Tire information
10-29-2004, 10:17 PM
#1
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Tire information
I received this in my email and have been asked to share this with those who may be interested.
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TIRE RETREAD INFORMATION BUREAU
900 WELDON GROVE
PACIFIC GROVE, CA 93950 USA
831-372-1917 • FAX 831-372-9210
TOLL FREE FROM ANYWHERE IN NORTH AMERICA 888-473-8732
info@retread.org
NEWS RELEASE ABOUT TIRES
Preventing On-the-Road Tire Failures
PACIFIC GROVE, CA, October 2004
(Contact: Harvey Brodsky, 831-372-1917)
The recent fatal single-car crash on Interstate 440 in Tennessee, attributed to a piece of rubber thrown from a truck tire blowout, clearly demonstrates the critical need for proper truck tire maintenance, according to Harvey Brodsky, Managing Director of the Tire Retread Information Bureau (TRIB). TRIB is a non-profit, member-supported industry association dedicated to the recycling of tires through retreading and repairing.
One woman was killed and another was critically injured in the late October accident. Witnesses said that after the car was struck by a piece of truck tire, the driver accelerated to more than 70 mph on the left-hand shoulder, apparently trying to catch up with the truck. The driver lost control; the car struck a light pole, flipped several times and came to rest upside down. An investigation is underway to determine whether charges will be filed.
“This situation could possibly have been avoided.” Brodsky suggested. Tire debris - also referred to as “rubber on the road” and “road alligators” is caused by under or over inflation, overloading, mismatching of tires on dual wheel positions, other improper maintenance and inspection procedures, and the failure of truckers to take appropriate actions when a tire problem is detected.
“The problem of tire debris is very serious and it won't go away until truckers and other motorists begin paying greater attention to proper tire maintenance,” Brodsky stated.
There is the widely held misconception that when a truck tire “blows,” it’s a retreaded tire, he noted. “That is just not so. Retreaded tires perform as well as tires that have never been retreaded, and they do it at a tremendous savings over the high cost of new tires. Every reputable truck tire manufacturer, with no exception, designs its truck tires for multiple lives, meaning the tires are designed to be retreaded. There is an abundance of evidence which proves the safety, reliability, performance and superior handling of today’s retreads.”
Studies have shown that most tire and scrap rubber debris on the roadways is caused by underinflation, which makes tires susceptible to cuts and flats, Brodsky said. When a truck tire comes apart, it can often cause a failure in other tires, either from a puncture from the debris, or from other tires having to carry a disproportionate share of the load, which causes overheating and failure. In fact, most tire related accidents are caused by improper tire inflation.
“It’s relatively simple to avoid these consequences,” suggested Brodsky. “Truckers just need to maintain the proper inflation pressure for a given tire size and load. This is single most critical factor for getting the safest and longest life out of tires.”
“It is not the tire, but the air the inside the tire that carries the weight of a vehicle, absorbs shock and keeps the tire in its proper shape so it may perform as designed,” he pointed out. “Inflation pressures also influence handling, traction, braking, load carrying capability and fuel economy.”
Tires flex when they roll, which bends the tire’s rubber and steel cords (used within the rubber on the sidewall of the tire to provide additional operating characteristics). This flexing generates heat. Wear is the result of friction created between the road’s surface and the tread as the tire rolls along. Heat is a tire’s worst enemy.
A tire that is improperly inflated doesn’t roll as smoothly or as easily as it was designed to. As a result, it will have an uneven, irregular tire footprint - that portion that contacts the road surface. This inconsistent shape leads to increased wear, reduced traction and performance, plus handling and ride problems.
The concentrated flexing caused by underinflation leads to premature wear and fatigue and failure of the steel cords. Ultimately, this limits the number of potential retreads from each casing. There is a direct correlation between how much a tire is underinflated and how much faster it wears.
When overinflated, excessive wear occurs at the center of the tread because it will bear the majority of the vehicle’s weight. Along with making for a harsher ride, overinflated tires tend to not “absorb” road hazards like debris in the road and potholes as well, increasing the risk of sustaining a puncture or impact damage.
While no current figures are available on the number of accidents caused specifically by improper tire inflation, a study done earlier this year found that debris littering roadways causes some 25,000 accidents annually in the United States and Canada, and up to 90 deaths. The research, done by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, determined that pieces of “blown” tires is the number one road debris hazard. Among the other most common forms of road debris: garbage from refuse and waste trucks; lumber and construction materials; gravel, soil and tree limbs, and parts off vehicles, such as muffler and exhaust components.
AIR PRESSURE
Tire pressure should always be checked when a tire is “cold” - before a vehicle has been driven, or driven less than one mile. Once a vehicle has been driven, tires warm up and experience an increase in air pressure, resulting in an inaccurate reading. A “hot” tire can take three-to-four hours to cool down after a vehicle is parked.
Tire pressure should be checked regularly, at least once a week, and always with a properly calibrated tire gauge. “Inflation pressure cannot be accurately estimated by kicking or thumping the tire,” Brodsky emphasized. “Trying to determine if tires need air by thumping them is as effective as trying to determine if the vehicle’s engine needs oil by thumping on the hood.”
Checking inflation pressures does not require a big investment in time, he commented. On average, it takes only about 20 minutes to check and adjust tire inflation pressure on an 18-wheel tractor-trailer. Time well spent.
Even well maintained tires lose air pressure, on average about one or two pounds per month. This is a natural occurrence as air permeates through rubber. Changes in temperature affect the rate of air pressure, with more air being lost in hot weather. Since air is a gas, it expands when heated and contracts when cooled.
Value caps should be installed on all valve stems and be kept tight. Metal value caps are best, as they contain a rubber gasket to provide an airtight seal. Most plastic caps do not.
MATCHING DUALS
Proper tire maintenance requires that tires in dual wheel assemblies be accurately matched. Along with using the same tire size and air pressure, dual tires need to have similar tread patterns and tread designs. The tires also need to be matched within a tolerance of not more than one-quarter of an inch in diameter and three-quarters of an inch in circumference.
Inflation mismatches on mated dual tires can cause tire diameters to differ enough that the “larger” tire will drag the “smaller” tire. This results in rapid and irregular wear, especially on the “smaller” tire.
Tests by Bridgestone/Firestone found that a 5-psi difference created a 5/16-inch difference in tire circumference on a set of dual tires. In just one mile, this little difference caused the “smaller” tire to be dragged 13 feet. Figuring 100,000 miles per year, this tire would be dragged 246 miles. This same type of situation can occur if tread depth and design on dual tires are not properly matched.
ALIGNMENT
Because both tires and vehicles need to be kept in proper alignment, alignment needs to be checked on a regular basis. A visual inspection and “dirty hand test” can usually reveal the beginning of alignment problem.
While performing his pre-trip walkaround safety inspection, a driver should be on the lookout for wheel problems and tire injuries, Brodsky said. He should rub his hand along the tread and sidewalls to feel for problems like flat spots, bulges, cuts, shoulder wear, sidewall damage, missing chucks of tread and so forth, problems that can not only result in tire failure, but can also lead to catastrophic accidents.
“Truckers and motorists alike need to be aware of the importance of stopping immediately whenever a tire problem is detected,” stressed Brodsky. “To try to continue to the nearest service station or truckstop is looking for trouble. Doing so can result in a tire ‘coming apart’ and leaving tire debris all over our highways, and worse, can cause serious accidents.
“Tires with improper air pressure, when driven long enough, will come apart,” he continued. “It isn’t a question of if, it's a question of when, and it doesn't matter if the tire is a retread or one that has never been retreaded.”
Brodsky said the retread and new tire industries recognize the importance of educating all truckers and motorists about proper tire inflation and other important maintenance requirements in order to reduce the amount of “rubber on the road” and the possibility of accidents caused by tire debris. “The Tire Retread Information Bureau is committed to continuing this education process,” he added.
For additional information, please contact the Tire Retread Information Bureau (TRIB), 900 Weldon Grove, Pacific Grove, CA 93950. Toll free from anywhere in North America, (888) 473-8732, e-mail: info@retread.org, or visit TRIB’s website: www.retread.org.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TIRE RETREAD INFORMATION BUREAU
900 WELDON GROVE
PACIFIC GROVE, CA 93950 USA
831-372-1917 • FAX 831-372-9210
TOLL FREE FROM ANYWHERE IN NORTH AMERICA 888-473-8732
info@retread.org
NEWS RELEASE ABOUT TIRES
Preventing On-the-Road Tire Failures
PACIFIC GROVE, CA, October 2004
(Contact: Harvey Brodsky, 831-372-1917)
The recent fatal single-car crash on Interstate 440 in Tennessee, attributed to a piece of rubber thrown from a truck tire blowout, clearly demonstrates the critical need for proper truck tire maintenance, according to Harvey Brodsky, Managing Director of the Tire Retread Information Bureau (TRIB). TRIB is a non-profit, member-supported industry association dedicated to the recycling of tires through retreading and repairing.
One woman was killed and another was critically injured in the late October accident. Witnesses said that after the car was struck by a piece of truck tire, the driver accelerated to more than 70 mph on the left-hand shoulder, apparently trying to catch up with the truck. The driver lost control; the car struck a light pole, flipped several times and came to rest upside down. An investigation is underway to determine whether charges will be filed.
“This situation could possibly have been avoided.” Brodsky suggested. Tire debris - also referred to as “rubber on the road” and “road alligators” is caused by under or over inflation, overloading, mismatching of tires on dual wheel positions, other improper maintenance and inspection procedures, and the failure of truckers to take appropriate actions when a tire problem is detected.
“The problem of tire debris is very serious and it won't go away until truckers and other motorists begin paying greater attention to proper tire maintenance,” Brodsky stated.
There is the widely held misconception that when a truck tire “blows,” it’s a retreaded tire, he noted. “That is just not so. Retreaded tires perform as well as tires that have never been retreaded, and they do it at a tremendous savings over the high cost of new tires. Every reputable truck tire manufacturer, with no exception, designs its truck tires for multiple lives, meaning the tires are designed to be retreaded. There is an abundance of evidence which proves the safety, reliability, performance and superior handling of today’s retreads.”
Studies have shown that most tire and scrap rubber debris on the roadways is caused by underinflation, which makes tires susceptible to cuts and flats, Brodsky said. When a truck tire comes apart, it can often cause a failure in other tires, either from a puncture from the debris, or from other tires having to carry a disproportionate share of the load, which causes overheating and failure. In fact, most tire related accidents are caused by improper tire inflation.
“It’s relatively simple to avoid these consequences,” suggested Brodsky. “Truckers just need to maintain the proper inflation pressure for a given tire size and load. This is single most critical factor for getting the safest and longest life out of tires.”
“It is not the tire, but the air the inside the tire that carries the weight of a vehicle, absorbs shock and keeps the tire in its proper shape so it may perform as designed,” he pointed out. “Inflation pressures also influence handling, traction, braking, load carrying capability and fuel economy.”
Tires flex when they roll, which bends the tire’s rubber and steel cords (used within the rubber on the sidewall of the tire to provide additional operating characteristics). This flexing generates heat. Wear is the result of friction created between the road’s surface and the tread as the tire rolls along. Heat is a tire’s worst enemy.
A tire that is improperly inflated doesn’t roll as smoothly or as easily as it was designed to. As a result, it will have an uneven, irregular tire footprint - that portion that contacts the road surface. This inconsistent shape leads to increased wear, reduced traction and performance, plus handling and ride problems.
The concentrated flexing caused by underinflation leads to premature wear and fatigue and failure of the steel cords. Ultimately, this limits the number of potential retreads from each casing. There is a direct correlation between how much a tire is underinflated and how much faster it wears.
When overinflated, excessive wear occurs at the center of the tread because it will bear the majority of the vehicle’s weight. Along with making for a harsher ride, overinflated tires tend to not “absorb” road hazards like debris in the road and potholes as well, increasing the risk of sustaining a puncture or impact damage.
While no current figures are available on the number of accidents caused specifically by improper tire inflation, a study done earlier this year found that debris littering roadways causes some 25,000 accidents annually in the United States and Canada, and up to 90 deaths. The research, done by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, determined that pieces of “blown” tires is the number one road debris hazard. Among the other most common forms of road debris: garbage from refuse and waste trucks; lumber and construction materials; gravel, soil and tree limbs, and parts off vehicles, such as muffler and exhaust components.
AIR PRESSURE
Tire pressure should always be checked when a tire is “cold” - before a vehicle has been driven, or driven less than one mile. Once a vehicle has been driven, tires warm up and experience an increase in air pressure, resulting in an inaccurate reading. A “hot” tire can take three-to-four hours to cool down after a vehicle is parked.
Tire pressure should be checked regularly, at least once a week, and always with a properly calibrated tire gauge. “Inflation pressure cannot be accurately estimated by kicking or thumping the tire,” Brodsky emphasized. “Trying to determine if tires need air by thumping them is as effective as trying to determine if the vehicle’s engine needs oil by thumping on the hood.”
Checking inflation pressures does not require a big investment in time, he commented. On average, it takes only about 20 minutes to check and adjust tire inflation pressure on an 18-wheel tractor-trailer. Time well spent.
Even well maintained tires lose air pressure, on average about one or two pounds per month. This is a natural occurrence as air permeates through rubber. Changes in temperature affect the rate of air pressure, with more air being lost in hot weather. Since air is a gas, it expands when heated and contracts when cooled.
Value caps should be installed on all valve stems and be kept tight. Metal value caps are best, as they contain a rubber gasket to provide an airtight seal. Most plastic caps do not.
MATCHING DUALS
Proper tire maintenance requires that tires in dual wheel assemblies be accurately matched. Along with using the same tire size and air pressure, dual tires need to have similar tread patterns and tread designs. The tires also need to be matched within a tolerance of not more than one-quarter of an inch in diameter and three-quarters of an inch in circumference.
Inflation mismatches on mated dual tires can cause tire diameters to differ enough that the “larger” tire will drag the “smaller” tire. This results in rapid and irregular wear, especially on the “smaller” tire.
Tests by Bridgestone/Firestone found that a 5-psi difference created a 5/16-inch difference in tire circumference on a set of dual tires. In just one mile, this little difference caused the “smaller” tire to be dragged 13 feet. Figuring 100,000 miles per year, this tire would be dragged 246 miles. This same type of situation can occur if tread depth and design on dual tires are not properly matched.
ALIGNMENT
Because both tires and vehicles need to be kept in proper alignment, alignment needs to be checked on a regular basis. A visual inspection and “dirty hand test” can usually reveal the beginning of alignment problem.
While performing his pre-trip walkaround safety inspection, a driver should be on the lookout for wheel problems and tire injuries, Brodsky said. He should rub his hand along the tread and sidewalls to feel for problems like flat spots, bulges, cuts, shoulder wear, sidewall damage, missing chucks of tread and so forth, problems that can not only result in tire failure, but can also lead to catastrophic accidents.
“Truckers and motorists alike need to be aware of the importance of stopping immediately whenever a tire problem is detected,” stressed Brodsky. “To try to continue to the nearest service station or truckstop is looking for trouble. Doing so can result in a tire ‘coming apart’ and leaving tire debris all over our highways, and worse, can cause serious accidents.
“Tires with improper air pressure, when driven long enough, will come apart,” he continued. “It isn’t a question of if, it's a question of when, and it doesn't matter if the tire is a retread or one that has never been retreaded.”
Brodsky said the retread and new tire industries recognize the importance of educating all truckers and motorists about proper tire inflation and other important maintenance requirements in order to reduce the amount of “rubber on the road” and the possibility of accidents caused by tire debris. “The Tire Retread Information Bureau is committed to continuing this education process,” he added.
For additional information, please contact the Tire Retread Information Bureau (TRIB), 900 Weldon Grove, Pacific Grove, CA 93950. Toll free from anywhere in North America, (888) 473-8732, e-mail: info@retread.org, or visit TRIB’s website: www.retread.org.
10-30-2004, 09:24 AM
#3
I was banned per my own request for speaking the name Pelosi
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Some carriers here won't like this, but it's not pointed at all of them. Re-tread or not, excess speed and oversize loads are major contributors too. I hear about 'em all day long. Constantly get calls on trailers weaving too. Overweight or unbalanced load? Mismatched duals, putting the newer tire on the inside because of taller tread causing more burden on one compared to the other. Also constantly get calls on the accidents these cause and trucks going down the road with burned-off tires without driver knowledge. To be fair about the tires, brakes failing and heating up cause a lot of the tire failure too. I'm not certified in air breaks, so I won't comment on the maintenance issues. I know it sounds preachy.....
10-30-2004, 10:13 AM
#4
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When I was a young driver, I can remember running retreads on my pickup due to the cost savings etc ...
Do any of you currently use retreads ?? How do they perform for your use ??
PISTOL
Do any of you currently use retreads ?? How do they perform for your use ??
PISTOL
10-30-2004, 10:26 AM
#5
Registered User
They can keep there retreads. It took me 13yrs to talk my boss out of running them. I personaly think they should be outlawed on any truck carring hazardous materials. One summer I went thru 6 recaps that had'nt been on my truck that long & I bump my tires several times a day & put a gauge to them once a week.
Tore out 4 fenders at $120 a piece 3 hours labor to change one fender. Told the boss he was'nt saving any $$ there. Tore up several mud flaps & a back bumper & lights. Told him the first time a recap goes in front of the plumbing on the tank trailer it could wipe out the plumbing & have a costly spill.
That was 9yrs ago & have'nt run any caps since & no tire failures aside from flats do to picking up nails.
Tore out 4 fenders at $120 a piece 3 hours labor to change one fender. Told the boss he was'nt saving any $$ there. Tore up several mud flaps & a back bumper & lights. Told him the first time a recap goes in front of the plumbing on the tank trailer it could wipe out the plumbing & have a costly spill.
That was 9yrs ago & have'nt run any caps since & no tire failures aside from flats do to picking up nails.
10-30-2004, 01:10 PM
#6
Adminstrator-ess
One woman was killed and another was critically injured in the late October accident. Witnesses said that after the car was struck by a piece of truck tire, the driver accelerated to more than 70 mph on the left-hand shoulder, apparently trying to catch up with the truck. The driver lost control; the car struck a light pole, flipped several times and came to rest upside down. An investigation is underway to determine whether charges will be filed.
Sounds like an unbalanced individual with a hair trigger temper to me.Anyway, I second Glenn's assertion that retreads suck. I am careful to be sure my tires are properly inflated because I too drive a rolling bomb. This summer I lost 3 retreads within 2 months.
10-30-2004, 02:53 PM
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Well if you do much flying you will be landing on recaps. Usually, the only time that an airplane has new tires is when the plane comes off the line. I used to look at the tires on preflight and if they were all retreads I was happy. Most of the time I blew a tire it was a new one. By-the-way, that was with weights up to 325k. Like the letter says, it is only a matter of inflation.
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