best way to replace bad tire in duelly rear axle?

[welcomehome]

my rear axle is the kind with 2 tires on each side. the inner driver side tire has a bubble on the sidewall so i need to replace it. both of the tires on that rear driver side are the oldest tires. older by about 2 years than any of the others, they are 6 years old.
considering that otherwise, all the tires look like they have plenty of rubber life left on them, is it ok to just buy a single used tire with the same size and replace it? or do i have to replace both of those back there on that side because they roll together?
when it rains it pours; ive had to do so much work on this bus lately its gonna be really hard to budget in a decent tire or two.
thank you all so much for your help, and also any advice to help me change them out as well.

 

[bansil]

8 years old is what most folks consider the life of a tire, skoolies will never wear out tire tread during service life due to lack of miles driven, most tires die due to age.
Yes you can replace just one tire, consider getting a used tire and steel wheel to put on bus, this will give you an emergency spare tire even with the bulge it can get you to safety especially on the rear with 3 others helping out

This is just my .02 and a disclaimer saying safety first:biggrin:

 

[superdave-SKO]

you can change them yourself, it can be a real p i t a. i know your budget is tight but consider buying two new tires for the front and replace the bad one with one of the old one's and keep the other as a spare.if you go to a tire shop ask what they use to change the tire then go to harbor freight and get the tools there, basicaly a few big steel bars. good luck

 

[cadillackid]

deflate the tire with the bubble before you begin to try and remove the rim from the bus..

make sure before you move any front tire t othe rear that it is an all-position tire.. (meanrt to be used as a steer(front) or a drive(rear)).

all the tires on the rear axle should be exactly the same size.. differing sizes can wreak havok on tire wear, driveability, and the gears in the axle..

I always thought the lifespan of a tire was 10 years before it "ages out".. obviously a damaged tire must be replaced..

-Christopher

 

[Tango-SKO]

Tires can be a lot like people...some wear out/age out quicker than others. UV can wreak havoc on otherwise "good tires". If the sidewalls show cracking and splitting, it is definitely time for a change. And tire covers can make a big difference if a rig spends most of its' life parked, especially down south.

 

[gbstewart]

I know tires a costly, but if your going to use your bus, you should really try and get some good tires, having a blow out , or just getting stranded with a flat won't be fun, and the cost will be a lot more. There are some good prices out there. You have to safe when out on the road.
gbstewart

 

[welcomehome]

i know how to check the date codes, and i know im looking for 225/70/19.5 because thats what all the tires are. how do i know when i am looking at a used tire to replace the bad one that it is designed to be a drive or an all-position tire?
also, my 1.25" lugnuts are recessed into my hub several inches. would i need to get a 3/8 inch socket wrench along with an extension and socket to get those off? if so, would this configuration allow the use of a cheater bar? or maybe a breaker bar instead? i will also probably need a large wrench and socket to change out that axles leaking wheel seal as well?

 

[SDR76]

You're going to need something a little more manly than 3/8 sockets. 1/2 is likely too small as well, I'm sure they will hold up if you have a quality set, and a good breaker bar. I used a 3/4 impact to take the nuts off one of my fronts, (someone put them on VERY tight). (I added an onboard air tank to my brake/suspension system just to have a large volume of air when needed. I like the idea of being able to change a tire myself when needed.)

 

[EastCoastCB]

This is what the truck stop uses, I want one!
1 in. Industrial Pinless Air Impact Wrench

 

[jazty]

I've been wanting one of these for removing lug nuts:





The tool can be used with a torque wrench if you add the internal resistance (something like 15%).
In the mean time, my 3' breaker bar does just fine.

That fella's pair of gloves are way to clean to be a mechanic

 

[Tall Grass]

Before most impacts or anyway we didn't have them on the farm. During harvest we changed about 4-5 10:00x20 flat tires per day and we had a 3/4 breaker bar with socket and extension all welded together and then a 3 ft cheater pipe and a big 4 way lug wrench to spin them off after loosening.

 

[welcomehome]

i did look at those nut busting tools, but i wondered if they would have the clearance to get at my 8 lug nuts that are recessed into my hub.
yep, i actually meant to type 3/4, not 3/8. but i wonder if i would be able to get by with a 3/4 inch, if that will be "manly" enough for those 1 1/4" lugnuts? i wonder if i might have to get a 1" wrench instead? also, im trying to make sure whichever tool i purchase, that hopefully i will be able to use the same tool to turn the nuts inside my axle when i have to change out the rear wheel seal in that same axle.

 

[cadillackid]

This is what the truck stop uses, I want one!
1 in. Industrial Pinless Air Impact Wrench

yeah!!! thats my kind of tool!!!
-Christopher

 

[EastCoastCB]

yeah!!! thats my kind of tool!!!
-Christopher

I'll buy you one when you come help me with this wiring!!

Could even spring the extra hundo for the "professional" model-

 

[cadillackid]

ive got a 3/4" up in Ohio and some extensions.. I probably dont have a torque stick big enough for the 475 ft lbs a Hub-pilot wheel needs though..

im not strong enough to man handle bus wheels anyway.. though maybe the little 19.5's I could..

that 3/4" air wrench sure did make quick work of taking apart frame and suspension components on hot rods though!

speaking of wiring - ECCB - what day do you want to connect?
-Christopher

 

[EastCoastCB]

ive got a 3/4" up in Ohio and some extensions.. I probably dont have a torque stick big enough for the 475 ft lbs a Hub-pilot wheel needs though..

im not strong enough to man handle bus wheels anyway.. though maybe the little 19.5's I could..

that 3/4" air wrench sure did make quick work of taking apart frame and suspension components on hot rods though!

speaking of wiring - ECCB - what day do you want to connect?
-Christopher

As soon as convenient for you. I work tomorrow through fri from 7 or 8 am to 2 pm. sat and sun off.

 

[welcomehome]

correction: my lug nuts are not 1.25", they are 1-15/16.
somewhere somebody mentioned something about the driver's side of the bus' lugnuts unscrew one way and the passenger side's lugnuts unscrew the other direction. does anybody have any clarification on this? thank u

 

[Robin97396]

Yeah, sometimes they put left handed threads on one side of the bus. They're often stamped with an "L", but you can still see if they're backwards on one side just by looking at the threads.

 

[Njsurf73]

ive got a 3/4" up in Ohio and some extensions.. I probably dont have a torque stick big enough for the 475 ft lbs a Hub-pilot wheel needs though..

im not strong enough to man handle bus wheels anyway.. though maybe the little 19.5's I could..

that 3/4" air wrench sure did make quick work of taking apart frame and suspension components on hot rods though!

speaking of wiring - ECCB - what day do you want to connect?
-Christopher

Use the tire irons as levers to lower and raise the wheels... Mechanical advantage is a wonderful thing!
Not many people can manhandle an 11r22.5 or bigger tire but anyone can use a lever!

 

[welcomehome]

well i went to agri supply and got a 20 inch long 3/4" drive and an 8 inch extension. maybe i need to use a cheater bar too.
my plan is to locally source a single used 225/70/19.5 to take the same position as the one with the bubble. my logic being that a used tire might match the size of its partner rolling right next to it better than a new tire, hopefully causing less heat and wear.
do i need to look for any specific kind of tire because it is a duelly? or will any used 225/70/19.5 do?