I need to replace 6 of my drive tires on my 10 wheeler. This is the first time I've had to buy commercial truck tires. Looking around I see lots of different opinions. I would like something with an open shoulder. My mechanic says to buy whatever is cheapest. I have read good things about Goodyear G282's but they are $925 a piece which just seems over the top to me. Another option I have read good things about is the Toyo M920, at $530 a piece that seems a lot more reasonable. And the Chinesium tires on Ebay seem to run $300 a piece whatever the brand. This is kind of like the Ford or Dodge debate but just wanted to get some opinions on commercial truck tires. I am an owner operator so I will be the one driving the truck. Right now I am leaning towards the Toyos. Thanks.
The toyos are about right where average name brand tires are priced right now will you be using the snow sipes or would be better off with something that throws the mud out on severe off road jobs Your mechanic is probably onto something as a rule dump truck/ slash construction tires don't last long enough to pay the premium like those goodyears Its best if your lucky enough to find a commercial dealer that will talk to you about what kind of work the truck does and can tell you what he sells his other accounts doing the same work and that may even be the chinesium tires but I would rather buy them from a guy that says he has a thousand running around town then ebay
Everyone I know agrees with that to, when it comes to drives on a dump truck just get the cheap one's because they will get something in the sidewall, or torn up driving on rough stuff before they are worn out many times. The only place I know many will spend the money on pricey tires is for the steers. But it may be worth a bit more to buy from a tire shop who can install them then ebay. Also it's better if you do junk one, easier to get a new one to match and generally the tire shops will treat you better if you buy tires for them when you come in for flat repairs, etc. Sometimes you'll get free flat repairs.
The siping won't make a difference because we don't get any snow here. Bigger lugs would be preferable, I use the truck on site quite a bit too. And yes my mechanic used to take care of a fleet of trucks and his thought was because the drivers never checked air pressure or always curbed them they had blowouts so it didn't make sense to buy a premium tire. I agree on the idea of buying from a local dealer. I may see if I can get pricing on some Hankooks as well.
1. Round 2. Black 3. Hold air
I like the ones that are mud grip in the middle and solid ish on the outer lugs, gives decent mud grip with out being obnoxious with vibration and helps a little in rain or snow.
I purchased "Ironman I-301" tires for my Mack tractor. I have friends running the brand in your application and are happy from a price/wear standpoint, but I like an all position tire for my purpose. These deliver good traction and clean well without being noisy. I don't have air ride and you can feel aggressive tread tires easy through the seat. I replaced "General" branded tires from many years ago with a very similar tread pattern.
If you need 6, I would be buying all 8 drives, and saving your good 2 as spares. I like hankook DM 04's , but they are real aggressive, and I don't drive the cranes around all day long. I just need to get into the jobsite once. A less aggressive tire is going to last a lot longer. Most dump truck guys here run what they call "waste hauler" retreads. Not quite as aggressive as a DM04. But we have all kinds of shot rock used on sites and that's real hard on tires, so guys don't want the most expensive. It doesn't get as hot here as arizona- I don't think caps are ever going to hold up in your heat. So I wouldn't want caps in your location, But I like that tread style. I couldn't make the goodyears (michelins are just as expensive) at $900 make sense, the choice between $500 for mid grade or $300 for chinese off brand is kind of a personal preference. If money is tight- the $300 is okay. If you have the money- $500 each is going to get you a lot better tire- with a better name on it. In whatever your local tire man carries- unless your mounting them yourself. When I was shopping this spring for a set of 8, it was less about what I wanted, as what was available. Stocks of tires were short then, and I don't know if its gotten better. It does no good to order tires that won't be here for 6 months if you need them now.
I run a collection of similar diameter tires on the work truck, highway tread, and when I have a problem with one I get a decent used one from my tire guys and keep on truckin. Hold air and legal tread depth are my requirements. I don't need knobby tires, the interlock works and if I needed more than that I had no business driving in there in the first place. They never make it to the "use by" date. Steers are newer and matched. I will replace the steers right before I retire and sleep well. The office knows nothing about trucking, inspections, tire life or steer tire safety. I couldn't give a care if the next guy loses a drive tire, but the trailer tires are new Hankooks and the steers will be good too.
Any of you guys mount your own? Anyone use the tire balancing place packs?
For me, there would be no reason to tool up for such an endeavor. I used to work at a service station/tire shop in high school and have no desire to go back there.
Yes we mount them pretty easy work I have used the balance packs but truly don't find any need for balance in a construction truck - balance packs or spin balance have not proved to be worthwhile in ride quality or tire life in my application Also make sure to get tire quotes with FET added in most tire guys do some internet sites don't it makes a significant difference
Yokohama TY527 or LY717.
Tire Life-keeps the casing in condition plus helps with balance.
Tire mounting-DC's are tough-stiff casing-anything with 16 ply rating will be stiff. Also it depends on how long the tries have been barrel stacked, ones on bottom of stack can be a b!tch.
Toyo M610ZL Yokohama LY717 Thanks for all the responses, all worthwhile information. From what I have read, I will go with some kind of a middle of the road $500 tire preferably one of the Jap brands rather than the Chinesium stuff. I will see what kind of pricing I can get on them from a local dealer on Tuesday. Thanks, Keith
The place I go in the city offers a service to send your rims (and spacers if you have open center rims) out to be sand blasted and epoxy coated if you can afford a week down time. Fairly cheap money too.
I've never had any desire to try mounting them myself, the wait times are generally annoying as it's 2-3 hours to get a flat fixed or tire changed here but I don't want the hassle especially for how cheap they do it. And it's not worth buying all the tools if you only have 1 truck. If you had 10 to do, then it's a different story. Only balance steer tires, the rest for me anyway is a waste. Unless the truck spends a ton of time on the highway and sees a lot of miles I wouldn't bother. Don't see many dump truck tires here make it until they are too low on tread, either something takes out a sidewall, too many lugs ripped off, too many leaks, or treads are just torn right up. Driving in the recycled concrete at many places, going to the dump, etc is really hard on tires.
We run a lot of recaps. They're not like the old ones used to be. They reuse our Micheline casings. Can't remember the last time one lost a cap.
I mount my own, I'm not near as fast as the guy that does it every day, but its faster than pulling it off, hauling it to the tire shop, waiting for them to fix it etc. I don't do my big o-ring mount tires. 17.5-25. 20.5r25's etc. 19.5's pickup tires aren't much fun the short stiff sidewalls make them more difficult, but the taller sidewall tires like 11r 22.5 or 24.5's aren't bad. You learn pretty quick that there's a difference in the rubber compounds in good tires vs. cheap tires. Old hard tires can be a pain to dismount also. Tire iron's aren't much money.
He's in arizona. I'm not sure your temp. ranges are remotely similar. I do know a guy that gets his own casings capped and gets one piece caps, he says those don't separate as bad and he gets decent life. If you're springing for michelin, you better get a cap or two out of them also with what they cost new.
I remember even eastern Wa where @Truck Shop is at, the recaps flew off regularly in the summers back in the day. Recall one trip to the hydro races in the Tri Cities that ate a tire on my Falcon convertible. That is a hot time of year!
Ring Tread is the name. When those do let loose it can be worse for damage. Toyo's are a soft compound too soft. A set of drives averaged 125,000, the 177, 154 steer averaged 60,000. Yokohama 527 drive average 195,000, Bridgestone 213 steer 95 to 105,000, Firestone 591 steer 90,000. Yokohama RY023 255/22.5 drop axle tire 150,000. Toyo RT500 drop axle average 60,000 or less. A four rib steer wears the best, a very straight grooved low profile tread {18/32nds} will last the longest on a drop axle. But all of this is based on a tire management, vehicle is properly aligned and air pressure is checked with a gauge regularly. Drives 100 psi cold Steers 105 to 110 psi cold 16 ply, 14 ply 100 to 105 Drop 105 psi cold Trailer 100 psi cold. Michelin's are over priced and the wear is no better than other leading names, paying for a name.
those are the pressures I run, more or less. Really pleased with the Hankooks on the trailer. I asked for Yokohamas but it was at the worst of the supply problems, so I was happy to get 8 new low profiles, period. I can't really air up the steers with onboard air so I check it and if it is needing I stop by the tire shop with the big compressor.
Most dumps around here run the recaps crane operator mentioned. I might get 50,000 miles at the most out of drives. Just to much starting and stopping turning and lots of gravel roads. That cap is almost all the county maintaince sheds run to last the longest but like was said caps may not work in your heat.
Wonder how those tire mileages would with 50% gravel roads
Recaps suck in arizona heat ask me how many experiences I had when I was working for other people tho ring treads held up the best recaps like to get rock Burroughs on gravel roads and then the tire is shot with 40 percent tread left There's a place in Phoenix that wholesale tires that's where I go we have been buying falken closed shoulder drives with pretty good results they also make a pretty heavy steer tire last set I bought in january was under 400 apiece not sure about today If your off and on road in my opinion closed shoulders are the way to go they wear better than open shoulder on pavement I have never had problems with traction on my dump truck with that style
Same here! And here in sw missouri its just not worth spending big bucks on tires. The sidewalls get shredded long before the tire wears out. That is if you do alot of offroad on site work like i do. Lots of sharp rocks out here! Retreads are about $250 each here.
Ended up talking to a tire guy up in flagstaff and he got me hooked up with some used tires for $165 a piece. 9 Firestone T831s. Quite aggressive tread at half life made in 2018. No tax or FET on these. If they last 9 months it will be the same cost if you pro rate new uniroyals plus I have a spare.