Foretravel Owners' Forum

Foretravel Motorhome Forums => Foretravel Tech Talk => Topic started by: ifixboats on October 09, 2023, 04:20:27 pm

Title: Alcoa Wheels w/Dura-Bright
Post by: ifixboats on October 09, 2023, 04:20:27 pm
Does anyone know if the Dura-Bright coating is on both sides of the wheel? The reason I ask is I was thinking I might start replacing the front tires every 2 years and moving the front tires back to the other position and this would require turning the tires around in some positions. If the tires have to be remounted this may not be feasible. Has anyone tried this?
Title: Re: Alcoa Wheels w/Dura-Bright
Post by: wolfe10 on October 09, 2023, 04:45:03 pm
Memory from long ago is that the PN stamped into the wheel is different depending on what is shiny/Dura-Bright.

Of course, a quick visual check would also tell you.
Title: Re: Alcoa Wheels w/Dura-Bright
Post by: Chuck & Jeannie on October 09, 2023, 04:59:38 pm
Does anyone know if the Dura-Bright coating is on both sides of the wheel?
Our wheels are polished (non coated) so I can't answer your question, but here is a link to a prior discussion of the Alcoa coated wheels, FWIW:

Polishing wheels (https://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=41935)

Alcoa Wheels | Dura-Bright® EVO Surface Treatments | Alcoa Wheels (https://www.alcoawheels.com/china/en/dura-bright-evo/)

Title: Re: Alcoa Wheels w/Dura-Bright
Post by: Olde English on October 09, 2023, 05:39:24 pm
Good question, does your coach have steel wheel on the inside dual ?
If that's the case then maybe wheels can be ordered with the coating on one side or the other to save costs either way I'd be more concerned about put two tire on the back that have very different wear than the two pairs of matching rear tires.
Just a thought.
Title: Re: Alcoa Wheels w/Dura-Bright
Post by: Rudy on October 09, 2023, 05:56:55 pm
Brad, the concern for two different wear tires on the rear applies to the drive axle.  The tag tires you have are independent of each other.  Prevost uses the steer side on its tags which makes moving one to the front no issue.  Wish Foretravel did also.
Title: Re: Alcoa Wheels w/Dura-Bright
Post by: Barry & Cindy on October 09, 2023, 06:26:14 pm
Don't bother rotating motorhome tires. All aluminum wheels are shiny on only one side and inner dual is likely steel, not aluminum.

Dismounting tires, without without balancing is probably asking for trouble, like over tightened or loose lug nuts, leaks. These tires do not wear out, they age out.

You are lucky if your tires were correctly mounted, leave well enough alone.
Title: Re: Alcoa Wheels w/Dura-Bright
Post by: ifixboats on October 09, 2023, 06:50:21 pm
Thanks for all the input. My main objective is to have relatively new, 2 years or less, tires on the front with the others being no more than 8 years old. I hadn't thought about the inside dual being steel. Just confirmed it is steel with a magnet. That with the fact that  they are not polished on both sides, means my idea is not feasible. Probably why I haven't seen anybody else doing it. The information I get on here is amazing. I find nearly all my questions just by searching previous post. Thanks again to all!
Title: Re: Alcoa Wheels w/Dura-Bright
Post by: craneman on October 09, 2023, 09:06:54 pm
I thought all the 320's had 6 aluminum wheels. My coach has 6 but only the outer rears and fronts are polished.
Title: Re: Alcoa Wheels w/Dura-Bright
Post by: Michelle on October 09, 2023, 09:07:23 pm
It's also very important that both tires on a dual axle end have the same wear-down.  Too great a difference between overall tire diameter causes the less-worn one to bear more of the load than if both were matched.  That decreases tire life.
Title: Re: Alcoa Wheels w/Dura-Bright
Post by: Michelle on October 09, 2023, 09:07:46 pm
I thought all the 320's had 6 aluminum wheels. My coach has 6 but only the outer rears and fronts are polished.

Ours didn't.  Inner duals were steel.
Title: Re: Alcoa Wheels w/Dura-Bright
Post by: craneman on October 09, 2023, 09:26:30 pm
Must have changed after out '99

1999  Foretravel U320  Specifications (http://web.archive.org/web/20190915225951/http://www.beamalarm.com/foretravel-links/models/1999_foretravel_u320%20_specifications.html)
Title: Re: Alcoa Wheels w/Dura-Bright
Post by: hdff on October 09, 2023, 09:37:52 pm
I thought all the 320's had 6 aluminum wheels. My coach has 6 but only the outer rears and fronts are polished.
My 2000 had 6 aluminum wheels my 2003 has 6 aluminum and 2 steel on the inner duals



Keith
Title: Re: Alcoa Wheels w/Dura-Bright
Post by: oldguy on October 09, 2023, 10:09:19 pm
My coach has 6 aluminum wheels also.
Title: Re: Alcoa Wheels w/Dura-Bright
Post by: Woody & Sitka on October 09, 2023, 10:14:32 pm
My 2001 coach had steel rear inners.  All 4 OEM Alcoa Durabrites were trashed by tire shop tech (Les Schwab) when I bought the coach in '19, and they replaced the Alcoas with polished.  I tried to find Alcoa Durabrites this last week to replace the steel inners, and Alcoa Durabrites seem to be currently unobtanium again.  Went with polished vs. a non-Alcoa brand.  JWID.  I have lots of polish.  Yay.
Title: Re: Alcoa Wheels w/Dura-Bright
Post by: ifixboats on October 19, 2023, 01:39:58 pm
Per the information I gathered here I ordered and have received 8 new Michelins 275/80R22.5 X LEZ LRH from  NATIONAL TIRE CONCIERGE SERVICES NTCS, David and Wendy Ward. Phone:  (w) 321-747-8465  &    (d)  321-607-2265. they were easy to work with and best price I found, $656. I tried FMCA but they were higher and their process was complicated and I didn't receive much help when I tried to call.