New steer tires, woohoo!

[Bob86ZZ4]

I've been making payments on my coach for a bit over 3 years now. It's always ridden quite rough up front in the cab. I just assumed that's the way they ride. I've only driven one other truck and not very far or fast in that one so didn't have anything to base it on. My son is a truck driver and I've ridden in his truck and it's not smooth either. Anyhow, last fall I decided to get new steers this spring since the steers on my truck were 9 years old. The treads were very deep and looked evenly worn (if you didn't look too close) and the sidewalls didn't have too much cracking. But I figured the age was enough that I should buy new ones. I drove the truck about 20 miles to the tire shop so I had a fresh feel for how bumpy it rides. I had bought a set of dynabeads last fall in preparation for new tires. Dynabeads are supposed to be good for balancing the tires, google them. The tire guy liked that I could lift the front off the ground so he didn't have to jack it (leveling jacks are great). When he peeled the tires off the rims there was no sign of any balancing product in them! Most places use a powder type stuff I guess made up of crushed plastic or something. None in my tires. Then he showed me how messed up the wear was on one of them. With the tire off so I could get a good look at it from a distance I could see that. They were also mismatched brand tires, same size though. I never liked that they were different brands. Not good on same axles.

Mounted up brand new Dunlop SP160's in 11R22.5 size, H rated (something like 6600 lbs. per tire I think). I told my tire guy I wanted tires made in America. These Dunlops are. Popped the bags of Dynabeads in before seating them.

Drove back the 20 highway miles with a huge! smile. Wow, the difference is amazing. Those old tires were WAY out of balance. I'm very excited. We're heading to Ohio next week and this is going to make it soo much nicer. I think the shop charged me something like $460 per tire mounted up. They told me the old tires were worth nothing since they were over 5 years old. The whole charge card bill was something like $940 I think.

Thanks for listening.

 

[ed s]

Nice price Bob, I just looked at new tires for my front and installed they wanted $1700+
I need to shop and investigate a bit more but no time for a couple fo weeks. Have a fun trip to OH, I will be ain Cambrige MN this weekend

 

[Bob86ZZ4]

That's too much, Ed. I've got to work all weekend so I don't think I'll be able to get up there to see you. Can you come through St. Paul with a couple hours to spare and I can have my tire guy pop some new steers on for you? I think you've got a heavier front axle than me if I remember right. Mine is a 12k lb one. Do you run a different size than that? Even if it's close I bet the price wouldn't be too far off. Give me a size and I can run it by my guy. He normally uses those packs of crunched up plastic and he said they work pretty well. He said he'd never seen the Dynabeads. Guessing we don't have time to get you Dynabeads but I'm sure you'd be fine with the regular stuff.

 

[ed s]

Hey Bob,
Hope all is well!!
My tire size is 295/80 r22.5

Best price I can get around here so far is $600 for Bridgestone, $675 for Goodyear and $717 for Mich per tire.

Will be in Lake Elmo later August.

 

[Bob86ZZ4]

Okay, I'll ask my guy about a price on that size. My old steers had a General on one side and a Michilen on the other. And they both had different size markings but he said they were essentially the same size. I asked him if it was okay to just switch over to the 11R22.5 and he said oh sure, no problem there. I'll ask him about yours though. Are yours a G rated? or h rated?

 

[ed s]

Think mine are H but front axle is 20,000# and think the last time I scaled ran little over 15,000# . Have to find my scale ticket to be sure.

 

[Bob86ZZ4]

I thought your front axle is a 16k? I don't think a 20k axle would have little tires like the size you said you've got. You'd have big 'ol cement truck tires. I'd think anyhow.

 

[Bob86ZZ4]

Wow, nope, you're right. I just looked on the Michelin chart and they show their XZA2 tire in that size is good to 15,660 per tire in singles. That's probably why your tires are much more expensive than mine.

 

[ed s]

Wow Bob, you just told me something I didnt know about my current tires, thank you! You are a good guy!

 

[Brinson]

I just replaced all of my rear tires on my 06 NRC this week. I purchased 8 Michelin 275 80 R22.5 XZA 3's through the FMCA. The price was 493.00 with additional 25.23 fed. tax. This of course does not include mounting and installation. You must purchase them through a national account tire store. XZA 1's would have been 453.00 plus fed. tax. I checked locally and could not come close to these prices.

 

[daddywoofdawg]

I need to get my steers balanced and was quote 65 a piece,Is the right or high?seems high to me but never had big tire balanced.

 

[#90-GTSC]

I need to get my steers balanced and was quote 65 a piece,Is the right or high?seems high to me but never had big tire balanced.

Pretty much time (labor) and materials. Can they balance a tire in 45 minutes? Do they have a special, expensive machine to do it with?

 

[Bob86ZZ4]

You might want to consider using the Dynabeads for balancing. Mine seem to be working pretty well. You could buy the beads and put them in yourself without even taking the wheels off the truck. You just remove the valve core and they have a tube you put on the valve stem and pour the beads in.

 

[hot rod]

I just put new steer tires on my Topkick this week, 235/80/22.5, $306 apiece my cost for Michellin XRV's (I have a wholesale tire account). Also bought new aluminum wheels and had the existing drive tires mounted on those. Took them down to the local truck tire shop and they get $30 each to mount a loose tire (not on the truck) and $30 each for spin balancing or $5 to throw in a bag of beads. I had the steer tires balanced and put beads in the drives.

I'm new to big truck tires, so I asked questions. They told me that spin balancing was more accurate, but would need to be rebalanced every 15000 miles. The beads are good to go, no re-balance. So I figured it was worth it for the steers, but did not want to go the extra trouble later for the drives.