FleetOwner - Tires

Tires and wheel alignment
Posted by Tim on February 28, 2006

I have just purchased 2 new tires (Michelin P215/50R 17 93V) and had a 4 wheel alignment done at the same time on my car. I noticed that 1 new tire was mounted in the front and the other new tire was mounted in the back where the worn out tires were originally at.

1) Shouldn’t the 2 new tires be both at the front or both at the rear?

2) If I take my car back and have the tires done the way I wanted (both new tires in the front), will it mess up the wheel alignment?

I agree with you on your first question. Yes, you would expect both of the new tires to be put on the same axle. Also, regarding your second question, I would not be concerned with any significant changes in the alignment settings when you put the new tires where you want them (either the front or the rear axle).

Super Singles
Posted by Tim on February 27, 2006

What are the pros and cons to running super single tires how much does it cost to cross over wheel and tire cost, I’m interested in running them on 2 and 5 ton trucks

Thanks for the question but, I need more information to provide answers. Are you replacing dual tires with wide base tires? What type of service (line haul, P&D, mixed service) are you running? What do you expect to accomplish with the use of wide base tires?

1100R20 Tube Type Tires
Posted by Tim on February 27, 2006

I am currently looking for an 1100R20 tube type tire to replace worn out tires on a fire engine. Everywhere we have looked tells me that there is a back order of several months for the tire. Do you have any idea when these tires will be available or do we need to look into changing the wheels to accomadate a radial tubeless type tire. Any information you can supply would be greatly appreciated.

Since a fire truck could be in service for a number of years, I think it would be a great idea to consider converting it to tubeless tires. Tubetype tires are going the way of the horseshoe, typewritter and slide rule. The less the demand, the harder they will be to find. I can not comment on when they may be available, only that tire makers will produce what the market demands most.

Singles v. Duals
Posted by Tim on February 9, 2006

What can you tell us about super singles v. traditionals duals as relates to fuel economy, availability and tire life / retread?

- Thank you in advance.

Fuel economy – depending on what you are comparing the wide base tires to, there may or may not be an advantage to the wide base tires. Compared to standard compound tires on steel wheels, wide base tires on aluminum rims would probably offer a fuel economy advantage. When compared to tires with “fuel efficient” tread compounds on aluminum rims, the wide base tires may offer little on no measurable advantage.

Availability – Certainly, at this point in time, wide base tires are not nearly as available as the more traditional sizes of commercial truck tires.

Tire life/Retread - It is generally felt that original treadlife and durability / retreadablity of wide base tires is not at the same performance levels as dual tires in same application.

Wheel Alignment & Fuel Economy
Posted by Tim on February 7, 2006

Are there any studies showing fuel savings on properly aligned tires on Class 8 trucks? If so where can I find the statistics?

Goodyear has two sources for this information. Our Radial Truck Tire Service Manual and a brochure entitled “Factors Affecting Fuel Economy” both show the results of a fuel economy study Goodyear did with mis-aligned tractor and trailer axles. These item are available at your local Goodyear commercial tire dealer or local sales rep.

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