Tires and S&S

[belfert]

I have actually taken my bus to a tire dealer in the past and been told my tires where fine other than one tire that the shoulder was wearing due to an tag axle alignment issue.  I got the alignment fixed and got new steer axle tires and moved the steer tires to the tag axle.

This reminds me that my tag axle tires are now 11 years old.  They show no signs of cracking and I run pressure monitors, but they should still be replaced.  I will get new steer tires again and move the current steer tires to the tag axle.

[eagle19952]

i have read recently...leasing ones tires is the newest thing..

soon perhaps there will be a short term rental franchise. one where you store your old rubber and rent a set for your trip

it could be like a NASCAR pit stop 

[kyle4501]

Since it is still a free country, we can each do what we want concerning replacing tires.
I used to believe that tires that didn't last until the tread was gone must have been damaged or abused.
All that changed when I started keeping vehicles longer than 5 years. . . . . .

Now, I had first hand knowledge of the tire history from new. It was then that I began to notice the fact that an abuse free history did not make a tire immune from failure.

Currently, my time in the coach is limited, so I try to minimize the chance of anything that would interfere with my coach time. 

[windtrader]

I'm speaking from a black hole of ignorance but sort of common sense tells that two really solid tires (good tread and in date) on the front does a lot to keep the coach safe down the road. With a tag and six tires on the back, all monitored by TPMS, it seems one can keep an eye out for heating or other issues before one fails. You may want to replace the fronts on a more frequent basis for the first couple cycles to feed newer tires to the rears but it doesn't seem fatal if some of the olders ones run on the back for a bit.

[kyle4501]

Yeah, I'm gonna let the drives go a year or so longer than the steers, but the tags are so lightly loaded, they may go even longer - depends on when I can afford new ones. 

[buswarrior]

Finding a small fleet/Owner Operator to cooperate with can lower your longer term tire costs, and keep fresh rubber under you.

And not just the big boys, for the uninformed, a shocking percentage of 5-10 ton trucks on this continent are Owner/Ops, and the names of big companies on the side will fool you. That's just who they are contracted to. The guy driving that big name-brand delivery truck just might own it too. The courier companies are another place to check.

It goes something like this:

Decide on a mutually agreeable tire style/tread/size/rating and how many tires.
Everyone has good rims.
You buy new rubber.
The tires pass to the truck as it comes due for tires.
A discounted price was pre-arranged.
You add a little ca$h and go buy some more new rubber.
Repeat.

There may be a tire count difference between you and the truck, but the tag axle crowd can't have everything...?

The truck is getting effectively new rubber for a discount, you get some money out of your tire capital, instead of wasting it to zero, and the bonus, you are always running fresh rubber, the newest compounds, without worry about the ravages of time on the tires.

Just for fun, lets make up some numbers: every 3 years, you sell 6 x $500 tires for 6 x $400, a 20% discount. You spend $600 every 3 years for 6 new tires, the trucker saves $600 every 3 years on 6 tires that you put only a handful of mileage on...

The alternative? Well, because of the pain of dumping tires with perfectly good tread left, and a bit of self justification, denial, and the math works easily, you keep the tires for 12 years...

You spend $3000 all at once to replace the 6 tires after 12 years, they now have zero street value, and risk the scorn of the rabid busnuts... vs ... you rotated 4 sets for a total outlay of $2400, but at a rate of $600 every 3 years.

At 9 years, the savings opens to $3000 vs $1800

Win-win?

And to sweeten this academic treatment, if you find a partner to rotate with, the reality of inflation/rising prices would have been adjusted for along the way, lessening the sticker shock down the road?

There's always some fun to be had, an improvement to make, and some ca$h to $ave, as you continue to be...

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[sledhead]

hey Buswarrior

do you want to buy a set of 8 slightly used tires ? at a discount price ?

I am only 2.5 hrs north of you

let me know

thanks   dave

[Dreadnought]

I just spent literally thousands on new tyres front and rear on my MC5. Ugh!

[Jon]

Buswarrier is on the right track, but I'll propose a variation.

Find an independent trucking company that is willing to deal and uses your size tires.

Let's pretend he puts on enough miles to need replacements every 18 months. Ask him to sell you his worn, but not used up tires at the end of a year for a little more than he would get from a recapper. Lets say he gets a $100 trade in for tires that can be capped. You pay $125 and what you end up with is a tire that still has enough tread depth that you will not wear it out before the tire ages out. You start out with 1 year old tires and you get 5 more years of life out of them that makes your tire cost $25 per tire per year. He gets a good price for his tires that have about 12/32 tread depth and you both smile all the way to the bank.

[DoubleEagle]

When calculating the cost of swapping tires with a trucker, be sure to figure the price of dismounting and remounting, and balancing (that will not be free). When it comes to balancing, not everyone uses the same method, so that could be a problem. I suspect that unless you have a neighbor or relative with a truck (with tag axles) that you can trust, this idea will not save very much. The cost of tires is a business deductible expense for truckers, but not for a private conversion.

[luvrbus]

I bought some tires through the Michelin Advantage program and all the tire shop are asking $100 to dismount,mount and balance the tires in the end I could have bought the tires from them for about the same price there is no free lunches when it comes to tires  

[plyonsMC9]

The only tire blow out / tread flying off - incident I've had was when I let my tires get to 10 years old.  I wasn't going to let that happen, but it did.  Rear dual.  Very scary event.  Tread flying off, banging around in the wheel well.  In one of the center freeway lanes, had to maneuver over through traffic.  I won't let them get to  that age again.  Want to do all I can to not go through that ever again.  I know nothing is 100%, but again, I want to do what I can to not experience that adventure again.

Now swapping 'em out @ 6 - 7 years.  Steers go to tags after about 3 years.  Then stay on tags for another 3.  Every 6 yrs or so, change out the 4 drive tires. I try to avoid buying 8 tires at once. 

Kind Regards, Phil

[eagle19952]

I bought some tires through the Michelin Advantage program and all the tire shop are asking $100 to dismount,mount and balance the tires in the end I could have bought the tires from them for about the same price there is no free lunches when it comes to tires  

have them delivered and send the bill to FMCA roadside assist

[luvrbus]

have them delivered and send the bill to FMCA roadside assist

that is good idea for a $109.00 a year I could have all eight replaced not the $800.00 + $15.00 ea disposal fee for tires I kept 

[akroyaleagle]

Personally, I'd rather run 10-12 year old tires than new recaps. I see so many "gators" in the road in the warm southern states, it scares me to death.

I do believe everything has a shelf life but opinions differ what that is.

How many discard milk or other food just because the date is reached?

Those that know me know that I am not adverse to spending money, but I do not scatter it like alfalfa seed.

Tires that have been parked on wood blocks and covered or garaged and had the air pressure maintained are not the same as those that are just parked on the ground or gravel. Learn to inspect your coach regularly and evaluate the condition of everything or pay someone who can.

I left a trailer in Phoenix one summer, with the tire covers on, parked on gravel. I five months when I returned the rubber was eaten off the bottom of all four tires. I parked an old bus for over seven years in Alaska without tire covers on new tires. The tires showed no damage at all.

We all tend to take advice from folks we don't know. (Tire Dealers that are in the business). Unless you know and trust the dealer, get another opinion from someone that uses tires on heavy vehicles that has no dog in the fight.