I noticed that one of my super single steer tyres had a big cut in the sidewall today so pointed it out and trundled off to the local tyre emporium. Boss was moaning big time about the cost of a replacement, so I enquired as to the cost. £360 + VAT Now whilst that aint cheap I’ve just searched for the cost of the tyres on my car and they range from £150 -230 and would likely about 20,000 miles. The tyres for his Range Rover cost more and probably last less. Suddenly the £360 + VAT doesn’t seem so bad.
My guess is that the boss would moan if they cost tuppence. 
What brand of tyre was it at that price may I ask?
are you not ment to replace steer tyres in pairs■■?
It was a Bridgestone tyre, usually I try and get pairs but the offside has got a reasonable amount of tread on it still. The nearside front steer takes a punishing from the crane so it wears quicker, although I try and even that out by switching them round. The old tyre can be major repaired and I’ll use that to replace an original on the 2nd steer axle that has done 140k and is getting low.
mutly75:
are you not ment to replace steer tyres in pairs■■?
What do you mean, why replace 2 tyres when you only have a cut in 1■■
8wheels:
The tyres for his Range Rover cost more and probably last less.
Yes but his Rangie only has 4 of them and probably only does 10k miles a year whereas your 8 wheeler has 12 and no doubt does at least 5 times that mileage. Even with a modest fleet you can easily have a tyre bill stretching to tens of thousands of pounds a year.
Paul
Moose:
mutly75:
are you not ment to replace steer tyres in pairs■■?What do you mean, why replace 2 tyres when you only have a cut in 1■■
That’s what I would probably do, and (given in this case they’re super singles) keep the other one to put on a trailer.
I always replace the steers in pairs on my unit, and keep the old ones to use on the lift axle.
Paul
doh, read the super single bit after posting!
They’d be a bit big for our trailers 17.5 inch wheels though!
I know that tyres must hurt financially I’ve got 12, our unit has 8 and the trailer has 12 has a massive appetite for the things. We do a lot of site work and rough roads and the trailer is dragged round at silly angles rather than gently steered around a corner. It’s just that I always cop 80% of the grief for 20% of the cost.
A couple of weeks ago I was hauling a Sherman tank and I stopped for a break on the A12 5 minutes past the tyre place, I noticed that one of the steers on the unit had a puncture and called it in. They proposed to send me with it to Nicks tyres in Brentwood rather than call out the other lot. That would have meant a detour of about 10 miles after I had my 45 break and it would have completely filled their little yard just to save a call out. Sometimes you don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
But a 10 mile detour is cheaper than a £50 call out.
plus try getting a tyre fitter to do a puncture repair on the side of the road (lay-by services etc) can’t get any body in our part of the world to do that any more will have to be a new tyre drive is usual reply but if we were at the depot we could repair it
Moose:
mutly75:
are you not ment to replace steer tyres in pairs■■?What do you mean, why replace 2 tyres when you only have a cut in 1■■
the tracking, and balance could be spot on, but if one tyre is worn more than the new one, then it will give a similar effect of having the balance and tracking out by a long way. this will wear out the new one in no time.
it is the same for any axle. if you have a new tyre with say 1" tread, and the opposite tyre has say 1/2" tread, then a heavy load will put a [zb] load of pressure on the new tyre and possibly blow out.
sportmonkey:
plus try getting a tyre fitter to do a puncture repair on the side of the road (lay-by services etc) can’t get any body in our part of the world to do that any more will have to be a new tyre drive is usual reply but if we were at the depot we could repair it
don’t call a tyre company.
call out a plant mechanic/service company.
The punctured tyre was hissing badly, I didn’t fancy trying to get a fully loaded lowloader through to the tyre place, and it’s the sort if place that’s full when it’s empty. Leaving the trailer with the tank on was not going to happen either. I rang it in at the start of my 45 so it cut the dead time as well. The old tyre was a cheapo crap one that was obviously going to need replacing.
8wheels:
I’ve just searched for the cost of the tyres on my car and they range from £150 -230 and would likely about 20,000 miles
That seems very low!?
limeyphil:
if you have a new tyre with say 1" tread, and the opposite tyre has say 1/2" tread, then a heavy load will put a [zb] load of pressure on the new tyre and possibly blow out.
Absolute bullocks.
The pressure would be the same on both.
If fitting one new tyre to a front steer axle on any vehicle it should be on the n/s. 1. Helps to offset the camber lean. 2. The deeper tread moves more water which tends to stand more to the n/s.
Ooooh lookee here, a very recent discussion about tyre costs on, would you believe it, Trucknetuk 
Driveroneuk:
8wheels:
I’ve just searched for the cost of the tyres on my car and they range from £150 -230 and would likely about 20,000 milesThat seems very low!?
Agreed, I’m still running the same rear tyres on my beemer as when I got it, they weren’t brand new then, I’ve done 19,000 miles and there’s bags of tread left on them.
Fronts needed changing due to a worn ball joint causing abnormal wear which I wasn’t happy with - even though they were still legal and passed the MOT.
20,000 miles, unless they’re super soft, should just be breaking in a brand new car tyre
Oooooooh, tyres, I love tyres me
limeyphil:
it is the same for any axle. if you have a new tyre with say 1" tread, and the opposite tyre has say 1/2" tread, then a heavy load will put a [zb] load of pressure on the new tyre and possibly blow out.
That’s not actually true 
The difference in tyre size will not put enough extra weight on the new tyre to cause a problem, even with a totally shagged out tyre next to a new one weight will not be a problem, but you will completely knock one tyre out and I bet that most of you would guess the wrong one
The tyre that will wear quicker will be the older one, not the newer one
The reason is that the older tyre has a smaller circumference than the newer tyre, which means that it does more revolutions per mile than the bigger tyre next to it, yet because it’s bolted to the same hub as the new tyre it is actually being wheelspun down the road, this is what causes the wear
On the subject of front tyre replacement, it is recommended to swap both at the same time, it is also recommended that the shock absorbers are replaced at the same time (for normal tyre life schedules)
Something else that is also often done the wrong way is an alignment, it should be done before you put new tyres on, this way the alignment technician can see if there’s any irregular wear on the old tyres and correct it before you scrub a new set out
waynedl:
Driveroneuk:
8wheels:
I’ve just searched for the cost of the tyres on my car and they range from £150 -230 and would likely about 20,000 milesThat seems very low!?
Agreed, I’m still running the same rear tyres on my beemer as when I got it, they weren’t brand new then, I’ve done 19,000 miles and there’s bags of tread left on them.
Fronts needed changing due to a worn ball joint causing abnormal wear which I wasn’t happy with - even though they were still legal and passed the MOT.
20,000 miles, unless they’re super soft, should just be breaking in a brand new car tyre
Was just a guestimate, I don’t tend to do huge mileages and rarely actually have to put tyres on a car.