“A tire scrap pile can be a gold mine of information,” says Guy Walenga, director of engineering for commercial products and technologies at Bridgestone Americas. “When you go through a scrap pile and look at how tires have been treated, you will find ways to adjust your tire choices or maintenance practices. Tires need to be utilized correctly to get their full value.”
“Instead of looking at the pile of tires as a nuisance to be discarded, consider the hidden treasure your company may be throwing away,” says Tim Miller, commercial tire marketing communications manager at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. “In that pile of tires is knowledge about what is right and, perhaps more importantly, what is wrong with your tire program. With the information you gather, you can see trends that can guide you in making choices that have a positive effect.”
All truck tire manufacturers agree that effectively analyzing scrap tires can lead to improvements in tire life and lower costs. They also universally point to the “Radial Tire Conditions Analysis Guide” published by the Technology & Maintenance Council as one of the best resources for fleets. “For failure analysis and training for fleets, the TMC guide is a true aggregate of information,” says Roger Stansbie, director of tire technology, commercial tires, at Continental Truck Tires USA. “It reflects the consensus of trucking companies and tire manufacturers.”
Now in its 4th edition, the TMC guide is reviewed and updated by manufacturers every three years. Included are technical details on various tire failure conditions and their causes, along with photos of commonly seen wear and failure conditions and recommended steps to resolve issues. TMC also offers a “Radial Tire and Disc Wheel Service Manual,” which is a compendium of Recommended Practices associated with tires and wheel ends and addresses critical service procedures for radial tires and disc wheels used in medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicle operations.
Some of the best resources for fleets are also available from suppliers. “Dealers and tire manufacturers invest substantial amounts of time and money to educate their people and their customers on lowering the overall cost of tires to the fleet,” says Rick Phillips, director of commercial sales at Yokohama Tire Corp. “Understanding exactly why tires are coming out of service is certainly a big part of that effort.”
Comprehensive program
Scrap analysis should be an integral part of a comprehensive tire management program for every fleet, notes Doug Jones, customer engineering support manager at Michelin Americas Truck Tires. “The fleet should know and gather data on every tire that comes out of service.”
Goodyear ‘s Miller recommends fleets analyze scrap tires in an organized manner, carefully collecting relevant data. “Going through a pile of scrap tires should not be a one-person job,” he says. “It’s easier to have at least one person to help move tires around and another to write and input tire data. The sales representative from a local tire dealer may agree to help with this task.”
Data to be collected, according to Miller, can be managed easily on a simple spreadsheet. Included are tire brand and type, and a brief description of why the tire has been discarded, such as even tread wear, which means it lasted its expected life, or irregular wear that caused it to be discarded prematurely. If retreading is part of a fleet’s tire program, retread and date codes branded into the sidewall of the tires should be noted.
Effective analyses of scrap tires also point out what all manufacturers agree are the most common causes of tire failures. “The number one issue related to tire failures is air pressure maintenance,” says Walter Weller, vice president of Double Coin Tires. “A comprehensive air pressure maintenance program will reduce downtime and expensive emergency road calls. It is important that fleet maintenance include air pressure maintenance for tires as a function of drivers, as well as maintenance staffs, for both tractors and trailers.
“Another strategy is to use the services of a tire dealer to perform yard checks on a regular basis,” Weller adds. “Of course there will be a cost for this service, but it will pay for itself quickly if it reduces road calls and downtime, not to mention the extended tire life that will come from better air pressure maintenance. Managing tires is a numbers game and the benefits can add up quickly.”
Clint Covey, engineer of truck and bus tires at Hankook Tire America Corp., says that along with proper inflation, using the correct tire for the application, match-mounting tires and wheels, dynamic balancing and correct vehicle alignment all have a significant impact on tire life and costs. “In addition to promoting better fuel economy and longer wear,” he adds, “proper inflation can also prevent more serious occurrences. Underinflated tires generate a great deal of heat, which can degrade the rubber components of the tire, leading to a number of possible serious failures. The necessity of proper inflation cannot be stressed enough.”
Performing as designed
“Under or overinflated,” says Continental’s Stansbie, “tires can’t perform as designed. Tires are engineered to have a certain amount of deflection based on inflation pressure and load. If that is changed, the tire’s footprint changes; more movement can lead to more irregular wear or a too high pressure can push stones into grooves and damage the casing, making the tire unfit for retreading.”
Bridgestone’s Walenga points out the importance of vehicle alignment in maintaining tire life. “Alignment should be part of the maintenance process,” he says. “Don’t wait until the tire shows an issue. Done properly, an alignment can last a long time.
“It is also important to pay attention to tire and wheel mounting techniques,” Walenga continues. “If a tire is not mounted concentrically on a wheel, using guide rings to see that the bead is set properly on both sides, and the wheel is not mounted properly to the axle end, tire life will be affected. Proper mounting is part of getting the best life out of a tire.”
Jones at Michelin points out other issues that can impact tire life. “Punctures cause failures,” he says, “so fleet yards, shops and staging areas should be kept clean and free of nails, screws, bolts and other debris that could cause a puncture. In addition, fleets should address any driver abuse and conduct training to help avoid curbing, excessive hard braking, brake lock and hard turning in locked positions.”
“The reasons for tire failure will vary depending on the application and vocation of the fleet,” states Yokohama’s Phillips. “The good news is that the majority of tire failures are preventable. A good proactive maintenance program will catch potential problems in the shop before they become real problems on the road.”
Tires are valuable assets. The information that tires in the scrap pile reveals can save fleets a lot of money in the long run. An effective tire maintenance program can help avoid mistakes and result in reduced tire costs.
Tire Resources
Bridgestone Americas: www.bridgestonetrucktires.com
Continental Truck Tires USA: www.continental-truck.com
Double Coin Tires: www.doublecoin-us.com
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.: www.goodyeartrucktires.com
Hankook Tire America Corp.: www.hankooktireusa.com
Michelin Americas Truck Tires: www.michelintruck.com
Yokohama Tire Corp.: www.yokohamatire.com/tires/commercial
