Tires

the_experience03 · 03-20-2006, 03:54 PM

I just called the shop and found out how much my new steering tires were. Grand total ended up being about $450. The reason I bring this up is because I'm just curious what everyone elses experience has been like.
My bus had 10.00R20 split daytons on it. I think I got the last vehicle made in the United States with split rims

Now here's the real kicker...I took off the radials and put on a set of bias plys.

So then...what gives, right? Here's my justification. My split rims were in fantastic shape. New 11R22.5 one piece rims would have cost $80 each (and not matched in color...not that rustoleum doesn't can the cure for that) plus $25 for mountinga tubeless tire. My split rims were free, but cost me $90 to get the mounting done (it actually took the shop 3.5 hours. I guess split rims in good shape not only don't explode, but are hard to get apart period). Obviously the split rims were a cheaper option, eeven after buying new tubes and flappers since they were apart.

The split rims also allowed me to go ahead and run bias ply tires with tubes. Why did I want bias ply tires when radials offer far better road manners, heat resistance, and life? Because radials are expensive! I could have run caps in the front legally with RV plates, but that doesn't mean it's any safe. I just could not justify paying twice as much for radials as bias ply tires when I'm so sure the tires will dry rot off before they wear off. I might be right, I might be wrong....time will tell. Besides...I'm used to the road manners of bias ply tires since I've had super swampers under my truck for as long as I can remember. If I can handle driving a little Toyota pickup on super swampers from Minnesota to the Oregon coast and back in a week, I think I can handle them on the bus.

As a side note...my tires have a typical highway grooved pattern, but have some really neat side wall lugs. I've never seen tires like that before, but I haven't seen many bias ply tires on buses and trucks before either so I would imagine it would just be an added benefit of the sidewall characteristics of a bias ply tire.

So then...here's the real meet and potatos of my longwinded post:

What size, type, and brand of tires is everyone else running?

How much does everyone else pay for tires and mounting?

Anyone else have any thoughts on this? I know I took a different approach, but I figure I can justify it somehow.

Jarlaxle · 03-22-2006, 08:48 PM

Quote:

I could have run caps in the front legally with RV plates

Actually, you couldn't...nothing above a certain weight capacity (I think an 8.25-20) can run front caps, regardless of what it is.

I have 22.5" Budds...steers are 11R22.5 Goodyear highway rib, drives will are currently really old 10R22.5's, will be 11R22.5 Bandags.

the_experience03 · 03-23-2006, 02:12 AM

According to the lady and the DMV and the tire place, I could have

Because it is an RV in this state, they don't really care about anything. Funny how that works, eh? Especially considering the RV tax base is the same as a commerical truck. That means about $11 per year to register it.

At any rate...caps on the front aren't legal on commercial trucks for a reason. The way I figure it...a new tire is more likely to leak down in a controlled manner whereas a cap will have a tread seperation. I had all 6 lug nuts shear off in my truck once and fell the 12 inchs onto the rotor going at highway speeds. As I watched that Super Swamper go bouncing down the left lane I don't think I have ever been more scared in my life.

I recoverd it just fine and got safely onto the side of the highway, but I'd hate to try that with 35 feet of big ugly yellow.....

Slowpoke · 03-23-2006, 02:24 AM

You aren't allowed to put retreds on the front for safety reasons. If the tred seperates and gets all tangled up in the fender, then you've lost steering. IF you remember back in the 70's trucks used to have the bumper cut off in the area in front of the tire for the same reason. If the bumper got hit, it could bend back into the tire, locking the wheel in place and you wouldn't be able to steer.

the_experience03 · 03-23-2006, 02:40 AM

I wish I could remember back to the 70's (or earlier) but alas.....I wasn't born until 9-30-84

I have to get my cracks in now cause someday I'll be old

lapeer20m · 03-23-2006, 02:28 PM

I am pretty sure that RV's can run retreds on steer tires in michigan....safe or not.

the_experience03 · 03-23-2006, 03:05 PM

So are any of you still running bias ply tires? Would anyone be like me and actually considering replacing their worn out radials with bias ply? How about the split rims? Anyone else keep them rather than updating?

Jarlaxle · 03-23-2006, 04:42 PM

I drive a truck at work (1972 F-800 rollback wrecker) with 10.00R20 tube tires...radials, but still running split rims. The 1979 International hoist was just upgraded from 9.00-20 bias-ply tube tires to 10R22.5 radials (axle swap, actually from a school bus, to get disc brakes). The old 20" wheels were also splits.

I'll never put bias-plys on my bus. My F-350 runs retreads all around.

frank-id · 03-24-2006, 12:09 AM

I have either new or very good tires on the front of my bus. On the rear, the tires are good depth but of unknown age. I have been out for several long periods with never a tire problem. I do have road tire/trouble insurance. I do not carry a spare anything. My view is.. if a tire goes flat, the road service fixes tire. If the tire is destroyed, the road service can change bad tire for a wheel/tire from rear of bus. This change will work good to get into town or near a tire store. Making a few calls on the old CB will find some good tires cheap at many truck stops, usually $150-175 ready to mount....
Buying tires or wheels from a road service guy is not good. My road service is about $75 extra per year. My friends bus has 2 bad tires, but one was plugged. My road service did real good. The road service has changed a little in the last year. Now it is required that I pay the road service truck and my insurance company will pay me later at home. On theroad is a bad time to need or buy anything. The time for negotiating has passed. I'm heading out to warmer climes shortly, and my bus looks like aparts store. I'm carring 3 oil and fuel filters and 6 gallons of oil and other stuff. Frank

Les Lampman · 03-24-2006, 09:34 AM

In the overall scheme of things spending money for top-notch steer tires is a cheap investment. In several hundred thousand miles on my class 8 Freightliner semi I never had steer tire trouble because I always installed the best tire I could find (and kept them inflated properly). Each set lasted about 100,000 miles; it's going to take a lot of driving in my bus to get that many miles piled on so it's probably a one time investment until I become worried that they're getting too old!

When I bought new steer tires for the Freightliner I moved the used set back to the rear as drivers. I'm not sure I'll do that on the bus since I like a different tread pattern back there but we'll see. I'm not nearly so worried about the rear tires since there are four of them back there and losing one rarely results in immediate peril; unlike the front where losing a steer tire can make things go to heck in a handbasket very quickly.

the_experience03 · 03-24-2006, 02:05 PM

I seem to be all alone with the bias ply tires.

I still stand my ground though. They (or any other tires) will dry rot off before they wear off and not that I plan on selling the bus, but if I did...just saying new tires is sufficient...not new radials.

I'm surprised thet plugged a 14 or 16 ply steel belted radial. The steel belts can cut the pug off I've heard. I've been told a plug is good enough to get you to a service station, but it should be patched there. I don't know how much truth there is to that, but it would make me think that nylon belted bias ply tires might be ok with just a plug. For the record...I prefer plugs over patches from my work at a tire shop. They seem to hold up better.

hoser · 03-26-2006, 04:58 AM

The front of my bus has 10R22.5 Michelin tires they say regroovable on them so who does the grooving when it needs done?

I talked to one local guy he said replacement tires are about 300 bux each, ouch, when it comes time to replace can use 8R22.5?

Jarlaxle · 03-26-2006, 09:13 AM

DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT USING 8R22.5 TIRES ON THE BUS! They are much too narrow for your rims.

11R22.5 is a very common size, and usually cheaper than a 10R22.5 tire. I suggest Bandag retreads for the drive axle, and take-offs for the front. Also, the 11R's are slightly taller (an inch or two), and will give you a bit more highway speed.

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