Michelin Tires

[merle&louise]

Paul,

I have an air doubler installed on my coach. I run 130 psi in my front tires and the air doubler has no trouble pumping that much air. Here is the website where it can be purchased. Ebay also may have some listed at a lower price.

It is connected to your engine air compressor system so you don't have to purchase a separate air compressor.

http://www.pneuaire.com/nvba1110-t02.html

[phorner]

That looks perfect for what I need. After weighing my coach, I need to maintain a minimum of 113 psi in the front tires, which I'll round up to 115 psi. The rest are fine at 95 psi.

And, I get to free up some storage space so I can haul more stuff

Thanks for the link.

[MangoMike]

Paul,

Here's an option for you. Works great. JDUB and I both have one.

Picture 42.jpg

More info over at prevoman.com

http://www.prevoman.com/Pages/Cool%2...ertankpg1.html

[0533]

I replaced all 8 tires with Michelin's about 2 months ago while at Prevost. I had the Bus weighed before making the final decision.

The total weight was 49,220, 16,080 in the front, 20,320 drives and 12,820 on the tags. These weights reflected a full load.

We have a big slide out on the D/S side plus the Marathon 20K Genset in the C/S front bay.

After careful consideration we decided to go with the 365 upgraded wheels and tires used on the newer Prevost's, 365/70 R22.5-XZA1 wide profile tires. The thought process was to have a larger weight capacity and to be able to lower the tire pressure from 120lbs (315/80 22.5) to 100lbs which Michelin called for based on the tire and front axle weights. The ride, handling and bumps are much better as a result, and the piece of mind with the extra weight capacity is reassuring.

We also replaced the drives and tag with Michelin 315/80R 22.5-XZA-2 Energy, but do have an order in for the 365 upgrade for the tag when they have studs that will fit on the Rockwell disk brakes. We keep the tire pressures at 105 on the drives and 100 on the tag, which was recommended by the Michelin tire guide based on axle weight.

PS> We check the tires before every drive, only when cold and only in the early morning before the sun has had a chance to beat away on one of the bus sides. We never check or add air after we have driven the bus (unless something looks or feels wrong of course) and do not feel that making any decision to add or release air after running the tires to a hot point would offer a good result and may in fact provide a very bad result depending on where you are, how hot the tires are etc.

PS> We were not able to find these tires listed above at any source that was close to the prices you mentioned in these threads, not close, and yes Prevost does charge more than most but when I get a problem with one of these tires down the road I will expect Prevost to take care of it without question.

Another PS> I was washing the bus at an RV Park in Maine a few weeks ago, was in the process of applying some spray on tire shine, when a neighboring WonderLodge owner came over and said that when you add the tire shine to your Michelin tires, Michelin will down grade the life of the tire warrantee by 2 years, as Michelin feels it takes off the UV factory coating that is applied by Michelin. have any of you ever heard this, as I cannot find this written anywhere, and if so it should be part of some literature.

[rfoster]

Did you ask to see his credentials? I have never heard of such a thing and even if he had something that would render some credibility I would still question it and continue to use tire dressing..

My Chinese tires really shine up good.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Bruce,

The tires have a compound that migrates to the surface when the tire is used to prevent cracking and damage associated with UV. There is no Michelin surface treatment. The "tire expert" must have been using recreational chemicals. However.......most tire dressings contain petroleum distillates and petroleum products are detrimental to a tire. The manufacturers say to keep them clean because dust and dirt on the surface wicks out the compounds intended to protect agains UV. As a practical matter however I doubt if anybody will be cleaning dust and dirt off the inside of their tires or the space between the duals.

Paul,

If you need to fill your bus tires with air don't worry about doing anything other than running your bus engine while filling. You should have aux system pressure of 125 to 130 when running. That is more than enough. The fuel you use will be cheaper than any compressor or pressure multiplier.

[phorner]

Mike,

That does look like another good option. How often have you needed to refill the tank?

Jon,

Good idea... I'll give it a try and see if it's enough to do the job for me.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Paul,

Unless you are exceptionally heavy on the front end you are likely to only need about 100 to 105 PSI in the steers, less everywhere else.

Easily handled with the aux system with the bus running.

[Darl-Wilson]

I posted earlier in another tire thread that I was going to buy this device and would report on it to the group. This is just an overview as it relates to this thread. I will take some pictures later today and post additional information.

As some bright person said, "Opinions are like A--holes, everybody has one", and this thread verifies that quote. I am only going to report what has to do with instructions and information from people a lot smarter than I. (That's almost everyone!)

1st, every publication and every tire I can find states to only inflate tires when cold, PERIOD..

2nd, many tires and publications list the two most common causes of catastrophic tire failure as under-inflation and overloading.

This should lead to the conclusion that checking tires cold, which I interpret to mean, prior to driving, is essential. "Cold" temperatures are going to vary greatly depending on location. We were in Redding, CA last week and the temperatures varied from 87 degrees to 116 degrees in one 24 hour period. back in Reno it was down to 59.

Before installing the TireSafeGuard system I checked my tires late in the evening prior to a trip and again before leaving in the morning. Sometimes there was a substantial difference in those 2 readings.

My TireSafeGuard has the Flow-Thru caps on the bus and the simple black, caps/transmitters, on the Honda CR-V. This link displays some of the items that have been replaced with new and much-improved equipment. Simply the system I am using would not meet Jon's requirements because it does not report the critical inside tire temperature such as the transmitter that straps to the inside of the wheel. Actually I would prefer that system and I may buy those transmitters when I replace my tires. For now I avoided the almost $400 I was quoted to remove my bus tires, install the equipment, rebalance the tires and replace them on the vehicle. The rest of the equipment is the same regardless of the type of transmitter. Incidentally, HCI sells an antenna booster to use in stainless buses but I didn't need it. I even get accurate readings on my toad when it is disconnected from the bus and parked several yards away.

Using the cap transmitters do not give an accurate temperature indication of the air inside of the tire, however, they will show the difference when compared with the other wheels and will set off the alarm if the difference is too great. They will also report high brake or bearing temperatures.

How does all of this relate to the topic at hand? First, I am able to check my tire pressure from the comfort of the drivers seat. I have manually checked the tires to be assured that the HCI device is working properly. It is dead on.
Since the screen is wireless I am able to take it with me. No need for a manual air gauge.

Secondly, I do not have to get out of the bus and bump my tires as I normally do at every stop. I do continue to inspect my tires every day when traveling. And most importantly I am able to monitor the pressure and temperature while driving. Any aberration in either is going to set off an alarm.

I have discovered on the almost 500 mile 'shakedown' trip that temperatures and pressures vary greatly from where they were when cold in the morning. The sunny side may have a few more degrees and more pressure after driving just a few miles. I have Michelin XZA-80 315 R22.5 tires that have a capacity of 130# cold. I carry 120# cold in my steers which seems appropriate for my heavy axle weight. One interesting fact is that the alarm temperature for the HCI device is 170 degrees. Some research on the subject yields information that 150 to 200 degrees is acceptable on truck and bus tires. Here is an interesting article that goes into more detail on temps and pressure.

I guess my conclusion is that tire safety cannot be understated. The more good equipment we have to monitor our tires the better chance we have to protect ourselves and our passengers. A good outcome is a tire failure that never occurs.

More to come later about the TPMS.
Note about air compressors: I have the blue twin tank model. Paid about $140.00 2 yrs ago at Costco. Pumps up tires, inflatable boats, toys, etc. Great for Air Tools, cleaning, pressure washing, and about anything else where high pressure (150#) air is needed. Fits easily in 3rd bay on right where CC put a 110V plug. Portable. I wouldn't be without it!

Darl

[Darl-Wilson]

"A blown-out tire on the bus, operated by Angel Tours, contributed to the wreck, Ayers said."
Here is a grim reminder that we need to be so very careful with tires. It is also a reminder to post the pictures I promised about the TireSafeGuard device I purchased recently. (Roger Foster also has the same set-up )
Mine works great and has identified a slow leak I have on an inside dual. But the main reason I bought this product was to protect my family, myself, and my fellow motorists from a fate such as the above.

Maybe a short session or demonstration of these various products would be in order for Spearfish? Any comments? See you there!

Darl