PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-573
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 573
AUGUST 2000
Construction/MHE . . .
Watch Air Pressure
Keep the right amount of air in tires. Never overinflate tires to make them
match in size or circumference. Have your mechanic stencil the recommended
tire pressure on the wheel rim near the valve stem.
Never mix radial and bias-ply
tires on the same vehicle. You
lose steering control, have poor
handling, and risk mechanical
damage and uneven tire wear.
Always use the type of tire
that’s designed for the job
you’re doing. Match tire tread
designs on all drive wheels.
On earth-moving equipment,
replace tires that have less than
13
/
32
-in tread depth.
Spin cuts
Rock cuts
Embedded rocks
Check ’em Often
Eyeball your vehicle’s tires for cuts every time you take a break, especially
when working in quarries. Get rid of all embedded rocks, too. If you don’t, every
time the tire turns, rocks are pushed deeper into the tread. Eventually, a rock
passes through the tread and into the soft body rubber. Then it’s just a matter of
time before a blowout or flat.
how did
the tires
check out?
good!
i got all the
rocks out
and there
are
no major
cuts
!
but you
still haven't
checked my
tire air
pressure
!
stencil the
tire pressure
near
the
tire stem
.
perators, the cost of replacing a tire on your construction and material-
handling equipment should make you think twice about your driving habits at
the work site.
For example, to replace one tire on the 621B scraper costs about $2,500
including the price of the tire and removal/replacement costs. That’s $10,000 to
replace all four tires on one scraper! Save those tire dollars with good operator
PM.
Driving Tips
Slow down when you leave or enter the load or dump area from the haul road.
Slower speed reduces impact damage and tire cuts.
Never skid down steep slopes. Next to outright spinning your wheels, the
quickest way to strip a tire is to lock the wheels of a fully loaded vehicle while
going downhill.
Braking a fast-moving scraper or loaded dump truck down a 20 percent grade
grinds off rubber like an emery wheel grinding down a piece of soft metal.
And remember to approach piles and banks straight on. Angling into the pile
exposes tire sidewalls to a beating from fallen rocks.
PS 573
PS 573
22
AUG 00
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