“Casings are the
core of your tire investment,” says Al Cohn, commercial tire
technical marketing manager for Goodyear. “If you focus on
that investment, you will reap the rewards of a lower cost per mile
for the life of the tire.”
How often a tire normally
can be retreaded depends on various factors—some dependent
on application, others on management practices. As a general rule,
the faster the wear, the more times a tire may be retreaded since
there is not as much fatigue in the casing. Construction fleets
may get up to five to eight retreads on a casing provided they don’t
lose the tire due to injuries.
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| When inspecting a tire, watch for underinflation, visible sidewall damage, tread damage, irregular wear, and embedded objects. |
Cohn says there are
several key practices and guidelines that construction fleet operators
can adopt to extract the maximum value from casings.
Maintain Inflation
Pressures
Running underinflated tires wastes fuel and also leads
to overheating and potential casing damage. Check tire air pressures
every day with a calibrated gauge. Tire manufacturers can provide
recommended tire pressures for different tire types by position
and application. Goodyear provides the data at www.goodyear.com/truck/tireinfo/safety.html.
Once you have determined correct pressures, set up a tire pressure
maintenance program that assists in keeping tires inflated to optimum
pressures.
Spec the Right
Tire
Construction fleets require tires that can withstand more
punishment than many other applications. Choose treads that have
stone ejectors and tire designs that have extra sidewall protection.
Treads and sidewalls that resist cutting and chipping will protect
the casing for retreading. Do not choose a tire design with a pressure
distribution groove. Matching the load rating of the tire to the
job required is also imperative. It may be tempting to run a cheaper
tire in a particular position, but the upfront savings will be gone
with premature failure or early removal.
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| Routine truck prevention maintenance shoul dinclude tire inspections. |
Stay on Top
of Duals
Inside dual positions often are neglected because they
are out of sight and out of mind. Make sure both tires in a dual
assembly are kept at recommended inflation pressures so they both
are carrying the load evenly. Running with one tire underinflated
not only puts stress on that tire; it also overstresses the other
tire and may ruin two good casings. When replacing duals, always
use tires with matching circumferences. Goodyear recommends no more
than 0.75 inch in circumference difference for tires that are 8.25R20,
and 1.5 inches for tires 9.00R20 and larger.
Educate Drivers
Most good drivers will know that casings can be damaged
when the tire is repeatedly striking curbs and other solid objects.
But it doesn’t hurt to remind them regularly in safety meetings
and in company newsletters. Impact damage is usually hidden to drivers
and only becomes evident when the tire is pulled for retreading.
If drivers pay a little closer attention when turning or negotiating
job sites, they can avoid impacts and tire damage can be reduced
significantly.
Earlier Removal
Running tires down to minimum tread depths before pulling
for retreading usually doesn’t pay. In fact, it usually makes
more sense to pull them when they are two-thirty-seconds of an inch
or more away from minimum legal depths. “Even though you are
giving up usable tread, that value is outweighed by the value of
a healthy casing and lower risk of tire failure,” says Goodyear’s
Cohn. “You want to have from six- to eight-thirty-seconds-inch
tread depth remaining to protect your casing for retreading.”
There’s also some value in maintaining deeper treads than
required, particularly on trucks operating in rugged or muddy conditions
where traction is critical.
Do High-Quality
Repairs
Improperly repaired tires will shorten casing life and
lead to early removals. A certified retreader will have the equipment
to check tires for damage and make repairs before the damage becomes
irreparable. Goodyear Authorized Retreaders take advantage of the
latest tire scanning technology to detect both visible and hidden
damage. Repair guidelines for retreading include unlimited nail
hole repairs, a maximum of two section repairs per tire, up to a
three-eighths-inch injury in the tread area only and limited sidewall
repairs based on stress zone. Information on retreaded tires may
be tracked using Goodyear’s GTRACS system, allowing a fleet
to stay on top of repair records for individual casings.
Inspect Tires
Regularly
Tire inspections should be built into regular truck preventive
maintenance programs, as well as driver pre-trip and post-trip inspections.
Due to the large potential for puncture and sidewall damage in construction
fleets, these inspections should include a checklist of conditions
to watch for, including underinflation, visible sidewall damage,
tread damage, irregular wear, and objects embedded in tires. Use
fingertip diagnostics to check tread and sidewall for any signs
of damage, sidewall undulations, chipping, chunking, etc. “Fleets
should then be ready to act on the information,” Cohn advises.
“The goal is to catch things when they are still minor and
prevent them from becoming serious enough to scrap the tire.”
Take Advantage
of Innovation
Tires are not all built the same way. Some are designed
with elements that help extend casing life. For example, Goodyear’s
Enhanced Casing Design includes advanced compounding to lower running
temperatures and reduce bead cracking, a special top belt that protects
the rest of the belt package from corrosion, and a stronger overall
belt package. A new severe-service tread compound, used in the G288
MSA, provides excellent resistance to cutting, chipping, and tearing.
Using tires with a built-in sealant is also an excellent choice
for construction fleets. Goodyear’s DuraSeal Technology, a
gel-like compound, instantly seals tread-area punctures up to 0.25
inch in diameter. It can seal multiple punctures, maintaining the
tire’s air pressure and allowing it to remain in service until
the tire is worn to the point where it is ready for repair and retreading.
Doug Siefkes is
an information specialist based in Issaquah, WA.
GEC
- March/April 2006 |
