Super Singles

ATCO · Jan 14, 2005

Has anyone used or considered using Aluminium Super Singles as rears? I am under the impression they save on the overall weight of the truck (Correct term being TARE weight?) Maybe in a 33,000 GVW truck it isn't of much concern. However I am going to be running a truck at 26,000GVW, and need to slim where I can to add payload capicity. I did run across a Expediter pic. of one (hopefully*) below.

http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/pix/trucks/bill_banks/july_batch/box02/file0174.jpg

At least it seems there are super singles on the front. Image from www.HanksTruckPictures.com (great site for truck pictures!)

-Joe Bohannon
Bakersfield, CA

Glen Rice · Jan 14, 2005

I ran super singles on a Peterbilt 377 back in 1987 and I loved them. The down side is a flat tire, and replacement tire when and were you need it. Luckily there are'nt that many tire sizes. Weight savings will be about 150lbs. for 4 tires with aluminum wheels. The other thing that was unique is that a single tire will tend to stradle the rutted road surface and not track in the double rutts that years of highway deteriation have left. You may save a small amount of money on fuel savings. Tire life was not wonderful either. But buying 1 450.00 dollar tire seemed pretty cool compared to buying a pair. Good luck and let us know what you end up with.

RobA · Jan 14, 2005

Peterbilt in picture RE: Super Singles

Hi Glen: I know you won't agree; but isn't that an awful lot of truck in relation to the cargo box?

Joe: If you look at the Jonathon Zavitz collection (at Hanks site); some of their newest Freightliners were spec'd with super singles on the drives.

There is an article in the TRUCKNEWS paper up here in Canada about super singles. I didn't look at the electronic issue to see if it was there.
www.trucknews.com

According to the article:
better fuel economy
better ride
fewer flats - the inside dual thing is obviously eliminated.
lower weight

I imagine we will see more in the future.

hitek · Jan 14, 2005

thats a heck of a lot of truck for that little box. like killing a field mouse w/ a 55 gallon drum of rat poison.

Doggie Daddy · Jan 14, 2005

joe i was parked next to this very truck two nights ago at the flying j in toledo.those are not super singles on the rear,and the pusher axle is also not super singles just a single tire each side aux. axle.it definately is a good looking truck tho.on the sides of the sleeper it says"suite with a view".DD.

ATCO · Jan 14, 2005

>joe i was parked next to this very truck two nights ago at
>the flying j in toledo.those are not super singles on the
>rear,and the pusher axle is also not super singles just a
>single tire each side aux. axle.it definately is a good
>looking truck tho.on the sides of the sleeper it says"suite
>with a view".DD.

It's good to know this truck is still at it. I kinda figured it had gotten outdated, likelly with LOTSA mileage.... Hey, thanks for the info on the rears, I wasn't sure, and I started to figure the rears were duals. But, the fronts are certainly super singles (I'm sure for the weight of that engine! and ontop of that the double windjammer LCS). Thanks DD.

-Joe Bohannon
Bakersfield, CA

ATeam · Jan 14, 2005

Diane and I parked near that truck a few months ago. I looked it over pretty good and did not notice then anything unusual with the steers. It may be that what's shown in the photo has changed since the photo was taken. Or, it could be that I simply missed seeing the flotation tires (sometimes called super singles) on the front.

These days, the term "Super Singles" most often refers to wide drive tires on one wheel that take the place of two drive tires on two wheels. As you correctly point out, one of their main advantages is weight savings. For that reason, they are most often utilized by "heavy haulers" (bulk liquids, etc) where weight saved on wheels translate directly to increased payload and thus increased income.

I LOVE super singles. I think they are one of the coolest things you can put on a truck. But as Glen pointed out, service for them in the event of a flat may be limited until the market more fully develops. I've run the numbers as best I could, and was not able to make a cost-savings case for super singles on a straight truck, even with the fuel-economy claims the super-single tire manufacturers make.

Of course, there are reasons for doing things beyond money alone. My current thinking is to run traditional tires/wheels on our truck until the first set of drive tires wears out, and then run super-singles to find our for sure what the performance differences may be. We'll then have the performance data from the traditional setup to compare. If you can wait 400,000 miles or so, we'll have super-single/traditonal straight truck comparisson data for you to review.

ATCO · Jan 14, 2005

Ok, So floatation tires (front) are not really "Super Singles". Thanks for the clearification, as I used them interchagably (sp?). It will be wonderful to see a review of the defferences between duals and super singles. I figure what ever truck I get, if it comes with steel rim duals, I'll go ahead and jump into super singles, but if it comes with alum. duals, I'll stick with em. That 150# estimate mentioned earlier, whats that based on? Tires only, rim weight only? combined weight? Each wheel/side or both wheels (in this case of a single axle truck)?
I addition how are the rules for chaining up Super Singles on the drives?

-Joe Bohannon
Bakersfield, CA

Weave · Jan 14, 2005

Just a guess, but that truck in the picture is probably using those heavy duty steer tires, often seen on dump trucks, more out of need than want. It likely has to run with its pusher axle down all the time also. It is a Pete 379, and they are VERY front heavy, nearly impractical to use as a standard expedite straight truck. I'll admit it's nice looking, but I'll bet it weighs 40k lbs without even a stick of freight in it. Falls into my heavy-fueled motorhome category.
As far as the super singles go for drive tires, I wouldn't try them on a single drive axle set up because if one goes flat, it just greatly increases your odds of being stranded in the desert.
-Weave-

LDB · Jan 17, 2005

I would only run them on a tandem axle application. If I eventually go the tractor/pup route I will probably run them on all 8 positions to save the weight and fuel. From what I've found the savings on one axle are not enough to pay back the expense. You also have to worry about flats. If you have a tandem axle setup then at least most of the time you could slow down and limp in to service rather than have to call someone out. You also almost have to carry an extra tire along just in case to avoid a potentially long long wait. The extra tire adds back the weight you saved on a single axle application. On a setup with 8 of them vs 16 conventionals it makes a lot more sense and the weight/fuel savings become noticeable. YMMV.

Leo
truck 767

Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

ATCO · Jan 17, 2005

Thanks for the info guys!

I honestly have to admit the "Roll" Factor is what scares me the most, if I were to loose a tire at 70mph+. The advantages do not seam worth it in this particular aplication. It however would be interesting to see real world results if someone did run Super Singles on such a truck.

-Joe Bohannon
Bakersfield, CA

graibeard · Jan 17, 2005

I would think twice about them super singles. If you need one in the wrong place you could pay quite a bit more than you paid for the first one. we keep 2 super singles in stock at the Petro here in ruther glen Va. price:$900.00 ea. add that to your $170.00 road call
and it equals a bad day no matter how you slice it.

ATeam · Jan 22, 2005

That's OUTSTANDING info. Thank you for sharing it. So folks can compare, could you kindly list the price to go out and fix one tire, and two? I'm thinking of the scenerio where you are too far away to limp in on one, or where two go out on you (seen that happen before my eyes on big trucks more than once).

Doggie Daddy · Jan 29, 2005

i have noticed that fedex freight is using super singles on the converter dollies that are used to hook up their double trailers.also flying j is using them on the tractor and trailers of their fuel tankers.i think the more widespread use of this tire will cause the price to come down,and they will be more readily available.DD.

ATeam · Jan 30, 2005

>Thanks for the info guys!
>
>I honestly have to admit the "Roll" Factor is what scares me
>the most, if I were to loose a tire at 70mph+. The
>advantages do not seam worth it in this particular
>aplication. It however would be interesting to see real
>world results if someone did run Super Singles on such a
>truck.
>
>-Joe Bohannon
>Bakersfield, CA

You express a common concern. One manufacturer of wide tires (super singles) is Bridgestone. In Eurorpe and perhaps now in the U.S. (not sure on the U.S. part), they offer Greatec radials with an inner chamber they call, the "Aercept chamber." It's like a tire within a tire. The inner chamber inflates to a higher pressure. If the outer tire punctures, the inner will expand and enable you to come to a controlled stop (so says the manufacturer). The down side is it adds weight to the tire, thereby negating some or all of the reasons to buy it in the first place (less weight than duals).