Is it me or is it time to ban recap tires from on-highway use?

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by Brandonpdx, Jun 3, 2023.

  1. Brandonpdx

    Brandonpdx Road Train Member

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    As we all know...especially those whose A/C hasn't had a tooner-up lately...it was a pretty warm week in most of the country. Seems like as soon as that first hit of hot weather comes around you see a blown-up tire about every 50 feet along a major interstate and some boober chillin' on the side of the road over it. Enough is enough IMO. Somehow I doubt they tolerate this nonsense over on European truck routes. The animals...eh whadaya gonna do. The roadway conditions...yeah I'd like to strangle somebody in Indiana and couple of other pathetically incompetent states who allow that to persist, but the tires? C'mon that's an easy one.
     
    Last edited: Jun 4, 2023
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  3. Brandonpdx

    Brandonpdx Road Train Member

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    It's usually a trailer tire on some piece of crap dry van. Had one go on me once near Austintown, OH. I said eff it and drove a few miles to the T/A to get it fixed about 10x faster and not sit there being "that guy" on the side of the road. Pulled lots of containers in NJ and rarely had a problem with the tube tires. Some newer port chassis have radials now.
     
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  4. Brandonpdx

    Brandonpdx Road Train Member

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    I agree, some people are bozos about that. If it's safe and clear to do so I will jump over if somebody is on the shoulder or a conga-line of cars or a truck is crowding in. If it's not safe to do that, sometimes you just have to suck it up and slow it down in the spirit of defensive driving. People who are wayy off the fog line there's no need to move over for.
     
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2023
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  5. Brandonpdx

    Brandonpdx Road Train Member

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    There would be more rolled over trucks than I-80 across PA during a winter storm.
     
  6. Brandonpdx

    Brandonpdx Road Train Member

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    Surely you jest. Properly inflated virgin radial tires rarely do that. If they are damaged by foreign objects that's different.
     
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  7. dibstr

    dibstr Road Train Member

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    Years ago a study sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and performed by the University of Michigan found that the proportion of tire debris from retread tires and OE tires is similar to the estimated proportion of retread and OE tires in service. They also found there no evidence to suggest that the proportion of tire fragments/shreds from retread tires was overrepresented in the debris items collected, and they collected about 1500 caps and casings for the study.
     
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  8. kemosabi49

    kemosabi49 Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    The key there is "properly inflated ". Too many just bump tires and never gauge them, especially company drivers that do a lot of drop and hooks. I'd bet there are many trailers out there that only see a tire gauge when new tires are installed. Run a tire at 70% inflation for a few thousand miles and that tire is a blowout waiting to happen.
     
  9. Tb0n3

    Tb0n3 Road Train Member

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    I've certainly experienced that a low tire doesn't really feel any different from a full one. Get them gauges out boys.
     
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  10. krupa530

    krupa530 Light Load Member

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    What is properly inflated though. Debatable by everyone. Look through the previous threads on here. Everyone runs different pressures. People say I’m nuts for rolling with 85psi in my drives, but according to the manufacturer’s inflation tables that’s still overinflated for 34000lbs.
     
  11. snowwy

    snowwy Road Train Member

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    A bfh will thump a low tire under 85. It's really not that hard.

    Your eyes will also detect a low tire. When it's loaded.

    Tires bulge. When they're under 90.

    Recaps are easy to blow in the summer. With little loss of pressure.

    Virgins are a whole lot harder and require such low pressure that if you can't see your tire is low. You should get your eyes checked.

    Best time to visually examine tires is under a load.

    Learn the difference between 110 and 90 or lower. You'll see the bulge.

    Steers are a different story though and tend to bulge with 120. When they get down to 90. You know something is wrong.
     
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