Re: Tire question. Should I be worried Reply #25 – July 19, 2010, 12:54:58 pm Lots of great input here. I don't ever remember this particular discussion on our forum before. So as always, thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge. Quote Selected
Re: Tire question. Should I be worried Reply #26 – July 19, 2010, 07:48:32 pm The tire company that Coach-Net contracted with showed up around 11:00 a.m. He came with the right tools and the right attitude. Here is what he found:The valve stem was not tightened enough when it was installed a little more than 3 months ago in Cottonwood, AZ when we bought our new tires. I will call them and let them know of my dissatisfaction with their service. After doing a careful inspection of the tread and sidewall, he unmounted the tire to check inside. Other than the loose valve stem he found nothing else. He replaced the valve stem. I told him of my concern about tire damage and he said that had we damaged the tire by driving it under inflated that he would have smelled it and he would have seen a discoloration on the inside of the tire. I am confident that the tire is in perfect condition.As to valve stems and extensions, I will start a new topic on that. I am confused as to what is and what is not available.Thanks to all of you who chimed in with your opinions Quote Selected
Re: Tire question. Should I be worried Reply #27 – July 19, 2010, 08:16:22 pm George, Rest easy, sidewall damage is visible on the inside of tire and you would smell it. He knew what he was talking about. Tim Quote Selected
Re: Tire question. Should I be worried Reply #28 – July 19, 2010, 09:00:31 pm From my experience, the inside dual will be the biggest problem child of the tires because of many reasons, one as mentioned the extensions, harder to get to, but also sometimes the stem in the valve core gets bent when trying to add air or using a gauge. I had that wonderful experience, it is a real educator type experience, so be careful and do not cause yourself problems. Between a billy club, a temp gauge or your hand and your eyeballs, you will have fewer issues.MODave Quote Selected
Tire testing Reply #29 – July 20, 2010, 12:48:46 am So what is a breakover wrench? Is this the best tool to use in "thumping" tires? Could you describe the best way to assess tires in this way?Thanks in advance,George Quote Selected
Re: Tire testing Reply #30 – July 20, 2010, 01:36:50 am A breakover wrench is a driver for a socket. I use it because it is a heavy piece of steel about 18" long with no sharp corners and a nice handle. For thumping, it is similar to a piece of 1/2" steel rod. I am sure there are better tools, but that was at hand and became my tool of choice. If I thump a tire in the middle of the tread, it gives a nice sound and rebound. It's like hitting a drum. If the tire is low, the rebound will be sluggish and the sound will be different. It is not a replacement for measuring the pressure in a cold tire, but during a rest stop, it gives me some confidence that my tires are maintaining reasonable pressure. Quote Selected
Re: Tire testing Reply #31 – July 20, 2010, 01:42:01 am "The procedure of thumping tires with a club, stick, bar or the infamous boot-o-meter cannot find an under-inflated tire any better than a hand on the hood can find low oil."I've been doing some reading on thumping tires. The web provides a lot of information. Most of the positive endorsements of this technique come from trucker forums and similar sources, but most of the tire manufacturer and fleet management sources warn that thumping is not as effective as using an air gauge. Not a big surprise, but how effective is it? Thumping will identify a drastically under inflated tire, but it probably would not identify a coach tire that was under inflated by, say 10psi. I would not want to drive on a tire that was under inflated by that amount. The above quote comes from the following article....http://fleetowner.com/equipment/tiretracks/fleet_thumping_doesnt_work/George Quote Selected
Re: Tire testing Reply #32 – July 20, 2010, 02:22:12 am Quote from: George Hatfield – July 20, 2010, 01:42:01 am"The procedure of thumping tires with a club, stick, bar or the infamous boot-o-meter cannot find an under-inflated tire any better than a hand on the hood can find low oil."I've been doing some reading on thumping tires. The web provides a lot of information. Most of the positive endorsements of this technique come from trucker forums and similar sources, but most of the tire manufacturer and fleet management sources warn that thumping is not as effective as using an air gauge. Not a big surprise, but how effective is it? Thumping will identify a drastically under inflated tire, but it probably would not identify a coach tire that was under inflated by, say 10psi. I would not want to drive on a tire that was under inflated by that amount. See the following article....http://fleetowner.com/equipment/tiretracks/fleet_thumping_doesnt_work/GeorgeI have a friend who claims he can tell if a tire is 2 psi low by thumping. I prefer my gauge.BTW George, you have one of the best looking Foretravels on the forums. In my opinion. Looks just like mine. Quote Selected
Re: Tire testing Reply #33 – July 20, 2010, 06:45:04 am I use an inferred heat gun and I can detect 10psi difference with the heat difference alone. Quote Selected
Re: Tire question. Should I be worried Reply #34 – July 20, 2010, 06:45:50 am Harbor Freight and Sears have the IR guns for around $50. Quote Selected
Topic: Tire question. Should I be worried