Commercial Tires
Getting in on the Wheel Deal

uncil (TMC) has an excellent publication titled "User’s Guide to Wheels and Rims" which is a compilation of the knowledge and experience of top industry suppliers and fleet maintenance personnel. The installation, inspection, and maintenance procedures for wheels, rims, and fastener components in this TMC Recommended Practice are readily available (phone 703-838-1763) and should be

Make the Right Call: Selecting the Right Valve Stem Not as Easy as It Seems

Make the Right Call Selecting the Right Valve Stem Not as Easy as It Seems When tubeless tires first entered the commercial tire market years ago, technicians assumed that if the tubeless valve stem fit the hole in the wheel it was the right valve stem. Today, that assumption could lead to severe problems. Over

Make the Right Turn: Don’t Underestimate the Impact of Proper Valve Stem Torque

Make the Right Turn Don’t Underestimate the Impact of Proper Valve Stem Torque When the ITRA’s Commercial Tire Service Program began in 1996, I thought I knew everything about truck tires and wheels. Years of experience on the road and in the shop made me an expert as far as I was concerned. I didn’t

Do We Really Need This Much Information?

Do we really need this much information? Cold winter nights offer the best opportunity for many of us to catch up on reading material. Whether it’s job-related trade journals, industry studies, or a good novel, there is much information and entertainment available in print.Chances are pretty good, however, that unless you’re an incurable insomniac, you

Is Wider Better?: Michelin Leads Super Wide Charge in North America

Is Wider Better? Michelin Leads Super Wide Charge in North America With the introduction of a new breed of radial truck tires in North America, dual fitments on line haul fleets may become a thing of the past.Best described as “super wide” tires – not to be confused with bulky conventional-sized wide base tires commonly

Hot & Cold: Ambient Air Temps Have Great Impact on ‘Correct’ Tire Pressure

cause any flexing object will generate heat, proper inflation pressure also enables the tire to reach an equilibrium temperature where the amount of heat created is equal to the amount of heat dissipated through the sidewalls, shoulder and tread area.Even though the tire industry has long reminded fleets and tire dealers about the importance of

On the Surface

On the Surfaceof the Tire/Road Relationship Anyone who has been around the tire business for any length of time has heard or participated in discussions about how well competing brands or types of tires perform. Equally well known is the wide variety of conclusions some "experts" derive from their "experience." It brings to mind an

Will Lug Tires Remain a Driving Force?

Will Lug Tires Remain a Driving Force? Remember the days when nearly all car owners – except those in the southernmost states ®“ performed the ritual of mounting and removing snow tires each year? Many drivers even purchased separate wheels, dedicated for use during the winter to avoid the extra time and expense of the

Trailers Should Sometimes Come First

Trailers Should Sometimes Come First If the headline above caught your attention and conjured up visions of big rigs heading down the highway backward, we accomplished half of our mission. Make no mistake, we’re not advocating changing the direction of traffic flow, but we do want to underscore and explore the importance of devoting some

The “Big” Approach: Treating Smaller Fleets Like the Big Guys Can Help Win Them Over

When it comes to proper, dollar-saving tire maintenance, small and medium sized fleets – especially owner-operators with a handful of tractors – are probably the toughest customers. On their tires, and on their dealers. While they know they need tires, often times cost issues, the lack of a formal controlled vehicle maintenance program, and/or the

Fleets Need Help With Repairs

Fleets Need Help With Repairs Many fleets perform their own tire repairs – for better or worse. Dealers and retreaders can either curse their bad luck at losing potential business or take advantage of the situation.At first glance, it appears dealers and retreaders lose business when fleets do their own tire repairs. A deeper look

The Truck Tire/Brake Relationship

The Truck Tire/Brake Relationship Modern trucks have evolved significantly in recent years. Depending on the vantage point of the assessor, today’s over-the-road rigs have been described as innovative, streamlined, incredibly reliable, or as merely highly evolved, electronically assisted versions of some aging basic designs. Most, however, would agree that today’s trucks move more of our