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Old 05-06-2007, 11:26 PM   #1
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If that tire was inflated much more than the other tire on that side it is possible that it wore unevenly due to carrying more load. If you have Dayton wheels it is possible that they could have been put on poorly the last time the tires came off, but you'd feel that while you were driving. It very well could just be like my bus where one of the rear tires has less tread because it was replaced after one of the matched tires got a flat. If a district had good luck with one particular brand I wouldn't be surprised if they had some older and some newer ones.

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Old 05-07-2007, 01:58 PM   #2
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tires on dually's don't always match, by hook or by crook. My inside rear tires on both sides are @ 50% and both outside rears are 100% brand new. You don't get to replace them all at once most of the time unless you need all 4 or want to give away the partly used ones. The important point is that they all are the same size and height. Check tire pressure often and don't run them at max pressure unless you have the rear filled with rock or junk (max weight). sportyrick
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Old 05-15-2007, 07:06 PM   #3
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I would say they do look like they have 27000 on them. Dont really know with schoolbuses but what we run on our ambulances probably starts looking like that around that milage. And specialy if this truck has been driven on gravel roads you can expect to get new tires every 30'000 -40'000
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Old 05-15-2007, 08:52 PM   #4
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Those tires have way more than 27k miles on them, but that doesn't mean the bus does. I have a concrete truck with about 25k miles on it and the tires are at least 85%. That is city, freeway and offroad driving. Tires are very expensive. Maybe the tires on that bus were in good condition and they decided to do a tire swap since they were selling the bus. The cheapest tires I have found so far were Chinese and they were $225 each plus FET, mounting and sales tax. Michelins were over $400 each. Be prepared to pay big money for tires.
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Old 05-15-2007, 11:53 PM   #5
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I only paid $160 plus mounting and balancing for my Chinese bias ply 10.00-20 steers. Sure, they're bias play and sure they're still tube type tires, but at that price who cares if I have to replace them more often. And yes, radials drive better, but having dealt with tires that think they should be square instead of round (Interco Super Swampers) on my truck for so long the bus tires are actually....nice!
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Old 05-16-2007, 01:37 AM   #6
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Ehh....I wouldn't pay it, but it really depends on the area. Tall deck 427's are cool engines, but in a skoolie, especially an All American, there are other choices that are probably better. Have you been having a really hard time finding buses in your area? Are they all in worse condition? Do they cost more? It all comes down to your area, but if it were in my area, no I wouldn't pay that much.
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Old 05-16-2007, 11:29 AM   #7
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big truck tires which is what you have usually have around an inch of depth when new, yours look wore out, if you can't bury a nickle in them then they are high mileage for sure. I expect to wear out my bus before the tires. this bus is just like mine, 427 gas, allison etc except my front windows are 4 piece, yours look like 2 piece which means special order and a little more money verses flat 4 piece like mine. If that is an All American like mine then it's galvanized steel sheet metal and should last a long time. The gas motor is a good one but like most buses you will go slower up hill, most buses are painfully slow. I like the gas motor because you can put a BRAND NEW 427 in their yourself for @ $3000 or 4000 (thats carb to oil pan) verses a valve job alone for a diesel would cost that (shop repair prices because of the special tools needed). Every little farm town mechanic knows how to fix your 427, they have been used in dump/grain trucks for 50 years and you can get parts at any auto parts store. You pay at the pump (gas) or you pay at the repair shop (diesel), you make the choice, neither is cheap to drive. Also you have "bud" wheels and you can pick up some 22.5 stud centered aluminum wheels pretty cheap, some with good tires too! The main reason the trucking industry runs those is they weigh @ #50 less than steel (18x50#=@1000#less tare) and of course look better too. You only need the pretty wheels on the outside, run the steel wheel on the inside rear if wanted. As far as price, that's pretty steep unless they can verify the mileage. Ya, SOMEBODY purchased those tires new, who the hell said they did? That's an old car salesman trick, a generalization they can't get caught in. Get your pointed stick out, ask them what happened to the 27,000 mile tires, those tires should last at least 60,000? If the mileage is so low then how come it has rust? Look at the steering wheel, seat, and pedals, if they look new it has 27,000 miles, if they look ragged, it has 127,000 miles on it. Is the chrome rubbed off the door opener, 127,000. Rock chips all over the front 127,000. A 27,000 bus should look practically new, make then prove it. Do all the seats match? How much gum, pencil, pen is in the interior? If you have exhausted you search and are tired of looking and it suits you taste then buy it. Ask them if they would take $2000 cash, they didn't give **** for it guaranteed. sportyrick
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Old 05-16-2007, 12:26 PM   #8
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looking at all the pictures of that bus I have my doubts that it should only have 27000 miles. Why in the world would somebody park a bus with such little use? The odometer probably went around a few times
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Old 05-16-2007, 06:45 PM   #9
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I bought that exact bus and paid $1550. Mine had a rebuilt 427 and MT643. Total miles were 249000+/-. Unless they have ALL the records since new, it's 127k, 227k or 337k. If it was a diesel, I think $3k is fair. But it's gas. I wouldn't pay that much. Look at the second link, it's the same bus.
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Old 05-16-2007, 10:01 PM   #10
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While I haven't bought from them, the prices seem to be good and its not too far from you...well considering
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Old 05-17-2007, 12:00 AM   #11
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Sounds like you are dealing with used car salesmen scumbags. I have not picked up my 1985 BBAA yet, but I have a 1989 BBAA and it has a 5 digit odometer. The piece of s**t used car salesman that I bought it from said it had 34k original miles. When I showed up, the hour meter had over 13,000 hours. Unless you see records, or you are buying from the school directly, take everything with a grain of salt. If you find a super clean bus, don't be afraid to pay 1 or 2 thousand more. Everyone wants a screaming deal, but you can easily burn $2000 fixing stuff or buying tires, etc. Good luck.
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Old 05-17-2007, 02:58 AM   #12
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Have her take some pictures of the odometer and hour meter for you. Either she'll do it and you'll have your answer or she won't do it......and you'll have your answer.
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