outdated tires??

[David G.]

my bus has 9.00R20 tires on it and i need to replace the 4 rear ones becouse they are dry rotted,what are the chances of finding some used ones in good shape ? I had a guy tell me they are outdated and kinda hard to find used....

[Steve]

I have 8.25R20s that need to be replaced ASAP because they are also rotted. I was able to find new ones no problem.

[David G.]

so far i have found some new ones for $250.00 each,thats why i was hopeing to find some used ones....but,...as they say.....you have to pay if ya want to play i guess.....

[AK-Brando]

I would check with your local school bus company and see if they would be willing to sell you some of the old tires as they replace them on the buses. They are required by law (at least in Alaska) to replace them once they wear down so far. They still should have plenty of wear left for occasional use.

This of course assumes the local bus company uses the same size tires your bus needs.

[Steve]

I have been looking very seriously into getting new tires on my bus here is what I have found:

The local school districts will retread the tires (11R22.5 are the current size) once and after that exchange them to the tire company.

My bus has 20" Widowmaker style bud rims, NOBODY will put tires on these anymore. I've called everywhere.

New 20" split rims are no longer made, at least that is what everyone is telling me. So a new set would have to come from the junkyard.

Replacement tires for the 8.25-20 are around $160 each mounted and balanced.

I can fit on some new 22.5" wheels which will run me $145.57 each new. Maybe I can find some cheaper at a junkyard.

However new tires for the 22.5" wheels which are 11R225 are an incredible $270 mounted and balanced.

Uhg, I don't think my bus is going far till someone wrecks their truck.

[Firearm]

As I posted earlier in another thread, my local private bus company (that hires out school buses to our city school district) replaces their tires once a year. They store away all the good used ones with about 70-80% tread left (for what reason I don't know, maybe emergency spares?) so I would start by talking with someone in a private company in your area (if there is one). $270 a piece is crazy. Man, I'd have to take a second job driving a bus to be able to buy new wheels for mine...lol.

[Steve]

What state are you in?

[Steve]

I found a place selling retread drive 11R22.5 tires for $175 each, that at least helps out with $400 of the cost.

[Firearm]

I am in northern Minnesota.

[Steve]

Here is an update, you can save a chunk of money by getting 10R22.5 tires instead. They are going for:

$240 for the front (new BF Goodrich)
$140 for the rear (retreads)

[lapeer20m]

i went 25 miles to the nearest big truck tire place. I took the bus around to the service entrance and explained to one of the mechanics that i needed a new steer tire, but i didn't have much money. He found a used steer tire with decent tred for $75.00. It's still in excellent shape after 10k miles.

i also got lucky and found a couple new/used retreds on a bus one of the local fire departmetns were going to use for practice with the jaws of life. They let me take anything i wanted off of that bus before it went off to the scrap yard. This is probably not a good option for most people...kind of a needle in a haystack

[David G.]

WOW!!! i just found a guy less than 20 min. from the house who has ran busses for the county for years,and he has the tires i need ,they are used but in great shape. he said i can have them for $25 to $ 30 each. he also said he had some that would fit my wheels but are just a little taller. i'm in east tn. but if anyone needs wheels,...he has a big stockpile that has been kept inside and in very good shape!
BTW, thanks for all the help guys,being new to all this as i am, your replies sure make things alot easier

[David G.]

oops, i ment to say if you need tires not wheels
i guess thats why they have that little preview thingy there,huh?

[lornaschinske]

David G.,
Where in East TN (covers a big area)?. We're 25 miles west of Chattanooga at the TN/AL/GA state lines. Need 10 tires for our Eagle and, judging by the skoolie I saw in Chatt yesterday, they are running the same size tires. We just need to get the Eagle to the point to where we can bring it home from NC as soon as we get the pole barn up and roofed (just need to get the telephone poles over here). David doesn't seem to have the time to work on it much and my mom is getting cranky about it sitting up at the cabin taking up space. And any skoolie I get will need tires.

[David G.]

lorna,
i'm just outside of knoxville.,in maryville(the smokies,townsend) ya know.....that really crowded place in the summertime....lol. the guys name is jimmy hatcher, just call hickory corner trailer sales and service @(865)982-0285 . or i will be more than happy to run up there for you one day and check on them. just let me know. hope this helps.

[lornaschinske]

I know where Maryville is (I even know it's pronounced "Mur-Ville" ). We looked at an RTS up in that area (Sweetwater) a few years ago when we were looking to buy a bus to convert and David worked that area back when he was in Home Security Sales. Thanks for the Info. I will log it into my "Bus info" notebook along with my list of reliable bus mechanics (bus as in Coaches). If I don't write it down, I lose it. Guess I need to start up a note book for Skoolies.

[David G.]

yip....big ole murville,we're growing by leaps and bounds.....heck,i hear tell we may get a 3rd redlight soon !!! lol there is a big buss boneyard in knoxville on maynardville hwy. that my dad was telling me about. i'll get with him and find out the name and phone# and put it on here also.