Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 07-17-2016, 08:27 AM   #1
Skoolie
 
karrlot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Manitou Springs, CO
Posts: 219
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Ward
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DT466
Rated Cap: 65 passenger
Exploding tires?

Someone posted a bunch of video clips of people getting thrown up in the air and getting their shirts ripped off when the were airing up tires. It freaked me out and now I'm afraid to check the air pressure in my tires. How big of a worry is this? I know anything g is possible, but is this likely to happen on regular rims or is that just a concern with split rims?

I'd appreciate any tips or advice on keeping my tires aired up without explosions.

karrlot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-17-2016, 08:54 AM   #2
Bus Geek
 
Tango's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 8,462
Year: 1946
Coachwork: Chevrolet/Wayne
Chassis: 1- 1/2 ton
Engine: Cummins 4BT
Rated Cap: 15
Any tire can blow with too much pressure but I am guessing most of what you have seen/heard about does involve either split rims or safety ring rims. Big rig tire shops typically employ a tire cage for any tire change or removal but some nitwits choose to ignore all precautions and work outside the cage. I have seen one video of a guy working right NEXT to the cage when a rim let go. It blew him up to and off the ceiling. Maybe 16 feet.

So...yes...big tires, especially certain rim types deserve extreme caution when handling. I discovered that one of the original rims that came off my '46 was the legendary Firestone RH5. Also known as the "Widowmaker". It is wedged into and will remain in a corner of my shop and avoided until I can get some chain to lash it with.

Best bet is to ID your rim type and do some research on any safety precautions that apply.

Be careful out there.
Tango is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-17-2016, 08:56 AM   #3
Bus Geek
 
EastCoastCB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
LOL at this idiot-
EastCoastCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-17-2016, 09:04 AM   #4
Bus Geek
 
Tango's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 8,462
Year: 1946
Coachwork: Chevrolet/Wayne
Chassis: 1- 1/2 ton
Engine: Cummins 4BT
Rated Cap: 15
Maybe there really is a God after all!
Tango is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-17-2016, 06:58 PM   #5
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 252
I wouldn't sweat it just checking the tire pressure, just don't try like the guy in the video and slash the tire!
jake_blue is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-17-2016, 07:41 PM   #6
Bus Geek
 
EastCoastCB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
I'll admit- truck tires are scary to me, too.

EastCoastCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-17-2016, 08:56 PM   #7
Bus Nut
 
GreyCoyote's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Danglebury, Tejas
Posts: 310
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: IH 3800
Engine: Navistar DT466E
Rated Cap: 72 passenger
Not to be a smart-alek, but proper inflation is an absolute must.

If you are afraid of putting air in the tires, just think about the physics of losing one due to improper inflation.

I lost a friend years ago to a tire explosion. He owned a tire/frame shop and was putting an SUV tire on a rim. The explosion cut him in half. Really ugly. But the investigation also showed something comforting. The tire was rated at 36 lbs. the shop air system was 150 lbs. The inquest showed the tire didnt fail until more than 125 psi was in that 36 psi-rated tire.

It appears there is a HUGE safety factor engineered into these things.
__________________
"You can finally say you have enough horsepower when you leave two black streaks from corner to corner"
(Mark Donohue, famed TransAm driver)
GreyCoyote is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-17-2016, 09:13 PM   #8
Bus Geek
 
EastCoastCB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
Oh- well I'm not at all afraid of putting air in my tires. I check them regularly.

Just- I've always had a fear of heavy duty tires. The stories of explosions and all.
When I was in tech school some jackass left a tire inflating and walked away. It was a motorcycle tire. Sounded like a bomb went off. The only noise that compares is a snub nose .357 fired indoors at close range with no ear protection.
EastCoastCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-17-2016, 09:54 PM   #9
Bus Nut
 
Carytowncat's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Richmond Virginia
Posts: 932
Year: 1984
Engine: 366 Big block Chevy! :) w/ Stick shift
Yikes Scooby those explosions are so scary!

The cages are for when a new tire is put on buy the bead has not yet set (sealed against the rim) so they must inflate the tire way higher to get the pressure stron enough to seat the bead. Once the bead has been set the air pressure is relieved and inflated to the proper psi.

I set a few motorcycle tires, and once they reached 50psi, i did not keep going, i deflated, worked the bead a little and in some cases put lube in to help it slide on smoother. Still scary as heck after seeing vids of how dangerous tires can erupt.
Carytowncat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-18-2016, 01:11 AM   #10
Skoolie
 
karrlot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Manitou Springs, CO
Posts: 219
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Ward
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DT466
Rated Cap: 65 passenger
OK good. It sounds like checking and adding air to my tires is probably not going to cause any kind of a huge explosion.
__________________
Please check out my blog-
Follow the (lack of) progress on the Karr Family Kamping Bus Blog
Here is my woefully inadequate build thread:
https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f11/i-...bus-12296.html
karrlot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-18-2016, 01:20 AM   #11
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Georgia
Posts: 2,264
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: IH
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 14
The tires we run on these buses are engineered with an *ENORMOUS* safety factor. Granted, split rims aren't without their risks, but once safely mounted on a bus, the likelihood of anything happening during a routine tire pressure check is extremely unlikely. Same holds true for the tires themselves. If one is likely to fail, it is likely to do so upon its first inflation.

These are designed to withstand high pressures, a tremendous amount of beating from rough roads, hot pavement, frigid conditions, and countless other factors. So checking pressures while at rest is not likely to cause a sudden rupture.
Brad_SwiftFur is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-18-2016, 02:29 AM   #12
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 56
Manufacturers would get sued for big $ if their products were so unsafe that an end user could be seriously injured doing standard user checks.

Yes when the tech is doing a change there are risks but that's why you pay them to use their safety gear.

What gets difficult is writing the owners manual as the second stage manufacturer. Calculating correct tyre pressure etc.
retiredChemist is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-05-2016, 04:09 PM   #13
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,760
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
digging up an old thread...

with me travelling between ohio and florida alot, now being winter I have to constantly adjust the tire pressures to make sure they are correct for the area im travelling...

do big riggers just set a pressure and forget or do they constantly adjust like im doing?

im adjusting at the beginning of the trip, the norning after my night stop.. (halfway).. and the norning after I arrive.. so the tires are always at their 'coldest' time.. of course that varies greatly with whether im in sunny 65 degree st pete(morning).. or in yucky 17 degree ohio(morning).. and then theres the daytime heating..

in ohio it may be 17 in the AM and only reach 25-30 in the daytime.. in florida it may go up to 85 and then the sun shining on the tires..

while I realize the tires are engineered to handle wide varieties of pressure.. i am working with 100 PSI here.. yes they are New tires..

nevertheless I dont want to end up cut in half...

so what shall i need to properly and safely inflate?

I read about "clip on air chucks.. " some with gauges.. but all have such short little hoses.. and people tell me stand off to the side when airing a tire.. never in front of or behind a sidewall.. well thats really tough with a little hose...

what do the truckers use? these guys dont seem to be getting injured by inflating tires and they must do it all the time... do they just stand in front of the tire and air-up anyway??


Love to hear form those who drive big rigs and / or busses for a living, esp across mulltiple climate zones..
-Christopher
cadillackid is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-05-2016, 05:11 PM   #14
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Posts: 1,001
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: International
Engine: TE 444
Rated Cap: 12
Inflate tires cold to desired pressure, then ignore heat rise, the inflation max pressure on the tire is a cold pressure, so if you check later and you have 115 psi instead of 100 because you have been driving, you are fine. Most tire failures are due to being under inflated and getting hot because of it, or because of gross overloading of the vehicle, also most truck tires are rated 65 mph at max load and pressure, and if you are at max load, you want max pressure
Kubla is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-05-2016, 05:43 PM   #15
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Georgia
Posts: 2,264
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: IH
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 14
As a professional driver, 99% of us have a "set it and forget it" mindset. Inflate to proper pressure cold. Check when cold or when in doubt. Don't deflate when tires are warm - remember, they were designed to work this way. We don't adjust for winter/Florida temp differences. Basically, if it's showing 95+ PSI, we're good to go.

I drove for JB Hunt a few years ago and their company policy was "If it's showing 85 or less, we consider it flat", meaning it needed air pressure ... and as likely as not, needed to be checked to see why it was under 90.
Brad_SwiftFur is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-05-2016, 07:15 PM   #16
Bus Nut
 
AlleyCat67's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Music City USA
Posts: 737
Year: 2005
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: Detroit MBE906
Rated Cap: 72
That's how I was too.... set it, check it every day or so, adjust if needed, and roll.

If you have dual rears this might be something for you to look at as well... I have a pair of these that will be installed on my rears when I get them dug out of storage. Can tell at a glance if your pressure is too high or too low.

Another nice thing is if there is an inequality between the two tires it will transfer air between them to equalize it. But if one or the other blows it has a safety check inside it that will keep the pressure in the good tire so it doesn't go down.

I think they make these in 65, 90, 100, 110, 120 psi.

__________________
My bus - Jasmine - External Build Website - YouTube Channel - TN/KY Meetup Group
As a level 1 burglar, Bilbo got a pony when he accompanied the level 60 dwarves on the Smaug the Dragon raid. Those powerlevelers probably invited him solely so he could trigger fellowship attacks for them.
AlleyCat67 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-05-2016, 07:16 PM   #17
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,760
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
good stuff... what about the proper procedure to inflate? did you guys just stand in front ofthe tire with an air chuck and gauge and go?

I know some will say use a bat.. I have not developed a keen sense with a bat... I set 1 steer at 100 and the other at 85 and batted away on both and couldnt tell the difference so I figured for now I'll use a gauge..

-Christopher
cadillackid is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-05-2016, 07:34 PM   #18
Bus Crazy
 
somewhereinusa's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Andrews,Indiana
Posts: 2,430
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: AARE
Engine: 3116 Cat 250hp
Rated Cap: Just the two of us.
Use a pressure gauge, cold. A bat will only tell you that a tire is seriously low.
somewhereinusa is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-05-2016, 07:42 PM   #19
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Posts: 1,001
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: International
Engine: TE 444
Rated Cap: 12
get one of these, threaded on the inside, weight of the air hose will keep it on the stem
Dual-Foot Lock-On Air Chuck | GEMPLER'S

I have one,just need to bring my big compressor to my current house
Kubla is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-05-2016, 08:44 PM   #20
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,760
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
I have a big compressor at the house but I'm also going to set up an air connect on the bus . I may locate it inside the battery box or tucked up under the hood. I'm usually checking the fluids when I'm checking tires so opening the hood is no big deal
cadillackid is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:01 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.