We are going to replace our drive tires. What are people's top choices? One guy has recommended Goodyear as the best buy all around.
Thoughts?
God bless,
John
I have a Love/Hate relationship with Michelin. I love the ride and they wear super. However, I've had to replace them in the past due to weather checking. They got so bad you could see the wire bands and the cracks were at least 1/2" deep. The tire shop guy took out a pen knife and inserted it into one of the cracks and then just shook his head. The inside drives that never saw the light of day still looked like new tires. I do keep my tires covered when we're parked, BTW ;)
On another thread, someone stated they purchased 6 new tires for $1900. Still waiting to hear what brand he got :o for that price and how he likes them. Good luck, Will
I installed six TOYO M122 tires on my 4104, mostly because the price was right and they are the most popular truck tire around these parts. I figure if I need one on the road I'll be able to find one.
They are also all-position tires so I can rotate them.
I run Toyo M 111 Z 12R22.5 on my Eagle for the soft ride but I think any major tire manufacture would be ok they all make different compounds for their tires just buy the one that is best for the price and the ride
good luck
Gotta give VERY serious consideration to re-manufactured tires for the drives.
If you go Goodyear, Michelin or Bandag re-caps, you have the 1-800 number, continent wide support, and a warranty.
Thousands of fleets can't be wrong?
I still say find someone running a truck or bus and buy what he/she would buy from you in three-four years for $100 discount per tire. You get fresh ones every time for $100 a tire, he/she runs the rest of the tread off them and everyone is happy? Right down to swapping rims as well.
Southern truckers will run all position tires, eight make the drives, northern 5 tons will need an axle's worth of 4 lugged drives...you get the picture...
Save someone a few bucks, save yourself some bucks, everyone wins?
happy coaching!
buswarrior
As stated on another thread, since buses are relatively low powered with high gearing, it would be hard to spin out the tires unless you're in mud or sand, etc. I run the same tires all around (Michelin XZE 16 ply). This allows you to rotate the tires as they wear. If you run your tires first on the drives for the first 20,000 miles or so, they will drive straight and true if you rotate them to the steers. But remember, if you do rotate them, use the same side duals to switch to the front. The best is to use the left side duals to switch with the front since they wear a bit slower. Good Luck, TomC
I have new Michelin XZE on the fronts, when I bought the bus they were already on it. The rear 6 are Firestone radials. They were $1900 new, mounted and balanced because my father is a Firestone retiree and gets a good discount so this is why only $1900.
I find that tires seem to be a very personal preferance. Myself I'm with busswarrior on buying used virgin tires from a trucker, Unless your putting 100,000 miles on or more every year. I like to run a steer tire all the way around. If you get any cupping in the steering you can simply swap it out with a drive. Unless your trying to get out of a bad parking area the steer tires have done well for me in the past running down the road in all kinds of weather. Michelin is my brand of choice. I will never run a cap tire, just not worth it in my opinion
Have fun
I installed Goodyear G670RV 315/80-R22.5 on my bus mainly due to it sitting a lot and after seeing other tires degrade from sitting I figured I would only be able to put GOOD tires on maybe once this lifetime. 7 Year Warranty and made to sit and not age out from weather. Pretty good traction and ride on the road too..
There are others that are good also but most expect to be driven hard to keep the chemicals flowing and revent rotting and cracking.
Dave...
OK TomC, you got me there. Why do left rear duals wear less?? Does this also apply to buses?
I drove an 18 wheeler for a few years and never knew that - of course there were a lot of things I didn't know then and still don't!!
Do trucks make more left hand turns than right?
I also cross rotate, it all depends on the condition of the tires I'm rotating.
I do always put the best tire on the outside dual because, as I understand it, they wear faster than the inside but that makes sense to me. They scrub when turning since they are on the outside of the circle and travel a longer distance than the inside.
Thanks for all of the info. I like Michelin's also, but my problem is the $$$$ (sound familiar ;D ;D ;D). We might just have to bite the bullet and go with them, but then again Dave's Goodyears sound good. We will look into different options.
Gus, I'm not sure what the reason is behind it, but our right drive have worn faster than the left side.
Thanks again. This info is very helpful.
God bless,
John
Because of the crown of the road leaning the bus to the right, the left tires will wear slightly less then the right. Also, a normal differential with no traction control will also favor the right side also making the right tires wear slightly faster. Good Luck, TomC
Hello.
One of the things I was told: Right turns are typically tighter than left turns where we drive on the right and the inside tires get a good grinding. I expect that we should see the left rear tires showing a slight wear increase for those who drive on the left side?
Which side is the "peg leg" in a bus with a rear mounted engine?
"T" drive different from "V" drive?
Curious minds...
happy coaching!
buswarrior
As much as our motorcoaches sit new tires are a waste. I go to Mileage master and buy really good used tirres that they guarantee for around $125.00@ For a motorcoach they are fine.....Steering tires are new naturally..
Hey John,
What ever you decide, I may be able to help you on the price if you like... let me know.
--
BILL
Since re-caps are on used casings, are busnuts with low mileage going to end up with cracked tires in fewer years than with virgin tires?
Hopefully I have still have four years or more before replacing my tires. My bus sits mostly out of the sun so my tires will probably last a little longer.
Same as virgin tires, check the date code on the sidewall.
The younger the casing....
happy coaching!
buswarrior
OK, maybe I can buy the road crown theory but I don't buy the right turn part.
A right turn requires the left tire to travel farther and with the very wide turning circle of a bus I don't see any right tire scrubbing happening. This happens with tandem wheels on trailers because they turn so sharp, often even are dragged sideways, but I can't see it happen on buses.
Another theory I once heard is that drivers tend to drive faster on left turns and curves because the vehicle leans away whereas in a right turn or curve the leaning is toward the driver and makes one a bit more cautious. Makes sense, but unproven to my knowledge.
Gus,
I just found out that the main reason is the punkin (differential), favors the right slightly. That little bit of pushing, on the right, is enough to explain the difference in the wearing patterns (so I am told).
I'm not sure if that explains enough or not.
God bless,
John
The Bandag Bullet seems to get along just fine with recaps. 16v92 quad turbo. 2200hp or 2800hp with nitrous oxide.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoWjcvKnixI
Greyhound quit running caps many years ago when the gators started comming thru the floor boards and killing passengers. A truck can throw a cap clear. A coach can't.
I think that we will stay away from recaps for that exact reason, NJT. I shudder to think what a gator would do to the inside of that wheel well. I can just hear it shredding, and not able to come out of there. I can also feel the pain of many hours of hard work, fixing everything...No recaps for me... I know they don't come off very often, but I see enough gators on the road, I don't believe it will "never happen to me".
Thanks for the info.
God bless,
John
Unbelievable as it may sound, but it is a proven fact that half of the alligators on the road (thrown rubber from tires) are from brand new tires. I ran recaps on my truck for years during the 55mph days, but when the speed limits went back up, I went back to buying new tires. The only place I would now run recaps is on a trailer. The biggest factor to tire life is proper inflation (not to high and not to low, just right Momma bear). I run 90 pounds all around and every time I stop for a break, the first thing I do is to feel the temperature on the tires. A hot running tire is usually a low pressure tire. Good Luck, TomC
Amen TomC!
Tire pressure too low is perhaps the biggest cause of tire failure including cap blown off. Always know your tire contact pressure and air up to the recommended pressure and recheck before the day run for the longest life. The following labels are pdf files....allow download time.
Pressure/Weight of Michelin RV XRV (http://www.michelinrvtires.com/michelinrv/report.do?ReportType=NewTread&tread=X+One+XRV)
RV Tire Guide (http://www.michelinrvtires.com/assets/pdf/RV_Brochure.pdf)
Michelin Truck Tire Data Book (http://www.michelinrvtires.com/michelinrv/toolbox/reference-material.jsp)
Quote from: NJT 5573 on November 25, 2008, 09:08:06 PM
Greyhound quit running caps many years ago when the gators started comming thru the floor boards and killing passengers. A truck can throw a cap clear. A coach can't.
I have seen the result of a bus nut's tag recap tire that damage the fireglass housing, bracket and muffler. It is real! The whipping of a 30+ pounds did the hammering and pulling power effect.
No mather how good the recap brand is,
it more chance of the thread coming off than a new popular brands tires.
I used too think it be will OK for the tag and drive wheel (never on steering)...I have change my mind after the bus nut's ordeal. No recap period!
FWIW
Sojourn for Christ, Gerald