As mentioned in an earlier thread, I had a road service replace a front tire a few days ago. They had a Gladiator QR55ST-E, which was 14 ply. I contacted my local tire shop when I got home to replace the other front. He said Gladiator was a good medium quality brand and he could get one for me. He got one with the same model number, but when I looked at it, it was 16 ply. He said they were still compatible, so we installed it. The bus seems to ride fine, but I am curious to see if there was anything to watch for with what appears to be a minor mismatch.
I would not be too concerned about the difference in ply ratings as long as they meet the axle load requirement, but I would be uneasy about having two Chinese tires on the front. Medium good quality might have been a generous rating, time will tell. Someone needs to test how they do on a bus, looks like circumstances have selected you. ;D
Quote from: DoubleEagle on July 21, 2016, 05:56:42 PM
I would not be too concerned about the difference in ply ratings as long as they meet the axle load requirement, but I would be uneasy about having two Chinese tires on the front. Medium good quality might have been a generous rating, time will tell. Someone needs to test how they do on a bus, looks like circumstances have selected you. ;D
suggest two steer tires not made in China...
Quote from: eagle19952 on July 21, 2016, 08:17:24 PM
suggest two steer tires not made in China...
I don't know what tire to buy we lost a brand new Michelin 315/80/22.5 Sat.on the front with only 350 miles on it. With the crappy GREEN tire construction and technogly now you will buying new tires every 4 years.I would not worry about the plies difference Lin it is only in the tread area anyways
Many times, a 14ply and a 16ply tire will look exactly the same. The difference is in the steel belt thickness. They use a slightly stronger belt for the 16ply. And the strength of the 16ply only comes into play at the air pressures that are higher than the 14ply. At equal tire pressures, the two tires will perform equally well.
I would suggest using a better brand on the front. From what Clifford said, I don't quite know what is the best tire out now. Good Luck, TomC
I think the newer GREEN tires are going to be a problem from here on out,they are making them faster,cheaper and lighter to cut manufacturing cost.I have owned the Michelin X (GREEN) tires in the past now I am worried about this set of new tires I bought through FMCA. They called yesterday and said they are not going to warranty the tire no reason given, that battle is not over with yet for sure ???
Sounds like I'm safer on my 10yo Michelin XZE 16ply, rather than new tires.
Tom
I have 2 8 year old xyz's that you can have. both have holes in the side wall that you can stick your hand in.
came of the inside of huggy did not know until i put her on a pit.
Now have a full set of Hankooks o her.
uncle ned
I have a friend in Albuquerque that bought a new $58,000 Ford pickup and it came from the factory with Hankooks tires that really surprised me
Freightliner offers Hankooks from the factory-and are the cheapest option. Good tires, no problems
I just talked to my tire guy I've known for 35 years, and he still says Michelin is the best tire. The fuel efficient "green" tires are built lighter, but the XZE's are still the best motorhome tire. Michelin has extended their case warranty to 10 years. So my 10 year old XZE's should be alright. He also said Hankooks are good tires. Good Luck, TomC
I just replaced 8 michelin XZA3®+ EVERTREAD that were dated 09 but had cracks on all but inside drives . kind of sad as they only had about 8000 miles on them and the previous owner got ill so in the last 7 years very few miles
I put 6 x aeolus 295 75 22.5 ( dumb size ) $ 330 installed + tax each . and 2 new steer tires continentals same dumb as* size at $ 520 + tax each installed yes all have the little green leaf on them
my tire guy tells me age limit is crap .if they are not cracked and no sun damage do not call me and save your money
dave
Regarding tire age, most of what I see on the web says that tires do age and expire. There seems to be general recommendations to replace car tires after six years from the date of manufacture even though they may have been sitting on a shelf a year or two before you bought them. Michelin and Continental seem to recommend a ten year interval with annual inspections after the 5th year.
I have not been paying attention of the tire manufacture dates and merely going by when I got them. I just looked and see that the one that I got from the emergency road service is already almost 5 years old. I certainly would not have refused it had I checked though since I needed a tire. The one I just bought from my local shop is really about 1.5 years old. The Kelly tires that they are replacing were bought through a friend's gravel truck company and they must have been spanking new at the time since the were manufactured in 2007 just before I got them.
It is logical to assume that tire wholesalers are going to try to move there oldest stock first on unsuspecting one-time customers like me. In the future I will try to push for the latest date possible. Since the Kellys were sold to me through a trucking company that was a regular customer, they made sure to supply new tires.
There seems to always be something new to learn here.
when I ordered my new tires I asked for fresh ones and was told I will try . they are all dated 12 16 so very happy about that and should be good for the next 10 years on the tire front . as my tire guy said because I keep my coach in a heated shop out of the weather they should be good for a long time
dave
One thing that annoys me about checking the tire manufactured date is that it seems to be imprinted on one side of the tire only, and when it is on the inside it is much more difficult to spot the number without serious crawling and contorting. In the case of replacement tires being brought to you, you can check them before they are mounted, but it would be even better if you ask about the age before they come out. If nothing else, it puts them on alert that you know about the dating. Being given a five year old tire would deserve a discount in my opinion, but when you are on the road and desperate, they have you in a weak position.
295/75R-22.5 and 275/80R-22.5 are the low profile version of the 11R-22.5. You loose about an inch in height and go from a 500rpm tire to 517rpm. The low profile versions are the most popular with trucks. Good Luck, TomC
What would make low profile more desirable?
Especially with trucks using 18 tires, the low profile tires are lighter (super singles even lighter). Plus being lower allows to haul a higher trailer for more cargo capacity ($$$).
The low proflies can also be run at higher speeds - just ask the drivers of those high priced Prevost Entertainer coaches in a hurry to make the venue.
Most highway tires, no matter the size, are rated at 75mph. Some even 80.
Quote from: TomC on July 23, 2016, 08:56:41 AM
Most highway tires, no matter the size, are rated at 75mph. Some even 80.
That is true, but certain Entertainer Coaches will zip by you if you are going 75 out west.
Quote from: DoubleEagle on July 23, 2016, 09:03:16 AM
That is true, but certain Entertainer Coaches will zip by you if you are going 75 out west.
They zip by you even when you are running the 80 mph speed limit on I 10 in west Texas ;D
Quote from: DoubleEagle on July 23, 2016, 06:11:37 AM
One thing that annoys me about checking the tire manufactured date is that it seems to be imprinted on one side of the tire only, and when it is on the inside it is much more difficult to spot the number without serious crawling and contorting. In the case of replacement tires being brought to you, you can check them before they are mounted, but it would be even better if you ask about the age before they come out. If nothing else, it puts them on alert that you know about the dating. Being given a five year old tire would deserve a discount in my opinion, but when you are on the road and desperate, they have you in a weak position.
and that is great...but the a professional driver would not care, he would mileage out even a five year old tire in less time than the speculated shelf life...it is not the tire dealers concern that you won't...at least it doesn't have to be..
:)
It would seem to me that saying a tire expires on the shelf as fast as it does in use does not really make sense. Yes, I understand that the rubber is degrading over time, but a tire that is in use has at least equal degradation plus the affects of having been run under inflated, sitting in the sun, run fast and hot, bumped up against curbs and pot holes, general road use and wear, etc.
Sitting on a shelf (or anywhere for that matter) is harder on the rubber compound of the tire than rolling down the road.
My dad used to work for General Tire (now Continental Tire) and he was taught that as a tire is in use the rubber flexes and "works" to the way it is supposed to keeping the compound active and lasts longer. When they sit the rubber is not flexing or "working" and gets dry hard which is why you get dry rot and cracks!
Just passing on what my dad was taught @ General tire many years ago. I do not have any degree in this sort of science or any other proof of what has been said!
;D BK ;D
Quote from: B_K on July 23, 2016, 12:31:41 PM
Sitting on a shelf (or anywhere for that matter) is harder on the rubber compound of the tire than rolling down the road.
My dad used to work for General Tire (now Continental Tire) and he was taught that as a tire is in use the rubber flexes and "works" to the way it is supposed to keeping the compound active and lasts longer. When they sit the rubber is not flexing or "working" and gets dry hard which is why you get dry rot and cracks!
I have heard that several times as well, that use works out the protective compounds to the surface. The worst situation is when the tire is sitting on the bare ground, under load, in the sun, for months or years without being used. Cover them up, get the load off, or run them. ;)
Quote from: luvrbus on July 23, 2016, 09:11:21 AM
They zip by you even when you are running the 80 mph speed limit on I 10 in west Texas ;D
I believe there was a posting back in the nineties on this board or elsewhere about two Entertainer Coaches (with 600 hp) and low profiles somewhere in the Northwest that was clocked by a trooper at a little over 100 mph. One Coach stopped, and the other kept going. My first thought was "what brand of tires did they have". Someone replied that they must have been low profiles at least. It must have been a rock band in a hurry.
Quote from: DoubleEagle on July 23, 2016, 04:39:05 PM
I believe there was a posting back in the nineties on this board or elsewhere about two Entertainer Coaches (with 600 hp) and low profiles somewhere in the Northwest that was clocked by a trooper at a little over 100 mph. One Coach stopped, and the other kept going. My first thought was "what brand of tires did they have". Someone replied that they must have been low profiles at least. It must have been a rock band in a hurry.
probably Willie's stash coach ;D
Many truck racers will take new tires and grind them down to only 1/4" of tread. That takes many pounds of rotating rubber out of the tire to allow for higher tire rpm (I'm talking in the hundreds of miles per hour). Good Luck, TomC