PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-740
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 740
JULY 2014
15
PS 740
JUL 14
Tires…
When it
comes to
tire
maintenance
in
the motor pool,
you can trust
us. After all,
we’ve
both
got a
lot at stake.
You, maybe.
I think my
rolling days
are
flat done!
So
why
is tire
maintenance important?
Not only will it result in
better performance and
longer service, but good
maintenance can
prevent
a tire failure that could
result in vehicle damage,
injury or even death!
And don’t forget
vehicle downtime,
mounting and
dismounting
time, and driver
dissatisfaction.
Speaking to
the choir, chum.
I’m the
poster
child
for driver
dissatisfaction!
There are several different
measurements that can be used
to track tire performance. But
the most important are
wheel alignment, tread-wear
rate
and
inflation pressure.
Hey, could we
maybe move inflation
pressure to the top
of the list?
You
got it,
buddy.
Proper tire inflation
is
one of the most important
maintenance actions you
can take. These
next two
tips
are just for you.
First,
make sure every tire’s valve
stem has a cap, NSN 2640-00-255-
9346. That reduces valve stem
leakage. A leaky valve core takes air
out of a tire just as fast as a
nail.
Nail!?
Where?
YiKES!
Keep it away from me!
Cool it, pal.
There’s not much
a nail could
do to you now,
anyway.
You operators
should always have
a
tire gage
handy and
use it regularly, too.
it’s no secret that
low air pressure is
a big cause of tire
problems.
As a general rule
of thumb, a tire
that’s underinflated
20 percent will
decrease gas mileage
by about 12 percent.
the inside and outside
of Any tire
that
underinflated should
be inspected for
damagE.
Yeah, and it’s
really hard on my
achin’ tread, too.
Especially the
outside edges of
the tire tread.
That brings me to
my
next
point…
…wheel
alignment.
Proper wheel alignment will
keep your tires in service for a
good long time. But if you ignore
it, your tires will pay the price.
Here are some examples…
Feathered wear results from
excessive toe-in or toe-out
situations.
Toe-in
means that the
fronts of the tires are closer
to each other than the rears.
Toe-out
is just the opposite.
Either one will cause unequal
wear to the tire.
740 14-15.indd
1-2
5/28/14
4:09 PM
Click here for a copy of this article to save or email.
Back to TopBack to Top
