More on this in a bit.
Not feeling the love for Hankook tires at the moment. Arrived at the shop this morning to find another Hankook tire on my trailer exploded in the overnight hours: Three tires in two days, all Hankook branded: Already converted in my most environmentally conscience way the first to smoke and heat out back. I figure hell, the state taxes us for this kind of behavior so I may as well get my money's worth: Found the leak in the hub oil seal and they warranted a replacement for me. The pen points to the rubber to metal area and the hub oil was leaking here: Brake shoes cleaned up really well and don't grab:
I now have 8 rolling tires with air in them. Hopefully stay this way for a while but who knows. Going to trade this trailer off for an RGN type I'm thinking, or retain this and continue to use for hay work. I am however tiring of obsolete tires, flats on the same, and the rust from age.
Went out to the shop this morning and still have eight inflated tires on the trailer. Fingers crossed it stays like this a while till I find another trailer.
Went out to the shop again this afternoon to look at perfectly round, black, and full of air trailer tires. Boy was I happy to see that. That is until I went to the side of my tractor and seen this: Doesn't seem much like Hankook has the market cornered on S. Korean tires blowing out. This one is a Kumho which is also S. Korean manufactured. These are older tires also and never a flat in their service life. I was going to install new steer tires prior to placing the truck back in service as don't want to take a hood off from a blowout. However, I may just replace all 10 on this tractor as the tires are old. I have heavy steel rear full fenders usually on the truck, but I've not put them back on yet.
I've had good reports from others about hankook tires. What is the date code on your blowouts? I've had blowouts before, but it has always been a hot summer day.
What pressure are you inflating to? We tried Kumho and Hankook on trailers never bought very many-a good thing. Kumho had issues 2007 thru 2013 with side wall blowouts, had a major recall. Kumho sold out. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumho_Tire
Truck and trailer are both 2005 DOT coded. Can't be 50k on truck and a bit less on trailer. Both have been sitting dormant at least 10 years however.
Sitting Ozone damage can be worse than driving and wearing them out.
Usually 110-115psi via analog stick gauge when cold for the truck with 16ply rated tires, and 120psi for the trailer which has 18ply. Three of the five Hankook trailer tires have now blown violently. So far only one Kumho but here are sure to be more at the rate I'm going.....
I noted that here the local capper will not take a tire at over 6 years some less than 5 for recapping, will not support that recap. Those tires go to the shredder as are blowout prone.
100 on steer, loaded to 12,000 on steer 105 and 100 on drive 16 ply, 100 on trailer 16 ply 295/75 22.5. Constant gvw on our trucks 100,000 all tires including drop axle at 100 steers 105 on a 7160 lb rated. Yokohama Ry023 trailer and drop, DC400 drive, Yokohama 101ZL steers. 2000 tires plus in fleet.
Pardon an ignorant soul, what format are date codes, or how do I read them?
https://www.tireamerica.com/resource/tire-date-code
Thanks! Is there a certain age that won't pass DOT inspection?
No, its based on condition of tire
Date codes been around awhile DOT number is the week and last two numbers of a year. DOT 0401 is fourth week of 2001 Cheesy but simple.
When I had trucks running I tended to use both a Firestone dealer in E. Peoria, and a Goodyear dealer in Canton, IL. The steer tires were FS-589, and the drives were G-124 and I had very good service from them. Always wore them out before dry rot set in and the trucks seldom were empty. Used to run 100psi in all tires and had equalizers on all duals. Used the lead weights on the steer axles, and balance beads on the drives. Tried "Centramatic" balancers on my Mack Mid-Liner, and they were good also, but never really installed them on anything else. Don't really know what I'll install back onto the Mack. It currently has General steer axle tires and those Kumho on the drives. When I purchased these a good friend was managing the tire store and vendored both brands. The Kumho tires are older than the General tires by about eight months but still manufactured in 2005. The tread patterns are very close and it's still available via many name brands. Really don't like to purchase chinese branded tires but with the cost of them, the limited use the truck will get, and the amount it will again set, I don't really see an alternative.
I think at 16 years old I would replace every tire just me If we run tires 4 years here summer of 4th year they start blowing out and or separating that 115 heat just eats them up so in other words I wouldn't have the nuts to leave the yard on 16 year old tires
I would replace also, with how they are blowing just sitting around. Az- don't know how your tires survive with your heat conditions. I always dread July and August, because it's tire killing weather, and we don't see the heat that you do.
Replacements on the truck would be my desire also but at $450.00 a copy, that's a bunch of cash outlay with no guaranteed income on the investment. Hope to change that but as of now, I'm just thinking. The trailer has a short tenure left with me as it really isn't what I can use most effectively. Once I get a trailer acquired with pullouts the truck will move to the forefront as I'll need to work it.
Keep them aired to 100 psi and no more in high temps.
This is a "Muv-all hydraulic tail trailer I formerly pulled for local pickup and delivery of tractors and combines: It worked well but would not haul the largest varieties out there without being overheight. No problems with the tractors however no matter the size. This trailer was nice but so rusty underneath it was sold off and the gooseneck I now pull purchased. This was the last use of my truck and the photos are from 2014's winter. Don't think I've had the truck off my property since ceasing with that trailer. Talked to the Firestone tire vendor yesterday about tires for the truck. They carry several brands in addition to Firestone and both "Ohtsu", and "Ironman" brands are good sellers for them without a lot of rejects, or returns. "Sumitomo" is another one, but just as many $$$ as Firestone. Not ready to bite yet but am starting to look around for the tractor. I've seen the Ironman brand on farm trucks and trailers but never on a road going truck myself.
When comes to tires you get what you pay for especially steers. On ours average life with rotating on the off brands including Toyo average about 65,000 miles. Yokohama 101's, Firestone 591's and Bridgestone 283's average 90 to 105,000 miles.
I was getting between 90K, and 100K on the steers with the Firestones and about the same on the drives in rollback service. The trucks went through weekly service and tires were checked with each iteration. This is my 1989 MidLiner just after I put it together in 1991 with new tires and simulators installed. Original photo is a Polaroid. I ran these tires over 100K and changed them due to aging as didn't want one to come apart given parts were becoming scarce for these series of trucks. After four years on the road hauling salvage automobiles, I kept it around till 2005 for local work when phasing out the hauling, and ultimately the business also:
I have run across a mechanical RGN trailer that I feel is priced fair, but don't know if it's the type I really need. It is a 98" spread for the bridge formula to carry 38K on the rear axles legally. The trailer does have a dump valve on the rear axle. It also has aluminum pullouts for extended width loads. However it is only 25 ton rated and although the weight rating is fine, I really don't haul anything that would require the spread axle, so tire scrub and turning effort are concerns. Don't know if I should purchase this thing and do some minor repairs to xmembers to trade in, or pass it on by. How desirable is the rear spread axle on a trailer like this? I've not seen another myself but am not around general trucking any longer. The pullouts are a big draw to me as that would allow combine hauling which I currently cannot do. Thanks,
As long as you are not dragging it around in circles tire scuff will not be an issue .and if you ever do need that extra 4k on the rear its there
I have to do a lot of "jockeying" around when grabbing most tractors that are dead. Seldom are combines hauled in because they are broken down but rather the extensive service routines these things require. With exception of a blown engine, they really don't come in except for service. It's the new deliveries and trade in units I'm looking to capture.