ATS were in our place today changing the mid lift tyres on 2 of our brand new CFs. He was taking off the new Continental tyres and replacing them with cheap Encore remoulds. I was confused as to why he was doing this as there was nothing wrong with the tyres, but even more confused by the fact that the remoulds have got drive axle tread patterns on them. The tyre fitter didn’t even know why they were being changed. Just doing as he’s told. ATS are not our tyre fitters, so its not obviously something that our mob have organised. The trucks belong to Ryder.
My questions are: Is it legal to have drive axle tyres on your mid lift, and can anyone think of a reason as to why these kind of tyres would be fitted to the mid lift axle on a brand new truck? Thanks in advance.
Probably a cost thing is my guess. Means they’ve got another decent set of steer tyres in stock and it is just a guess so could likely be totally incorrect!
It’s legal, but it’s not a very good idea, especially using remoulds and I’d predict that the tread will start lifting at the edges fairly quickly. As to why the boss is doing this, I have absolutely no idea, I just can’t see the logic in it at all. If it’s to do with cost then a far more sensible idea would be to fit “runners” to the mid-lift at £30-£50 a pop.
I once got the arse when my then brand new DAF 2500 had the 4 new tyres removed from the drive axle, and 4 Kenprest remoulds fitted in their stead, same tread pattern for steer and drive then, my boss was saving the new tyres for steer axles.
I was pleasantly surprised and had to eat me words, those Kenprests were the best gripping tyres i’ve ever had on a drive axle especially in the wet, you couldn’t unstick them.
Its a pure cost measure, presumably the mid lift isn’t a steer so they’re letting cheap stuff take the scrub and going to use the new tyres on a steer axle.
Its possible Encores arn’t available with a steer pattern (i don’t know), arn’t they remoulded remoulds?, 3rd life casings?, as such only someone in a strait jacket would fit them on a first steer so maybe no call for the correct steer pattern.
I’m 99% certain the mid lift is also steering axle too. I’ll find out for sure on Monday. It probably has got something to do with Ryder keeping the Continentals as decent spares. Either that, or someone is selling them on EBay!!!
damoq:
I’m 99% certain the mid lift is also steering axle too. I’ll find out for sure on Monday. It probably has got something to do with Ryder keeping the Continentals as decent spares. Either that, or someone is selling them on EBay!!!
Perhaps then your office needs to find out why Ryder have done what they have.
damoq:
I’m 99% certain the mid lift is also steering axle too. I’ll find out for sure on Monday. It probably has got something to do with Ryder keeping the Continentals as decent spares. Either that, or someone is selling them on EBay!!!
Perhaps then your office needs to find out why Ryder have done what they have.
My gaffers are businessmen. They know absolutely nothing about trucks. Ryder possibly could have suggested something and they have just blindly gone along with it.
Ryder have to run new on the front steers and use remoulds/recuts on the mid lift. Purely a cost exercise. I wouldn’t be too concerned, if anything did go wrong you could then nause the bejesus out of them. A lot of mid lift steer axles don’t steer anyway so I would presume it doesn’t matter what the tread pattern is like in that case at a guess & that they stand up to the dreaded scrubbing better & doesn’t bring a tear to the eye watching a new steer get beasted.
Depends on your ‘drive’ pattern. If it’s a block-style, might not do too well on mid lift/steer. If it’s an old school XZY ‘zig-zag’ pattern, would be ok.
Waste of money to keep brand new steer tyres on a mid lift/steer. Re-cuts or remoulds on that position do just as well.
Hiya…i played around at an haulage company before i was driving. one day a new hoyanor tipper trailer appeared
in the yard. before the boss saw the new trailer the tyres was on the front axles of other lorries, the Hoyanor
was sitting on re-cut tyres and scabby wheels from the front axles of the artics. No air guns in those days it was
a wheel brace and scaffle tube job.
John
