PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-632
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 632
JULY 2005
So here are some
cost-
saving tips
that will put
less
wear-and-tear on these tires.
Check ‘em Often
Eyeball your vehicle’s tires often, especially in quarries, for signs of tire spin cuts.
Check your tires when you stop for a break. Get rid of all embedded rocks. If you
don’t, every time the tire rotates, 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 puncture.
Watch Air Pressure
Keep the right amount of air in tires. Never over-inflate tires to make ‘em match
in size or circumference. Have your mechanic paint the recommended cold-inflation
pressure on the wheel rim near the valve stem.
Never mix radial and bias-ply tires on the same vehicle. You can lose steering
control, have poor handling, risk mechanical damage and uneven tire wear.
Always use the type of tire that’s designed for the job you’re doing. Use matched
tread design tires on all drive wheels.
On earth-moving equipment, replace tires that have less than
13
⁄
32
-in tread depth.
PS 632
JUL 05
18
Construction/MHE…
Tire
PM
=
Money
$
aver
Driving
Slow down when you leave or enter
the load or dump area from the haul
road. Slower speed reduces impact dam-
age and tire cuts.
Never skid down steep slopes. Next to
spinning the 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
dump truck with a full load down a 20
percent grade burns off rubber like a hot
rod taking off from a dead stop.
Also, remember to approach piles and
banks straight on. Angling into the pile
exposes tire sidewalls to a beating from
fallen rocks.
Spin cuts
Rock cuts
Embedded
rocks
Well, it’s
tough
out there,
sarge!
more
worn-
out tires!? you
know how much
these tires
cost
us?!
O
perators, the replacement cost of just one rubber tire on a construction or material-
handling vehicle will make you think twice about your driving habits at the work site.
For example, swapping out one tire on the 621B scraper costs about 2 grand when
you consider the price of the tire and its removal and installation. That’s 8 grand just
to replace the tires on one scraper!
632.18-19(C!)
5/27/05
9:38 AM
Page 1
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