Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/725427
70 commercial carrier journal | september 2016 EQUIPMENT: TIRE BALANCING reduction in tire mileage, but Forney says balancing can not only optimize the fuel efficiency of these less-durable tires but also maintain normally expected tire life. "When there aren't perceived problems, fleets aren't maximizing the value of the tires or fuel," he says. "By increasing tire mileage by 25 percent or more and in- creasing fuel economy by 2 percent, fleets can save $5,500 per truck per year." By not balancing a wheel end, a fleet can lose upwards of 20 to 25 percent of potential tire life, Forney says. "Tires are often pulled prematurely due to irregular tread wear," he says. Forney says fleets typically see a 20 to 40 percent increase in tire mileage from balancing, citing a 2012 tire life study conducted by a large fleet that docu- mented 20 million miles and showed a 25 percent increase in tire mileage from balancing with Equal Flexx, a soft internal compound designed to maximize vibra- tion dampening for the tire's life without damaging the casing, wheel or tire pres- sure monitoring system. "The steer position typically gener- ates 18 percent of a truck's tire-related rolling resistance, while drive tires produce an additional 40 percent, and the trailers make up the remaining resistance," he says. "Not only are there significantly more tires that can benefit from improved wear behind the steer axle, but they also generate the great ma- jority of the fuel-savings opportunity." Based on current tire and fuel costs, the steer axle can provide $1,000 in savings, while the drive and trailer axles offer $4,500 in savings, Forney says. Balancing information Both Manges and Gary Schroeder, direc- tor of commercial vehicle and global OEM sales for Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., assigned to the Roadmaster brand, say that the Technology and Mainte- nance Council's Recommended Practices Manual is a good resource for balancing tires, but notes it does not recommend a single approach. "The approach to balancing will vary based on the specific application the tires are being used for," Schroeder says. "Bal- ancing steer tires for a regional waste-haul truck will vary from balancing steer tires for a long-haul truck." Schroeder and Manges both say TMC RP 214D (Tire/Wheel End Balance and Runout) and RP 648 (Troubleshooting Ride Complaints) are valuable tools in making tire-balancing decisions. Eggen says his preference to balance was based on his understanding that a truck that just rolled off the assembly line wasn't perfectly balanced and road-ready. "When a tire is mounted on a wheel, and the wheel assembly is mounted on a truck, it now has an out-of-balance – known as the heavy spot – which is differ- ent than the heavy spot of just the tire or wheel alone," Forney says. Kiene_CCJ0916_PG.indd 1 8/9/16 1:46 PM MODELS 795SS& 1075SSE MODELS 795SS& 1075SSE 843&853 MODELS plus 900&1400 SERIES 853 MODELS 900& 843&853 843&853 plus 900 MODELS 795SS 1075SSE SERIES 1075SSE 555SS MODEL OFF LIST PRICE OFF LIST PRICE OFF LIST PRICE SAVE UP TO $ 1000 ON THE #1 PRESSURE WASHER! THERE'S NO BETTER TIME TO OWN A HOTSY! SCHEDULE YOUR DEMO TODAY. ON OUR MOST POPULAR HOT WATER MODELS! FIND YOUR LOCAL DEALER WWW.HOTSY.COM or call 800-525-1976 Not valid with any other promotions or discounts. Sale ends 4/30/16. Hotsy_March.indd 1 2/1/16 12:05 PM Untitled-5 1 2/22/16 2:39 PM