Tire temps

[luvrbus]

"L rated" man that is a 20 ply tire

[richard5933]

"L rated" man that is a 20 ply tire

Yeah - that's what I thought when I first researched them. More tire than we need for certain. They came with the bus, were in great condition, and seem to ride nice. So we kept them. Now that I've grown to like them I'll probably get another set when we start replacing these next year. The guy we bought from was a commercial bus operator and I'm assuming he installed what he kept on hand for his revenue coaches.

[TomC]

There's no debate here. The only way to determine what tire pressure to run is weigh your bus by axle then refer to your tire manufacturer by your size and model and follow that tire pressure, period. Good Luck, TomC

[luvrbus]

LOL you loose a Michelin and ask for warranty the first thing they tell you is NO the air pressure was low BTDT to many times.I am not going to putter around at 55 mph from El Paso to Junction TX on I 10 I hit the cruise and go.I don't run the 80 mph speed limit and get passed a lot but I will run 70 to 72 mph without any fear with the higher psi     

[windtrader]

This board never fails in getting me to mutter WTF? now and then. It seems so dead logical to follow the inflation chart provided by the tire manufacturer for that specific tire and weight. Period, as TomF states. For a variety of common sense reasons, the number in the charts are the reference points for general use. One can make a case for some adjustment off those numbers based on road or weather conditions but just setting them all at some fixed range does not compute for me.

[luvrbus]

Ok Don, the manufacture that designed, built the bus and spent hours, days or months to make a safe and long lasting vehicle and placed a inflation tire pressure chart in each bus according to our government rules.
Are you saying that was a waste of time and all BS ? just use the tire manufacture chart.Open your friggn door on your automobile it has a chart,this is stupid adjusting a tire just for ride , the bus manufacture did their home work for stopping, driving in different weather conditions and wear on the chassis parts.I don't care what people run for air pressure it's their bus and money but it's the vehicle manufactures chart for me
     

[windtrader]

Clifford,


I agree 100% that a tire inflation tag mounted to a vehicle is 100% accurate when the vehicle rolled out of the factory. In the case of a seated bus, I will assume the intended purpose is to carry passengers, like the mail, through snow, sleet, and sunshine on tires with specifications of the time.


The validity of that tag was based on these assumptions and after a few decades and significant modification, our bus conversions are configured and used in ways that differ from the original intent. So, are they still valid numbers I don't know.


The tire manufacturer prints inflation guides not knowing the specific vehicle running the tires, is that any more correct, I don't know. My gut tells me the current tire manufacturer producing the tires we run today are legally more on the hook that some 50 year old defunct bus maker.


If I had to place a bet, my money rides on the inflation guide printed by the tire manufacturer for tires specified to run on buses and heavy trucks.


I'm not arguing here or stating what is the right answer, just pointing out that there is a wide variety of opinion and stating mine with a bit of rationale.


One last thing, my criteria is safety first, ride comfort second, and durability/milage last. A commercial tour operator or others may have a different set or order based on their own needs.

[luvrbus]

Ok Don what changes ,the Prevost,Eagle,Vanhool and MCI conversion shells use the same inflation chart as a the seated passenger bus so where does it change ?.I don't know of any tour operators that screw around with tire pressure. I am all ears hoping to learn a reason

[richard5933]

My 1968 Cutlass came with tire pressure recommendations of 24 psi front and rear. That was based on the factory-installed tires and tire technology available in 1968. Things have changed lots since then, including tires designed to run at higher pressures.

I drove this car for 30,000+ miles, mainly on high-speed freeways. I had upgraded to modern radial tires with recommended tire pressures of 36psi. Had I continued to run at the factory recommendation of 24 psi at freeway speeds, the radial tires would have likely overheated and failed early, perhaps catastrophically. Unless I was going to run retro tires made to 1968 standards it seems safer to have the pressures match the tires.

Following the logic of always obeying the factory recommendations just doesn't make sense, especially when tire technology has evolved so much since our coaches left the factory.

I think that a much better way to follow factory recommendations would be in the selection of the tire size & type.

[luvrbus]

The point is we are all dealing with different makes and models of buses, the tire manufactures chart does not work for all buses.some have tags,bogies,tag steering and IFS not the old straight front axle  BTDT and it cost me

[windtrader]

Clifford,
that is the point. With different vehicles running the same tire, the only reasonable variable to use is load on the tire. Thus the tire mfg. chart is based on that figure. The more weight the higher the tire pressure.


It's great to have different opinions and they are valued here. It seems like this one is about done though and no need to take it much more, clearly the different options to the bus num with a air pressure hose in hand is clear at this point.

[luvrbus]

LOL all I can say Don use the tire chart on your MCI tag and you will be looking for 2 tires 

[neoneddy]

Just got through the scales.

10,780 front
21,140 drive
31,920 total

[luvrbus]

what you missed the tag axle

[sledhead]

the temps. you got on the front and tag are about the same as I have had on both the M C I and the Featherlite and the drives as well .
so long as the inner and the outer drives are about the same but for me some times the inner drive would be a little higher . wait until it is hot on one side due to the sun and cooler on the other side

I use the temp . gun on every stop when on the road and after a while you will be comfortable with the different readings . but if the temps. go way up then it is time for concern

dave