Blown tires
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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 18,488
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From: The Big, Oregon
Blown tires
Is it my imagination, or are shredded truck tires more common than they were a few years back? I went from the Seattle area to Portland a couple days ago, and haven't seen that many shredded tires since Salt Lake City in the summer. I can understand more blowouts in a hot desert area, but this was a nice 60degree day with light traffic.
The previous times I have driven this route over the last decade have been relatively tire-free, with maybe one or two. This time it was over a dozen each way.
The previous times I have driven this route over the last decade have been relatively tire-free, with maybe one or two. This time it was over a dozen each way.
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,579
Likes: 5,611
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
i see two reasons for it.
#1: drivers that just don't care and will run on a low or flat tire because "the owner has plenty of money to pay for a new one"
#2: cheap tires made in china.
#1: drivers that just don't care and will run on a low or flat tire because "the owner has plenty of money to pay for a new one"
#2: cheap tires made in china.
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 6,335
Likes: 6
From: Midwest
Maybe because I haven't strayed more then 30 miles from home all winter,but in the last month I have drove over 1,000 miles on the weekends to various dirt race tracks and I have seen more then I ever remember seeing.
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 9,176
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From: Western Central NV
We see a lot here. Mainly because of the river. People store boats here that live in So Cal & other places. When summer hits they pull them out of storage tires seem to blow left & right. Heck I see them pulling their boats with flat tires. With the trucks on I-40 I don't see anymore than normal. Recaps on trailers coming apart. Again a lot of these trailers sit for months. Then I-40 would be better if it was dirt. The pot holes are unreal in some areas. I almost buried my wife's Civic in one. If I would of hit it that would of ended the cars career. But at least it would of filled one pot hole. LOL
Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 8,679
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From: On the Edge of the Desert
Heck I shredded one myself bout a month ago. It was 20 years old and coming apart though. I knew it was gonna go... Bought 2 new ones and the truck rode a lot smoother!
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Joined: Nov 2007
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I drive 42 miles one way to work 5 days a week, and I, too, have noticed the tire debris on my Ohio roads. I feel part is ODOT's fault for lack of funds to cleanup, however, usually I see a semi on the side of the road with flashers indicating it just happened. Scary knowing that a blowout at 60+ mph on an 18 wheeler can easily become tragic, and with the expensive of tires, most workers being overworked, and many companies cutting costs wherever possible, I surmise that the tires on many fleet vehicles are severely neglected and on their last legs to begin with.
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Cranky Old Guy
Joined: Mar 2008
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From: Raphine, Virginia
Probably a combination of factors. Failing infrastructure, economy with everyone squeezing every last mile out of their tires, funding cuts for cleanup etc. I know Virginia is looking into their shortfall in gas tax revenue(for road maintenance) blaming it on reduced gas consumption. Raising the fuel tax and opening or re-opening toll booths are some things being discussed. State inspections take care of tire issues on passenger vehicles, but I don't know what the policy is on semi-trailers constantly moving across state lines or even if enforced.
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Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2002
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From: The Big, Oregon
I think a significant contribution is the practice of "tire thumping". Commercial drivers generally don't want to get down and measure the pressure of each tire, and instead will use a hammer or similar item to "thump" each tire and see if it still had air in it. This is pointless, as these tires run at such a high pressure that a range of about 40psi sounds the same, although if you are caught running a tire more than 20psi lower than it's dual it is considered flat.
I worked for a trucking company in Idaho who lost a super single nearly weekly. They were junk tires, Double Coin brand. The design of the trailers I felt overloaded the middle axle, which showed by blowing out the tires only on the middle axle. The drivers and the untrained apes they called mechanics were all tire thumpers. The first change I made in that shop was to require a gauge be put on every tire every time a truck was in the shop. In less than two months, the blowouts went from weekly to rarely. For this massive savings to the company i was labeled an ***.
I guess I've answered my own question though- Cheap tires combined with cheaping out on maintenance makes for blown tires.
I worked for a trucking company in Idaho who lost a super single nearly weekly. They were junk tires, Double Coin brand. The design of the trailers I felt overloaded the middle axle, which showed by blowing out the tires only on the middle axle. The drivers and the untrained apes they called mechanics were all tire thumpers. The first change I made in that shop was to require a gauge be put on every tire every time a truck was in the shop. In less than two months, the blowouts went from weekly to rarely. For this massive savings to the company i was labeled an ***.
I guess I've answered my own question though- Cheap tires combined with cheaping out on maintenance makes for blown tires.
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,579
Likes: 5,611
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
I think a significant contribution is the practice of "tire thumping". Commercial drivers generally don't want to get down and measure the pressure of each tire, and instead will use a hammer or similar item to "thump" each tire and see if it still had air in it. This is pointless, as these tires run at such a high pressure that a range of about 40psi sounds the same, although if you are caught running a tire more than 20psi lower than it's dual it is considered flat.
I worked for a trucking company in Idaho who lost a super single nearly weekly. They were junk tires, Double Coin brand. The design of the trailers I felt overloaded the middle axle, which showed by blowing out the tires only on the middle axle. The drivers and the untrained apes they called mechanics were all tire thumpers. The first change I made in that shop was to require a gauge be put on every tire every time a truck was in the shop. In less than two months, the blowouts went from weekly to rarely. For this massive savings to the company i was labeled an ***.
I guess I've answered my own question though- Cheap tires combined with cheaping out on maintenance makes for blown tires.
I worked for a trucking company in Idaho who lost a super single nearly weekly. They were junk tires, Double Coin brand. The design of the trailers I felt overloaded the middle axle, which showed by blowing out the tires only on the middle axle. The drivers and the untrained apes they called mechanics were all tire thumpers. The first change I made in that shop was to require a gauge be put on every tire every time a truck was in the shop. In less than two months, the blowouts went from weekly to rarely. For this massive savings to the company i was labeled an ***.
I guess I've answered my own question though- Cheap tires combined with cheaping out on maintenance makes for blown tires.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 8,679
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From: On the Edge of the Desert
It's all in the ear. My grandfather was a trucker for YEARS. I rode with him once and in the morning before we left. I did the walk around with him thumping the tires. We got all 18 thumped and he said " put 5lbs more in the drivers steer." I'll be damned if that tire didn't need about. 6lbs of air to get even. He was gooooood.
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Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2002
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From: The Big, Oregon
There are some guys who could, but this company didn't hire those people. The two main mechanics were a guy in his 40s whos education stopped about 9th grade, and a 22 year old with four DUIs. The owner plumbed the shop air with PVC because it was cheap, and of course it blew apart. Running 175psi didn't help either.
The inners on most of the trucks were only about 65-70psi, while the outers were only around 100, and the super singles were around 90. These were 110,000lb potato haulers running all over Idaho, Nevada and into Oregon. Everybody complained about the typical 3mpg too-
The inners on most of the trucks were only about 65-70psi, while the outers were only around 100, and the super singles were around 90. These were 110,000lb potato haulers running all over Idaho, Nevada and into Oregon. Everybody complained about the typical 3mpg too-
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