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Old 10-14-2016, 01:14 AM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
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Short Bus Tires

Hi everyone, My name is Julius and I recently purchased a 1990 International Short Bus. I wanted to begin converting it to a vehicle that I could use for my rugby team travels and my social club. I have begun the deconstruction of the bus and I have hopes of making it a pretty sweet ride.

I was wondering if anyone knew of any websites I could check out to get decent priced tires for the bus. I have been hunting through the net but having a hard time coming up with anything.

Thanks for the help in advance.

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Old 10-14-2016, 01:49 AM   #2
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Most IHC buses used 10R22.5 tubeless tires or 9.00x20 tube type tires. Some of the really small buses had 8.24x20 tube type tires.

Your best bet for finding tires is to shop around locally. Your local discount tire store is probably not going to be helpful. But if you have a tire shop that sells tires for semi-trucks they should be able to help you out.

You really do not want to show up at a tire shop with your bus and six brand new tires. You will end up paying anywhere from $30.00 per wheel to dismount and mount to more than $50.00 per wheel to dismount and mount. And that price usually will not include the cost of a new stem or balancing.

Be aware that they will see you coming. They know you will not be back in to purchase another set of tires for a very long time to come. Your tires will be priced accordingly.

When our church purchased a new-to-us bus I think the school district found every old ragged tire they had and put them on our bus. No two tires were matched. We ended up spending $100.00 more on a new set of tires and wheels (all of the wheels on the bus were split rim tube type wheels and we upgraded to tubeless wheels) than what we paid for the bus. Because we purchased a full set of tubeless wheels that were used we got a better price. The new-to-us wheels cost less than what a new tube would have cost.
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Old 10-14-2016, 02:42 AM   #3
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Thanks for the heads up. I will have to do some hunting down here in Florida. Thanks
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Old 10-14-2016, 04:31 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Julius826 View Post
Thanks for the heads up. I will have to do some hunting down here in Florida. Thanks
st lucie battery and tire will set you up, they were good on there prices. i left there 8 years ago. good luck
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Old 10-14-2016, 05:45 AM   #5
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I priced out a set of 6 tires, 2 steering and 4 drive tires at 500 ea. Then I talked to a truck dealer ship, they suggested getting some low cost steering tires and get retreads for the drive tires. The other option is big rig wrecker but bus tires are smaller than the big rig tires I found. Hope this helps, Gordon
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Old 10-14-2016, 07:26 AM   #6
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I bought 6 Uniroyal tires 11R22.5 for the DEV.. they were about $300 a piece or a little less .. i can get you the tires I used if you like..

I got mine at a local tire shop in ohio..

it was going to cost me more to keep the 10R22.5s that were on it... the 11R is a nice upgrade..

what size is on your bus?

cowlitz - my latest IHC / bluebird (2000) has 225/70 19.5's on it.. they look almost like van wheels... and according to the computer my gears are 3.56s so the bus was ordered like that.. theres no way they would have put 3.56 gears on a T-444 with 20 or 22.5 wheels...
-Christopher
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Old 10-14-2016, 11:14 AM   #7
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Being a professional driver and having established business with a local tire shop has given me the opportunity to haggle for tires (when the time comes). I'd look to pay 300+ for "virgin" tires or about 150 for retreads. I'd *NEVER* put a retread on a steering tire unless I never plan to drive it more than a few miles (and it's generally considered illegal ... I'll leave that discussion for another time).

Also, I wouldn't waste my money on "cheap", no-name tires. Spend a little more and at least get something with a known brand name. It's cheap insurance.
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Old 10-14-2016, 11:00 PM   #8
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That would be great if I could get that tire information from you. Thanks
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Old 10-14-2016, 11:07 PM   #9
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Im not 100% sure on the size but I will know tomorrow when I got to work on it.
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Old 10-29-2016, 03:47 PM   #10
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Arizona school districts prohibit retreads on the steering wheels but they encourage their use on the rear wheels. I would imagine most school districts would be the same.
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Old 10-29-2016, 03:51 PM   #11
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DOT has the same rule for big rigs and most OTR trucks. No re-caps up front.
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Old 10-29-2016, 05:32 PM   #12
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FEDERAL law prohibits the use of retreads on steer axles on buses. Period.

49 CFR 393.75 (d) - No bus shall be operated with regrooved, recapped or retreaded tires on the front wheels.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/393.75
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Old 10-29-2016, 05:33 PM   #13
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Most schools around here get enough $$$ for good casings that they rarely are purchasing recaps these days.

At a savings of only about $100.00 per tire it isn't worth the hassle to have a recap. All it takes is one road call for a cap that has gone bad and you could have purchased a full set of brand new for less.
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Old 10-29-2016, 05:52 PM   #14
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I might be willing to use a recap as a spare tire, just to get to a shop to have the regular tire repaired/replaced. Not as a daily driver though.
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Old 10-29-2016, 10:55 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AlleyCat67 View Post
FEDERAL law prohibits the use of retreads on steer axles on buses. Period.

49 CFR 393.75 (d) - No bus shall be operated with regrooved, recapped or retreaded tires on the front wheels.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/393.75
But if you look up the definition of 'bus' on the same website, RVs and motorhomes are not buses.
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Old 10-29-2016, 11:05 PM   #16
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True. But I STILL wouldn't do it.

I only mentioned it in regards to an earlier post about AZ school districts not allowing it. Felt compelled to point out that it's federal law, not state or local. Guess I should have quoted the original post I was replying to.
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Old 10-30-2016, 07:48 AM   #17
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I took the Re-treads off my DEV bus.. at $320 for name brand (uniroyal) tire, I figured it was woerth it to pony up for 6 new ones and have oeace of mind, that I most likely wont have to buy tires for that bus for a very long time.
-Christoher
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