Anyone running recaps?

Marten trucks don't go fast enough to create the heat needed to disinegrate a caped tire....

 

How are retreads 'rated' for steer use?

 

i have read you can use caps on the steer---not really sure if i would want to tho--on drives--ok

 

i run them and have had no trouble, but i run at max 60mph and check psi every 2 months

 

Please be kind because this was explained to me a long time ago while in the academy and I am by no means an engineer.

Side force is the issue. The side force on a steer is 20x what is seen on a drive and more than what is on a trailer. So any recap that could be used on a steer is going to start pealing off in no time. They never got into the rating system with us just "shut em down if they have caps on the front".

Being on patrol in CA and likely to spend some time in the farming area of I-5 we could inspect lights and tires on a stop. And a lot of those farm trucks on I-5 ran the cheapest tire they could find. And it amazed me that they would get shut down for bad tires and have someone show up to replace the tires with ones in as bad or worse shape.

 

I'm not calling you a liar, I'm sure that's what they told you. However I can't see how a steer tire would see any more side force as the same tire mounted on a spread axle trailer.

 

Again, not an engineer and didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. But when I started doing research on flats this was one of the items that got placed on my “shopping” list. To look at what tire they put on the front. I have been told by several people that if you have the wrong type of retread on the front axle you can shear the tread. So I guess the same concept applies but with much greater force on the steers.

 

That don't make any sense as a steer does just that and a spread gets drug around. Sorry but the force on a spread is or I would think it is much greater.

 

I am not saying that the spread is not getting abused. So what happens to all the energy that is moving your rig forward when you turn your wheel? You think it transfers to the direction the steers are pointed? If that was the case then rollovers on off ramps would not happen. Or you would not have front tires slide in gravel when turning.

And you are going to have different types of forces at play between a steer and a spread. The steer is going to be 100% push while the spread is going to have a mix of push and pull with likely more pull.

 

Your steer aren't being drug across pavement. I do understand what your saying but a spread takes more of a beating, I would think.

Also, the push and pull on a spread is the same, it just depends on what side of the trailer you're standing.