david85
Full Access Member
Crikey! That's some screw 
Tire shop: rant/question...
- Thread starter jrollf
- Start date
IDIBRONCO
IDIBRONCO
You know, there's SOOOO many things that I'd like to say in response to that, but I have to keep it family friendly so I can't!Crikey! That's some screw
BR3
Full Access Member
Hard disagree on the blue. I love the look of the blue on my brand new tires (white letters out of course). If I want to wash it off, I can. If the shop washes it off, I don't get to ride around looking spiffy for a while. It would be like a phone store clerk pulling off your shipping protector or a dealership pulling out the factory floor cover. It's for the customer to decide when/ why to remove. That's why the manufacturer spent the money to put it on. We all know if they thought that they could save money ney and not put it on, they would haha
Garbage_Mechan
Garbage Mechanic
Here is my retorque scenario:
100 garbage trucks out the gate daily.
Corporate policy wheels must be retorqued after min 8 hrs running. With hand torque wrench 500 ft lbs. Everything has to be tracked on paper.
Since most trash trucks have 4 axles, that is 800 wheel positions. 1,200 tires. About 8 flats per day and average tire life 6 to 9 months for wear. With all this torqing going on at least I learned some things. Most wheels were at 1,000 ft lbs, 2x the spec. Stripped studs and snapped studs reduced to nearly zero after the program. Reforques found at least a few nuts loose daily. The most important factors: clean hubs and wheels are critical. Most common cause of loose wheels.
100 garbage trucks out the gate daily.
Corporate policy wheels must be retorqued after min 8 hrs running. With hand torque wrench 500 ft lbs. Everything has to be tracked on paper.
Since most trash trucks have 4 axles, that is 800 wheel positions. 1,200 tires. About 8 flats per day and average tire life 6 to 9 months for wear. With all this torqing going on at least I learned some things. Most wheels were at 1,000 ft lbs, 2x the spec. Stripped studs and snapped studs reduced to nearly zero after the program. Reforques found at least a few nuts loose daily. The most important factors: clean hubs and wheels are critical. Most common cause of loose wheels.
Garbage_Mechan
Garbage Mechanic
I hand torque and re torque all my wheels on my personal fleet.
I gave up "gorilla torquing my lug nuts with a "T" wrench, years ago.
Took the car in to Sears, to have new tires put on, and they came back and said they were going to have to torch all my wheel studs off, to get the wheels off.
I walked out there and popped a tire completely loose with the t wrench. Just to emphasize the point... Put it back on. And drove away without buying the tires.
Took the car in to Sears, to have new tires put on, and they came back and said they were going to have to torch all my wheel studs off, to get the wheels off.
I walked out there and popped a tire completely loose with the t wrench. Just to emphasize the point... Put it back on. And drove away without buying the tires.
Garbage_Mechan
Garbage Mechanic
There is a 59 GMC that was once in my fleet that I kept “hid”. Ended up restored in a garbage truck museum in Florida.
Random question on tires since I'm in a pinch and just need to just move my truck home for minor repairs/no more ex gf parents rant about my truck in her drive way with two blown tires can I use 4 ply instead of the normal 10 or 12 ply tires, I still have the original rims just can't afford $500 for tires right now and seeing as Walmart sells only 4 ply thought it might work.
The_Josh_Bear
Full Access Member
As long as they fit a 16" rim itll work fine... leave the 10 plys up front and the 4 plys over the empty rear end. Almost 4,000lbs over a 4x4 IDI front axle!
The_Josh_Bear is right but I would call around near you. Actual tire shops usually sell used tires (with limited availability) and they may have some 10 ply tires. They wouldn't be new but there's usually a substantial cost difference. If our local store has them they're usually around $35 for a year or so worth of tread. That's not great, but those 4ply tires are pretty squirrely when you're used to 10 ply.
Tell them your situation, a good tire shop will know what sizes are close enough to work and they might have a pair that's close if they don't have the right size. ( ie 235/85/16 and 265/75/16 are very similar in diameter)
The_Josh_Bear
Full Access Member
This is better advice! ^^^^^^
I wasn't thinking great before, it's certainly best to get 10 ply or 8 ply at the worst. I was just answering the proposed question...but you'll get a properly rated tire for peanuts if you go used, especially at a used tire shop. They aren't fancy but generally get the job done. Watch out for the proper size, I had a used shop try to put 2 of the wrong size tires on the back of my AWD Volvo XC90...can't do that! But once I called them on it they gave me a deal on 4 better ones and no charge for the first mess up.
79jasper
Chickenhawk
Walmart does have heavier tires, but they usually have to order them. Also the website sucks and doesn't show them, they have to look them up on their computer.
But I'm with the others, find some used for now. Look on craigslist and Facebook marketplace.
Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
But I'm with the others, find some used for now. Look on craigslist and Facebook marketplace.
Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
RuzzL
Registered User
Never take my vehicle to their shop, you absolutely can't trust them to do things the right way. I bought a cheap tire tool from Harbor Freight and mounted it in the shop. But I had to fabricate and reinforce everything that bent or broke on the unit, so it's heavily modified. I'll bring my loose wheels for balancing if needed, or if they have an amazing deal on tires.
Never use an impact to put on a lug nut. If everything is clean and good shape, a little 'never cease' and you don't need an impact gun to spin the lug nut down with just the medium extension and deep-well socket. Working my way around with the pattern lightly with a 1/2" ratchet until hand snug (about 3 times) keeps things concentric without warping the rotors. Then performing the same, 3 times with the torque wrench, mating the wheel to hub within specs.
You'll likely never get that kind of care at a shop, and I'd use torque sticks if I had to service a fleet of big trucks or something. But I don't think I'd ever not do it by hand for anything under 1 ton axles.
Never use an impact to put on a lug nut. If everything is clean and good shape, a little 'never cease' and you don't need an impact gun to spin the lug nut down with just the medium extension and deep-well socket. Working my way around with the pattern lightly with a 1/2" ratchet until hand snug (about 3 times) keeps things concentric without warping the rotors. Then performing the same, 3 times with the torque wrench, mating the wheel to hub within specs.
You'll likely never get that kind of care at a shop, and I'd use torque sticks if I had to service a fleet of big trucks or something. But I don't think I'd ever not do it by hand for anything under 1 ton axles.
Was Don Knotts on tire crew that day or something?
