Michelin Tires

[lewpopp]

I went out to my local tire dealer and their main product was Michelin. I priced another brand (TOYO) and Michelin. Am I in the dark ages or are these prices good on a R12 22.5 : At the moment they are 490.12 plus the balancing compound $10 installed. They expect a 8% increase any day and I have asked for them to call me of the availability. If they could resell my old 6 yr old tires as used, they will give me as much as $150 a piece. Is this a good price or what? I expect they are the same tires I presently have on my coach on the drive wheels. Is there a special lettering on them I should be aware of? I have XZE now. I've gone brain dead.

I expect that anyone who needs tires and sees this will be calling to find out where this is. I can recall prices as high as $600 or more in some places.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Lew when we were talking about the $600 plus cost of tires it was for 315 size.

I would recommend you get the tires rated for 75mph. Michelin recommends the XZ2 for your size tire.

[truk4u]

Lew,

If you do it, also check the DOT dates and make sure your not getting old stuff.

[hhoppe]

I still don't see spending big bucks for tires that won't get worn out, they'll just rot out in 5-6 years and have to be replaced. Maybe Premium on the steer tires if you really need your blanket. Sumitomo, Toyo, Michelin there probably all Hecho in Mexico or China. Retired folks bucks come hard, don't waste them. Joe chime in here you have worn out more tires than weve seen.
How much risk is involved in tire selection? Race cars run over 200 MPH on 2 ply tires.

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Shoot Harry I do not go far from home with the stuff I drive with used rubber and caps.

As an example though, Last I blew a used trlr tire, there was 15 or 20% tread left on it and it was 10 year old according to the code. Never run low pressure and rode over nothing. Until that point accept for slight cracking and dryness looked o/k. So maybe at 8 or 9 Yr your pushing it 5 yr is too soon to pull and that goes for any brand you choose. That is my comfort zone for the bus. We only weigh 42000 all full tanks and gear so I tend to agree with you. But


I think buses have gotten all over the board with weight. If I had a 50,000+ rig I would be spending more.

I have learned to try to only suggest size and capacity and let the guy who is paying for them decide the brand. You can buy new tires for 2400 for 8 and you can also spend 5000+.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

You have to be a magician to get our size tires, either the 12s or 315 for $300 apiece. If we were running 11s or 295, maybe.

Its not our total bus weight that is the issue. It is the load our individual tires have to carry in some instances. My bus is only 46,600, but the front axle tires need to carry 7,000 pounds each. Some are carrying 9,000 per tire when you add a slide up front and locate a generator or batteries up front also. I don't think the steers on the typical tractor, even when heavily loaded come close.

[dalej]

We are looking at bringing in a portable scale from the State Patrol for the Spearfish rally. You will be able to see the weight at each tire and duals.

Hope it works out, sound like a good way to be sure on this subject.

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Jon

Agreeded, for some. Most folks are spending more.

On an older 40 like ours the back 6 tires each carry 5000lb and my fronts carry 6000 each. I do appreciate I am in a minority with these #s. I carry 12 on the steers on the Pete, little less little more loaded and empty by 300lb. It is a set-back front axle and the fifth wheel is slid up. 11-22.5 tire size no problemo for these weights. Comfortably under limit raitings for this size.

With the correct tires, in some states, you can put 20 on the steer on semi tractor, Michigan is one for sure. All straight trucks get 20,000max on the steer, correctly equiped, legal. Spread axle trlrs. are legal to carry 20,000 an axle and on supersingles tires if you like, everywhere. That would be on 11-22.5 rubber if duels or 385 singles.

[phorner]

We just had our bus weighed at a rally and the numbers weren't pretty.

LF was 7750 and RF was 7700. Ok, so that's not over my gross axle weight limit of 16,500, but according to my chart, still requires pressure of close to 115 psi.

The issue for us is 10,700 for the LR drive and 10,100 for the RR dual. Exceeds the gross weight limit by 400 lbs and is 600 lbs out of balance.

The exciting part is the tag. LR tag at 6800 lbs and RR tag at 6050. That's 850 lbs over the axle weight limit and all of it on the LR The whole coach was only 200 lbs over the GVWR.

With the fresh water holding tank located so close to the drive axles, I can probably get the weight down simply by not hauling around a full tank of fresh water. So, that will be my plan and then check the weight again under those circumstances. The good news was that the tire pressures that I was maintaining was plenty to do the job. But, there is still the issue of overloading the axles and suspension components.

There's not much flexibility as to loading the bus with regards to the weights in the rear..... unless Janice empties her closet.... and I don't see that happening anytime soon

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Dale

They may be suprised when they see 20,000+ on the drives. And as Paul has mentioned with variance.

You may be giving them some information that we might be better off them not knowing.

Use your bus it is a lite one like ours, empty out