Bus Tires

[RUskoolietailgater]

Anyone have an idea of what it costs to replace one tire? I was thinking $150-$200. Long story short I parked my skoolie and came to run it this weekend and the right front tire was completely flat?!?! They are 12 ply tires, so I don't understand why it is suddenly flat. I know the PSI on the tires is 100-110 and I had them at about 65. Slow leak? Temperature change? I think it is very hard for those tires to get a legitimate flat tire. I did have a bit of spider cracks on the outside but not true dry rot. Thoughts?

 

[RUskoolietailgater]

Spec is Steel Radial Cooper

Then a bunch of numbers

C120 124/120m 8R19.5

No idea what that means.

 

[Accordion]

New tires ARE expensive. I was lucky to find two Bridgestone 11r 2.25 tires for $100 each plus $50 for mounting the two at a local small tire shop.

8r 19.5 is the tire size. 8 refers to the width. 19.5 refers to the diameter.

 

[browncrown]

Next to fuel, probably the most expensive thing to replace, other than an engine. Like John, I am running 12R 22.5's on the Crown. They run about $500 new these days

 

[RUskoolietailgater]

I've seen some of mine for $200. Mechanic told me it might be a slow leak because it's been sitting so long. Said the tire looked dry rotted. I also only had 65 PSI in them when it requires 110. Was scared to put that much in.

 

[elkoskoolie]

When replacing a front tire with a used tire, make sure it's not a recap!
They are not legal or considered safe on steer wheels. Look for a multi number and letter brand on the side with the DOT marking;
it should be obviously branded or look like it's "cut" into the tire, not cast into the tire. Also, check the age.
Where the DOT followed by numbers and letters is, the last four numbers are manufacture date. First two is the week, last two is the year. If there's only three numbers run! it was made prior to 2000 and is too old. I paid $1200 for four new re-ring rears, two new Double Coin steers and six modern tubeless wheels this spring.

 

[Crazy]

How do you like those Double Coins?

 

[Motobus]

I priced a set this year that where closer to $150 each.

 

[Crazy]

Double Coin tires are from the Socialist Workers' Paradise, and by some reports I've read they're not bad. However, is that "not bad" by Chinese standards, or "not bad" by standards acceptable to most of us? Definitely Caveat Emptor here.

When I was at ABC Bus a few months ago I saw a newish Van Hool owned by some Chinese charter outfit come into the yard. I was not only amused to see the driver chain-smoking, even though there was a sign on the door saying "No Smoking, No Spitting, No Eating or Drinking on board", but what also tickled me was that it had some POS Chinese tires on the back, but Michelins on the front. It seems even the Chinese don't trust their own tires on the front! The rear tires were called Long Dong, or Hu Flung Dung, or something like that.

John

Are your sure it wasn't creeem of sumyoung guy.

 

[bapos]

Tires are expensive. There is no way around it. Good tires are even more expensive. Just a few simple things. Recapps are not as bad as people make them out to be. DO NOT PUT THEM ON THE STEER AXLE. Buy new steers and rotate the others to the back if they have meat left on them. Make sure you get the right ply rating for the weight load you have on your bus. Yes you can go with fewer ply ratings but its UNSAFE. The tire sales people can look it up (which i suggest you have them do) to get the right ones. Typically 12 ply will work in most cases.


Most chinese tires are not very good. You loose fuel mileage (compared to tier 1 tires,) they dont wear a long, and you will end up spending more money on them buy the other 2 factors and putting a couple of sets of cheap tires on then you will with a good tire. I saw it time and time again when I worked in commerical truck tires. Cheap tires are cheap for a reason.

 

[ol trunt]

Bapos, you are absolutely right! I can maybe see cheapo skins on the rear, but steering wheels need to be the best $ can buy.. As a rule of thumb, check the date of mfg and if it is over 10 years old (or shows cracking on the sidewall regardless of age) S*** can it and replace with a suitable tire. The big problem with weather checked tires is that they allow water to enter the tire carcus which rots the cord and worse yet gets inbetween the layers of steel belts. The water heats with road use and generates "steam" which forcefully separates the plys causing instant tire failure.

I speak from the standpoint of one who operated a used car rental fleet for many years. If the motor blows up well TS--if the tires or brakes fail someone dies.

 

[bapos]

Very good words to listen to there. You are exactly right that when you shed a tire it will cause you issues and those for others on the road. Plus road side service calls suck. They are expensive that is far more than what it takes to do when you pull in to a service facility.

I know I probably wont put a ton on miles on my bus but they do need good skins. I have a mix of tires on mine currently. I have some LP24.5 on the front and 10.00x 20 in the back so Im looking to get some 24.5 budd rims for the back so I can have a uniformed sized on the bus and hopefully lower the rpms some with a bigger size.

If you guys have any questions I would be very glad to help you out. I managed tire services for very large shipping fleets such as Fed Ex, Swift, Old Dominion, and Arnold Transportation .... so I saw a LOT of tires on a daily basis. I will give you my honest opinion and help you out on what to do to save costs when possible.

 

[RUskoolietailgater]

We are going to have a mechanic come out and fix it. Both front tires are 12 ply, one guy 2 years ago told me that they are as sturdy as can be because they are 12 ply. Both tires have some small signs of dry rot on the outside (little cracks). One guy was scared of them (but he was trying to sell me on sinking like $2,000 worth or repairs that seemed completely unneccsary) and the other guy said we were okay. Well one finally went 2 weeks ago just sitting in the yard (think low PSI and change of weather did it in). Looking like $375 to replace the tire and have someone come out to fix it. I'll monitor the other one but the treads seem just fine, I just need the PSI in all of them raised. 50-65 is too low.

 

[lornaschinske]

My thoughts.... if you just need tires on the bus to shift it around the yard while you are converting it (no road trips), recaps and/or used tires will suffice. If traveling down the highway, I want decent tires. RVer's tend to change out tires based on years (5 to 7 years) rather than mileage. I know our tires are pitiful looking based on sun damage (and sitting one one spot) not based on miles. We will need new tires to leave NM on. We've been out here far too long.

I need to buy some vinyl to make a front cover (bra) to keep the wind down during the winter (held on with snaps). Last winter it got a little breezy at times. I've been thinking of sewing up a few wheel covers to keep the sun from damaging the tires so much. Too late for current tires but I'll have them for the next set of tires. So I need to figure out if my sewing skills are up to fitted covers or if I should stick with the snap-on system. I'm not exactly good at sewing even though I worked in a factory sewing blue jeans for a few years.

"The only thing domestic about me is I used to live in a house"

 

[GreyEagle-SKO]

lornaschinske .
You could use the plastic window shades on your wheel wells as covers to protect the tires from the sun...
Mount the brackets on the bus above the wheel well and install shades when parked. roll up and place inside for moving down the highway....

Just thinking out loud again... sometimes it gets me in trouble....

Roy B.

 

[lornaschinske]

That might work someplace that doesn't have 70 mph wind gusts as part of a normal day. After looking at the tires, I will be going with flat covers that snap on the bus. I also don't trust magnets in the wind they have out here. The vinyl windshield cover on the Class C has been blown off several times out here. It has both magnets on the corners and loops that fit over the corners of the cab doors. The magnets are strong but not strong enough. I have a basic idea as to what I will make. Simple and uncomplicated. Must be easy to put on/take off preferably without getting filthy in the process. Based on previous experience, the covers will be dirty & wet whenever we need to take them off. At any rate, they will be filthy. It's amazing how much dirt there is out here. How NM has any dirt left anywhere in the state is beyond me. This is the only place that we have seen a "mud storm" (dust storm with rain at the same time).

my bad....

 

[kimberlink-SKO]

Has anyone changed out the Crown wheels (5 Spoke) to a standard Wheel? How hard is it and what kind of parts do you need? I have those big cast iron wheels on mine and would like to change them out to a standard wheel and maybe put the single superwides on the back. any thoughts?

 

[RUskoolietailgater]

So now a new question.

Drove the bus today on the highway with a new wheel. It felt a bit wobbly in the steering wheel at times. Was thinking maybe the tires needed to be balanced. Then when I got home, I decided to measure the tread depth. My new tire has an entire 1/4" more tread than my other front tire. I am guessing that is most likely the issue, but how do I resolve this?

 

[Skunky Bus]

When I was at ABC Bus a few months ago I saw a newish Van Hool owned by some Chinese charter outfit come into the yard...The rear tires were called Long Dong, or Hu Flung Dung, or something like that.
John

"Hu Flung Dung" sounds like what drivers following the bus might say about the bits of rubber flying back

There is a Chinese truck called Dongfeng. I'm not making that up. Imagine these things being sold in the English-speaking world and an owner trying to call the police to tell them, "My Dongfeng's been stolen," and NOT get hung up on!

 

[bapos]

Dont worry too much about the small cracks in the side. Those come from interaction with ozone. It happens to all tires. I have seen ALOT of tires come out of the recap shop that I would would have busted in a heart beat but its always better to err on the side of caution than to take chances even more so if they are in the steer position. As said earlier a good rule of thumb is to make sure they are changed out every 7-10 years tops. Sooner if your wallet will allow.