Tire Matching

[Recovry4x4]

All this talk about tires has me wondering if everybody is matching their rear tires. If not here is the formula for getting the best match out of a set of 8 tires. Do a rolling circumference of all 8 tires. Make sure the tire pressure is the same in all the tires first. Pair up your 2 tires with the greatest circumference. Next, pair up the 2 tires with the smallest circumference. These pairs will go on the same axle. Next pair up the remaining tires with the greatest circumference on one side of the remaining axle and the other pair goes on the other side. This is as close as you can get with your tires without truing them.

 

[Dieselsmoke]

All this talk about tires has me wondering if everybody is matching their rear tires.

Nope, that takes more time than I actually drive the truck

 

[cranetruck]

With singles and only one driving axle (wheel) it's not really an issue.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Yeah, I know it's not for you Bjorn. I had a few pairs mismatched especially after swapping the trailer tire. I've got 8 nice tires on my semi trailer that will soon be on my tractor. The 8 tires I got from Chip Berg will be for the back of the pipeline truck and I only need 2 new tires for the front of the pipeline truck. Woohoo!

 

[rdixiemiller]

Kenny
If you get the red deuce, I'll have you 2 new 900-20 NDTCC's. I bought 7, then got a truck with 1100R20 singles.

 

[rdixiemiller]

Another trick from my dumptruck days: When matching tires, put the taller ones on the right side. We always set up dumpers that way, keeps the truck slightly more level on the typical road surface, since they slope off to the right side. Don't know if it really makes a difference, but that was how we always set up our trucks.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Excellent point Robert. BTW thanks on the tire offer. I will get that red deuce.

 

[Loose Deuce]

Well that reminds me about a problem on a duel wheel P/U truck once. One of the rear wheels were locking up on one side when braking, after about a week and changing all kind of brake parts and doing a lot of adjusting, it was still the same. They finally found out one of the dual wheel tires was a size larger or smaller cant remember which. That solved the problem, so maybe there is something to be said about matching the tires some times.

 

[rdixiemiller]

Kenny
Before you head up this way, let me know. I'll make arrangements to burn a few comp days. We can pick up the deuce, flat tow it to my place, then get it up on the 5th wheel. I am looking for some damaged deuce wheels to use for a widening project. If you have any with cracked centers or wallowed out lug holes, let me know.

 

[Recovry4x4]

I have some extras and frankly I'll bring 2 decent wheels and tires with me and you can take the ones off the red truck if you like. I think every wheek I have but one is servicable.

 

[cranetruck]

Has anybody used tire pressures to even out the "rolling diameter" of his tires?
If a tire is called on to work harder than another, its temperature will increase and so will the pressure and its diameter. Since I got a digital tire pressure gauge, tiny things has become noticable. For instance, running a load of logs the other day, some longer ones were placed on the driver's side of the bed, loading those tires more. The tire pressure at the end of the 25 mile drive were higher on that side, by as much as 2 psi...

We REALY need to find a differential coupling between the rear axles, like all (probably) commercial trucks have. You gear head guys, what connections do you have? Were the Rockwell axles ever made with a lockable differential in the through-drive unit? Would be nice to be able to forget about pulling stub axles and drive flanges.

 

[Desert Rat]

Bjorn,
Have you thought of installing "cats eyes" on the duallies? I know you run singles. However, for those of us that run duals Cats Eyes equalize the pressure in both tires so one doesn't do all the work while the other goes on vacation. This helps extend tire life and tread wear. Plus when you air up the tires you air both at the same time. Most truck parts dealers have them in stock. They are inexpensive. It takes about ten minuets per dual set to install them too.

 

[cranetruck]

Don't know of them. But for people with duals, why don't you post more info.

 

[Desert Rat]

Bjorn,
Because I wasn't thinking. I'm so foucused on other things I completely forgot until your previous post.

 

[rdixiemiller]

I am looking for a power divider that will work on a deuce. The problem is, most trucks have it built into the front differential. Possibly some of the Macks that have the Rockwell style diffs could donate some parts.
I am leaning more towards an air actuated driveshaft clutch for the interaxle shaft. Something like the shaft clutch on a bush hog, but air actuated.

 

[JohnnyReb]

Hey Robert, if you solve that power divider problem, I can help you recover some of your cost by being a customer for a such a setup. I have a power divider (of course we call it a differ. lockout) on a civilian dump and it is a great help in the mud and then hiway....

 

[Recovry4x4]

Gang, look at the driveshaft disconnects available to the RV community. They are pretty basic looking to say the least. Robert, once you see how simple they are you might be making shavings.

 

[rdixiemiller]

Not familiar with them. I'll have to look one up.