50K mile intervals.

My truck was surprisingly close on alignment (minor toe adjustment and it was good to go) as some of the roads I've been running lately have been pretty shabby.

I was running East on I-84 in PA the other day and there are 2 bridges close to Port Jervis, NY that have an amuckingfazing ammount of truck "baby moon" hubcaps strewn around. After hitting the expansion joint on the first bridge I understood why...it was like hitting a curb!!!!
If the first bridge didn't knock them off, the second would finish the job!!

I also want to give a shout out to the guys at Goodyear Wingfoot in Brunswick,OH, Frank in sales and Russ the "25 years experience" alignment tech. It's a pleasure doing business with Pros! I highly recommend them!!!


Rex
 
rode2rouen

rode2rouen

Expert Expediter
>
>I used a thermal gun to check tires all the way around
>several times on that hot day. It's a quick and easy way to
>early-detect anything that might be going wrong with tires,
>hubs or brakes on hot days and all others.


You bring up an excellent tool, Phil, one that I think every driver should have in his/her truck. An infrared temperature gun can be had for less than $100 and it will pay for itself by giving advanced warning of impending wheel bearing failure or tire failure due to underinflation.

I use mine at every fuel stop and every rest stop. And don't leave it in the tool box, keep it handy in the cab so you get in the habit of using it frequently.

If that right rear rear hub starts running hotter than the other 3, it's time to get the bearings checked!


Rex
 
Turtle

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
Best thing you can do for yourself and your tires is to have nitrogen put in them. With nitrogen instead of regular air, they stay inflated, run cooler, give 4%-6% better fuel mileage, and get considerably better tread-wear mileage. My brother drives a big truck and routinely gets 230-250K on his drives. My last set of tires on the van were 60,000 mile tires, and they were at 98,000 miles when I replaced them, and they were still well within DOT specs.

I can't remember how much it is for the big truck, but for the van (or a car) it's $5 a tire. Cheap at twice the price.
 
layoutshooter

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
WOW, I love the help in here. My next question was on the nitrogen. Never even thought about a heat gun. Where do you buy this? Are they special made for trucking? Keep it coming!!!!!!!! Layoutshooter
 
ATeam

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
Thermal guns can be purchased at some reefer dealers (Thermo King, Carrier). They have them in the show rooms if they have them. Or, they can be ordered. Granger stores sell them too. I think I remember seeing one in the Snap-On catalog.

It really is a good thing to have. knowing your tire temperatures and pressures on very hot days provides peace of mind as you watch the tires fly apart on other trucks.

We bought our thermal gun to verify and document the external temp of the high-value freight we sometimes transport. It is coming in handy now to check tires and hubs. I even used it to informally map out the hot and cooler areas of our exhaust system when we were installing our underslung reefer. The gun helped us to know it would be OK to mount our reefer as close to the muffler as we did. The gun saved us the expense of rerouting the exhaust pipes.

Once, I was standing at the back of our truck with the consignee. He, acting very smart and distrusting, pulled out a thermal gun and took a reading of the freight the instant I opened the door. He then wrote the number down on his clipboard. Smiling, I pulled out my thermal gun and took a reading of my own. "You're a very smart man." I told the consignee. He left a little less cocky than he entered, but feeling a lot smarter.

The FedEx newsletter once published a story about a team whose use of a thermal gun helped them and FedEx avoid an illigitimate freight damage claim.

This handy tool has moved from being stored on the inside of the reefer body, to inside the cab, and now to the driver's door pouch where it is easily and frequently picked up.
 
davekc

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
They are also handy for checking a blocked radiator or heater block that isn't getting the proper coolant to it. We had a partially blocked radiator on a KW last year, and that found the problem in a few minutes.
On the nitrogen, some of the Goodyear commercial places are starting to sell it. I believe it was 15 a tire.







Davekc
owner
22 years
PantherII
EO moderator
 
layoutshooter

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Are there any "BIG" fleets using the nitrogen yet? Be interesting to see what companies are doing. Sounds like the heat gun is pretty cool!!!! HEHEHEHE, Layoutshooter
 
C

creekindian33

Expert Expediter
if u have a straight truck i have fond that the name brand tires do no better then the cheap tires if ur front end is right u should get 100 thousand miles out of any brand tire:)
 
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