Hi guys/gals,
I'm at the KOA at Bellafonte (Exit 161 on I-80) and have a flat on the drivers side outside dual. Fortunately the tire appears to be fine although the bead is broken. Good Sam has already dispatched someone from an hour west of here to put the spare on for me. So thats fine. And by the way Good Sam was very responsive and the tire repair company called me within 15 minutes.
I'll see if the tire is repairable and if so, have it repaired and pick it up in the morning. If its not repairable, can anyone suggest where to call on the way toward Toledo/Ann Arbor area to get a new 12Rx22.5 (152/148)??
And maybe the outfit coming up here to help me can help but I know its a rare tire size.
Fred
612-801-4826
My father picked up my bus in California and drove it all day. The next morning he woke up to a flat steer tire that was off the bead. Good Sams sent out a tire guy and after an inspection couldn't find anything wrong with the tire. The tire was remounted and placed back onto the bus. No problems since and that has been two years ago. We are still scratching our heads as to what caused it.
Good Luck,
Laryn
Fred I use that size tire and never had a problem finding one the metric version is 315/80R
fred it is not a rare size contrary to popular belief.
call ahead to any truck tire shop and they will be able to get one for you, generally within 24 hours.
be sure to get one designed for highway use not for urban/local delivery.
Ideally you should be replacing a pair as the new tire will have a larger dia and thus will bear more than it's share of weight
So the repair technician from Purcell Tire was here within the hour. The tire was cut and therefore is junk. He called back to the shop and they have Hankook tires in the correct size. So I asked him to mount one for me that I can pick up on my way through in the morning. I have a local tire guy that sells Hankook so I'll get the other three from him. I know Hankook are just "OK" tires but my local dealer mounts a lot of them and stands behind the product and I've actually never heard a bad report from anybody.
So I think the problem is solved.
Now the question really is: how long have I been driving with that low tire? We did about 350 miles today and it was ok this morning; but it just points out that I need to do a more thorough pre flight check. Becuase I noticed it was a little low but figured it was from how the vehicle had been sitting for the past three days in my sister's front yard.
Fred that is why you need a set of Jim Shepherd the rv safety guy's tire monitors but I am a fine one to give advice I purchased a set from him 3 years ago and they are still in the in the bay of the bus doing a lot of good
Gumpy already ripped on me about pre flight checking. Now he'll add this fuel to the fire. Good thing he's in CO right now.
Quote from: Fredward on August 12, 2008, 06:35:49 PM
Gumpy already ripped on me about pre flight checking. Now he'll add this fuel to the fire. Good thing he's in CO right now.
I'd rip on you too, but I'll be nice. . . don't need to pour salt in the wounds!
:D
I do a basic DOT walk around every time I stop. Truck or Bus. Tires, lights, lug nuts, fluid leaks on the ground.
Fred, see how hard that tire size was to find
Quote from: Fredward on August 12, 2008, 06:35:49 PM
Gumpy already ripped on me about pre flight checking. Now he'll add this fuel to the fire. Good thing he's in CO right now.
Burn Baby burn!!! ::)
Quote from: luvrbus on August 12, 2008, 04:51:11 PM
Fred that is why you need a set of Jim Shepherd the rv safety guy's tire monitors but I am a fine one to give advice I purchased a set from him 3 years ago and they are still in the in the bay of the bus doing a lot of good
Hey Clifford, Maybe we could have an installation class and get them installed at TBR this year on our Eagle. ;D ;D ;D
Paul
If you do not want to buy pressure monitors, pick up a temp gun. I do a walk around every time I stop with one. checking all tires, bearings, radiators, toad tires etc.
Is anybody useing a tire thumper?
Quote from: jjrbus on August 13, 2008, 04:26:31 AM
If you do not want to buy pressure monitors, pick up a temp gun. I do a walk around every time I stop with one. checking all tires, bearings, radiators, toad tires etc.
Is anybody useing a tire thumper?
I used my temp gun yesterday after running the coach for a few miles and checked everything I could shoot the laser at. I thought my temp gauge was not working correctly so I checked the radiator, upper, lower, heads and water pump. My gague was correct. Aren't these toys great!
Paul
I am sold on the PressurePro system. A few years ago, before we had our PressurePro, we checked all tire pressure at our house with a gauge (no tire thumping). About 90 miles into the trip, we blew a driver's side tag. Apparently we had run over something that cut the tire. In addition to needing a tire, when it blew, it took out the muffler and exhaust pipe. The "collateral damage" was almost as much as I paid for the PressurePro.
We had a similar experience many years ago with our 4106. Blew a driver's side rear and the tread took out the fan and radiator. We had checked tire pressures that morning with a gauge and driven about 150 miles.
While it is sometimes inconvenient to check all tires with a gauge, it insures correct pressures. With the PressurePro, I can sit in the driver's seat and check all pressures, including the toad, while the bus is airing up. Easier means more apt to get done. Jack
Luvrbus,
YOu made me laugh, I too purchased Jim's pressure checking sytem several years ago, and mine is still in the box in the bus...
Seattle lost a 500,000 bus today due to a blown tire. driver didn't know it until the bus caught fire and burned to the ground.
I have never seen a blown tire burn a bus. I have drug flat tires many miles more than once. I think this bus had a brake hang and drag, it turns the drum cherry red and the heat blows the tires. The tires then provide the fuel to burn the bus.
The emergency diaphram that causes this is difficult to diagnose as you will only hear air leak while close to the brake can with the brakes released. (That can be dangerous, the bus can roll).
If you are an experienced driver familiar with this problem, you will PDQ physically check both emergency diaphrams any time you have air loss from the rear tanks because that is the only warning you will get before the fire starts.
DD3s are designed to eleminate this problem, USDOT required DD3s on passenger busses for many years before someone lobbied to get spring brakes allowed. Guess its ok to burn one once in a while to keep costs down.
I'm back home now. As it turned out the service technician from the tire shop called back to the store and they had plenty of 12R 22.5 in stock. Hankooks. So I had him take the tire and rim with him and put a new tire on so I had a spare. And we continued home with a new tire in the spare tire compartment and the spare on the drivers side outside dual.
Now I'll buy another Hankook here locally and put the new tires on the front; move the fronts (which are only two years old) to the drivers side rear and then with next summer's bus budget, buy two more new tires and put them on the curb side rear.
Would you spin balance or Equal or ??? the new front tires.
Fred I use equal in all mine! And I like the way you chose to do it. The only sugestion I have is to move the steers back next yr and put the new ones on the steer again. JMW YMMV! ;D BK ;D