Tires

[maj-SKO]

Hi
At my fire station we started putting michelin tires on all our trucks. They cost more but we are hard on trucks and they hold up.
Our ladder tower is 43 ft long and weighs 60,000 lbs. and we have lug tires on the rear and high way tires on the front. I can find out what they are if you want me to. My be I can post pictures.

 

[jkindt]

Michelins are good, more money, but good tires. I have 4 new Yokohamas on the rear of my bus and I like them. Good tread pattern for a quiet ride on the pavement, yet enough tread for going off the road to the random-camp sites that we go to in the mountains. The front of my bus has Toyo tires, but I won't be using them again. Never seemed to be able to balance them properly. They are almost worn out, so I will likely get a pair of Yokohamas to replace them. In all honesty, just make sure to buy a brand name tire in the tread design most suited for your driving conditions. Avoid retreads unless you absolutely cannot afford any others, even then they may not save you much money if one decides to let go on the highway. And, if you are spending that much for 6 tires, get a wheel alignment. It will save you from premature wear on those new boots! 8)

 

[bus-ted]

Smitty, you're probably already aware, but your steering tires on your bus are the most important, and in my opinion no one should skimp when it comes to them, especially. Michelin doesn't even carry my size tires anymore, so I'm stuck with g.y....not that I can find a thing wrong with them other than having to travel to get them. It makes not a lot of sense to me that some tire shops only cater to passenger vehicles- especially a major named tire company like g.y..

 

[the_experience03]

I'm going to play devil's advocate here, but I have cheap bias ply tires. Yes, they will wear out quicker than the expensive radials. They also won't handle as well and will hurt my mileage. But...I'm not going to wear them or radials out. I just don't think my bus would last that long no matter what. I'm sure they hurt my handling, but I'm driving a 10 ton death machine. I promise that going from driving a Chevy pickup daily to the bus I'm not going to notice it. Finally, yes, I'm sure they hurt my mileage, but at 8 mpg I'm not going to feel it for a long time, and certainly not enough over the course of the life of the bus to justify the cost difference. Now I know you plan to travel more, Smitty, so take that into account, but don't rule out the cheap tires just because they have a few downfalls that accompany their greatly reduced price.

 

[jump66]

Smitty, I buy tires for a utility truck fleet where I work. I buy Firestone and have execellent service from them.
They are great tires but don't kick you in the wallet as bad as Michelins Or GY. Sounds to me that you probably need open shoulder tires for the rear and just straight steer tires on the front.--Jerry

 

[the_experience03]

Between the bus and my crawler that was daily driver forever it took me a long time to get used to driving with radial tires. I still don't like looking at my tires and always thinking they're flat with the sidewall bulge they show. I will admit though...my Coopers do better on the highway than my Super Swampers ever did.

 

[Jarlaxle]

I'm just thinking for the future, but before the bus sees much road-time, I want to put a fresh set of skins all-round (all 6). I don't have any experience with large tires (other than mudders ). I want a good hi-way tire, and they will see some "mild" off-road use. I'm talking boondocking, not off-roading :shock: Dirt, sod, and hopefully a little desert.

Michelin or Goodyear? Any particular style?

Smitty

Bandag, at least in back.

Front...Hankook, Kumho, etc.

 

[the_experience03]

And sing my super swampers do. On a clear night they are audible for 2 miles through the trees. It makes for a less pleasant experience on long drives, that's for sure. My tires are just little guys though cause it's just a little truck...36x12.5-15 Super Swamper SX's. Much bigger than that and I think I'd be spending more times swapping birfields than actually driving. As it is I really need to come up with the coin for Longfields. 36's and a healthy V-8 on stock Toyota axles is pushing the limits, that's for sure. My LTB's were screamers too...

 

[jump66]

Smitty, I buy tires for a utility truck fleet where I work. I buy Firestone and have execellent service from them.
They are great tires but don't kick you in the wallet as bad as Michelins Or GY. Sounds to me that you probably need open shoulder tires for the rear and just straight steer tires on the front.--Jerry

What's an open shoulder tire? When you're talking Firestone, are you talking radials?

t_e03- The best part about 40-44" tires is listening to them sing

Smitty

Open shoulder would be an all around tire(highway and off-road) without having the big heavy lugs. Yes I'm talking radials.
Go to Firestone web and check them out. Look at the t-831-not what you would want on a skoolie but that is what we run here because we are off road alot.--Jerry

 

[Jarlaxle]

I'm just thinking for the future, but before the bus sees much road-time, I want to put a fresh set of skins all-round (all 6). I don't have any experience with large tires (other than mudders ). I want a good hi-way tire, and they will see some "mild" off-road use. I'm talking boondocking, not off-roading :shock: Dirt, sod, and hopefully a little desert.

Michelin or Goodyear? Any particular style?

Smitty

Bandag, at least in back.

Front...Hankook, Kumho, etc.

lol....like I'd take your advice

Smitty

Here's a penny, call someone who cares.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Are you hammered?

 

[Jarlaxle]

Are you currently stoned, sloshed, baked, medicated, wasted, whacked-out, levitating, feeling no pain, feelin' groovy, blasted, smashed, hammered, wired, or otherwise under the influence of mind-altering drugs in large amounts? If so, please sober up. If not, please get stoned.

 

[Jarlaxle]

LOL.... all good replies.... here's my $.02......

First, great minds think alike, Smitty.... I was just looking into this the other day myself. It all comes down to what's available in the size your bus requires.... Unless I can find a totalled truck with a more common size rim that will bolt to my hubs, I am stuck with a 20.5 x 9.50. Only ONE distributor makes this size anymore, and on top of it, my bus is split-rim, which most shops won't touch. I am told that upgrading to 22-inchers would open my options up a LOT.

So if anyone knows how to measure the lug pattern on an MDT, please let me know. I think mine is 12-lug, if memory serves. I am hoping somewhere locally someone has scrapped a later model F-series MD box truck with one-piece solid rims with the same lug pattern. Am guessing these used 22s for '93 and later, anyone know for sure?

12 lugs? If it has Budds, I'd bet it's 10-lug, which is more or less an industry standard for most MDT's. If so...22.5's (NOT 22's, those are tube-type!) should bolt right on. If the OEM size was 9.00-20, you'll want 10R22.5's to keep the stock diameter. A 10.00-20 is replaced by an 11R22.5. A 295/75R22.5 (or 275/80R22.5 Michelin) is about an inch shorter than an 11R, with the same weight capacity...ditto for a 265/75R22.5 and a 10R.

 

[timbuk]

I am humoured by this post/thread.The only one looking TIRED here is JACK What if his last name was MEOFF :shock: i got 20s and they seem to be yesterdays size unless yer rollin on dubs,which doesnt seem to apply too buses timbuk

 

[kotflb]

Smitty, you may want to consider recaps for the rear axle. Not just any recap, but the CircleCaps by GY. I think Bandag has an equal. These are are one piece caps, without the split that is bonded together. I know that GY use to give you a new tire warranty with these caps. I ran them for years on my semi's, which was usually loaded to the max. Of several dozen, I only had one failure and the GY dealer made it good with a free replacement tire.

My reason for saying this is b/c these tires are rated for 75 mph on a fully loaded axle. They are also half the cost of a new tire and the service life is equal to, if not better then a new tire. I've used them on all positions except the steers. And when the steers wore down too far, I would run them on the trailers till they were ready to be capped. I've got some CircleCaps with over 500k miles on them and they are still holding up very well. And that's on semis running faster, heavier and longer then any of our skoolies will ever experience.