tire mileage (lifespan)

[jesusgatos]

What kind of mileage are you guys getting out of some of the popular tires that I see on Deuces? I'm most interested in the modern radials like the Michelin XLs and would like to know about any of the popular sizes 11.00R20's (single & dual), 14.5's, 15.5's, 395's, etc.

 

[vtach]

That is a good question. I am doing better with the Michelins than with the NDTs, but I don't really have the answer. I don't think it will be great though.

 

[cranetruck]

The tire wear depends on where they are used on the truck. The driving tires will wear faster than the front tires and the tires on a single axle drive setup (interaxle drive shaft removed) will wear much faster. I run the 1100 NDCCs at 65 psi on the highway.
My front tires wear at a rate of 1/32 for every 1,000 miles. Right front tire shown here.

 

[maddawg308]

My tires were like new when I got my truck 2,500 miles ago. The rears are still very good, the fronts are chewed to s**t. The passenger side front is suffering from some terrible cupping as well. Have confirmed with others that fronts on a deuce don't last as long as rears.

 

[shootiniron]

When I got my truck it had a set of the 11.00-20 Goodyear G286's on it since rebuild,approx 5K miles ago,and even with another thousand miles on them they still look new.I have since taken them off and put on Michelin XL 14.50-20's.I dont think that these will last like the Goodyears would've but they look better IMO.Anyone need a set of G286's?

 

[ken]

This set of 9.00 tires has just over 8K on them. And they are in bad need of replacement. I've rotated them twice mixing the front in with the rears. Because the fronts wear really fast. I used to have a cupping issue a few years back. But the new shocks solved that problem.

 

[cranetruck]

My tires were like new when I got my truck 2,500 miles ago. The rears are still very good, the fronts are chewed to s**t. The passenger side front is suffering from some terrible cupping as well. Have confirmed with others that fronts on a deuce don't last as long as rears.

Depends on how you configure your truck.
When the two rear axles are coupled together without a differential, they will strive to keep the truck going straight and cause a lot of scrubbing/cupping of the front tires.
Free up the rear bogie and you will reduce the turning circle by several feet and along with accurate front end alignment you will save the front tires from cupping. The image above is the real thing...

 

[Stretch44875]

I'm with cranetruck on this one. With single tires on tandem axles, and one axle shaft pulled in the rear to make only one driving axle, and good alignment, the fronts last twice as long as the rears on my truck. 11-20 ndt's. Speaking of which, I need some tires!

 

[CARNAC]

Also remember tires have a lifespan even from sitting. Shouldn't use tires over 7 years old although I bet most of us do. There was a big story floated around by our safety folks about 6 months ago reference the danger of out of date tires. In some of the accidents shown, the tires had been on the car for less than a month and suffered a catastrophic blow out that led to major accidents including deaths.

I have become more attune to the tire dates these days but the mfg code the tire dates and these codes are different for each mfg.

 

[papercu]

I remember a discussion a while back on how important was matching the tires circumferences on each axle, how do you do that and rotate tires due to wearing?

the tire dates and these codes are different for each mfg

as of September 2009 tire manufacturers will be required to print the tire's manufacture date in an easy-to-read, four-digit code on the outside of tires. The date is currently printed on one side of the tire but coded in a fashion that it is difficult to decipher by most consumers and frequently facing inside when the tire is mounted.
Wayne

 

[cranetruck]

.........
I have become more attune to the tire dates these days but the mfg code the tire dates and these codes are different for each mfg.

Should be the same other than 3 digits prior to 2000 and 4 digits after. Image below from TM 2610-200-14.

The age thing is something else also, since they stopped making the tires for my 8x8 almost 20 years ago, I researched it a little..... It depends a lot on storage conditions, found this on aircraft tires:

"Making Tires Last
Besides maintaining proper inflation, tires should be kept clean and free of contaminants such as oil, hydraulic fluids, grease, tar, and degreasing agents, which deteriorate rubber. Contaminants should be wiped off with denatured alcohol and then the tire should be washed immediately with soap and water. When aircraft are washed, ideally, tires should be covered with a waterproof barrier.

Goodyear adds antioxidants and antiozonants to the sidewall and tread to help prevent premature aging from ozone in the air and weather exposure. The use of aftermarket tire dressings (especially any automotive type) and wipe-on or spray-on protectants is generally not recommended since they may actually accelerate the loss of factory protectants.

Aircraft tires, like other rubber products, are affected to some degree by sunlight and extremes of weather.

While weather checking does not impair performance (as long as no carcass is showing), it can be reduced by protective covers when the plane is tied-down outside, especially in hot, dry, sunny climates.

If you have spare tires on hand in your hangar, be sure to store them away from fluorescent lights, electric motors, battery chargers, electric welding equipment and electric generators, since these products create ozone, which is harmful to rubber.

According to Goodyear, there is no specific shelf life for aircraft tires; it depends on storage conditions."

 

[papercu]

Here is some info from Oshkosh Truck Corporation, it is about firetrucks but applies here too. Tire Question - ARFF.Info - ARFF Information Forums Wayne

 

[tennmogger]

For a set of 14.5 x 20 Michelin XL's on a Unimog U1300L (weight 14k, single rear wheels): measured wear of 5/16" in 35,000 km (21k miles) driven between Feb 2008 and present. That wore them to 'zero' center tread depth. The "regroovable" tires have now been regrooved by 1/4", leaving about 3/8" rubber above the belting (3/16" minimum required, most states).

With about 5/8" of center tread on a new tire, that's a little over 40k miles of estimated life expectancy.

Note that my front tires wear faster than the rears. The tires were rotated about every 8k km (5k miles) and were kept balanced and trued (removed approx 1.5 lbs of rubber per tire at last truing).

Usual cruising speed is about 55-60 mph but they run smoothly to 70. Tire pressure started out at 60-65 psi but got fast center wear. Now at 40 psi and wear is even across the tire and the truck rides really smoothly. With known depth of regrooving cuts it's easy to watch tire wear across the surface.

I don't usually get this anal about a set of tires but wanted to see how long they could last with really good care and feeding This way I'll know how to best treat my new set of 14.5 x 20 XL's waiting to be put on!

Tennmogger

What kind of mileage are you guys getting out of some of the popular tires that I see on Deuces? I'm most interested in the modern radials like the Michelin XLs and would like to know about any of the popular sizes 11.00R20's (single & dual), 14.5's, 15.5's, 395's, etc.

 

[Outdoorsman]

Also remember tires have a lifespan even from sitting. Shouldn't use tires over 7 years old although I bet most of us do. There was a big story floated around by our safety folks about 6 months ago reference the danger of out of date tires. In some of the accidents shown, the tires had been on the car for less than a month and suffered a catastrophic blow out that led to major accidents including deaths.

I have become more attune to the tire dates these days but the mfg code the tire dates and these codes are different for each mfg.

I had one of those blow-outs on this truck 2 years ago while driving 70mph in the carpool lane against the center divider. The RR tire blew putting me in a 45 degree slide facing the center divider wall. I knew that if I turned the wheel in the slightest to correct the attitude, it would of spun, and possibly flipped. I knew I had to maintain the slide in order to allow the speed to reduce before making corrections (thank you Bobby Ore School of Motion Picture Stunt Driving) all while the truck was shaking violently because the remaining rubber was beating the hell out of the truck bed (you know how you have a hump in the bed for the wheel well? The right side of the bed now has 2). Oh, I forgot to mention I had one of my hunting dogs in a dog box in the bed of the truck, and my 14 year old daghter next to me. She was screaming the whole way. While maintaining the slide to allow the truck to slow down, it began to slowly drift across a very congested freeway. Cars were parting like the "Red-Sea", and after I drifted across 3 lanes I had to take action. With the slightest correction, the truck started to swerve at bit. Then it spun out 1 1/2 times leaving me facing the traffic, perfectly parked in the right emergency lane. While the truck spun, the dog box flew out of the truck and broke open on the freeway. The dog ran to the side of the freeway, and down the embankment without a scratch. Witnesses said to me that it was amazing that I was able to control it somewhat while they were able to get out of my way.
These rear tires were used tires that I was using to "get by" until I could afford new ones. BAD MISTAKE on a truck. DON"T DO IT!!!!!!!!