Super singles (yes or no)

Discussion in 'Trucks [ Eighteen Wheelers ]' started by RKH, Mar 9, 2014.

  1. Richter

    Richter Road Train Member

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    There was a gain in mpg switching to super singles over duels. (.5 mpg ish) Adding balancing beads did not show a measurable increase, but did noticeably reduce vibration. Less vibration will gove longer tire life and probably a small gain in mpg.
     
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  3. Big_rig_mich

    Big_rig_mich Bobtail Member

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    Carry alot lot of salt with you in the winter. My company truck has great tread if im in the yard and there's ice on the ground I get stuck on flat ground.plus Getting under or out from a Trailer can be a nightmare. The ride is smoother and in a 2007 Columbia I'm getting around 8 mpg hauling water loads. They also are only a 100 dollars more and you buy 4 instead of eight which is biggest reason people buy them I would think.
     
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  4. Dice1

    Dice1 Road Train Member

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    Get a tire pressure monitor system for them. Good money spent to avoid problems.

    Also if you run over 75 mph, I don`t recommend SSs.
     
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  5. Richter

    Richter Road Train Member

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    I carry auto socks. They work a lot better then salt and are a lot faster and easier then chains. Check the inflation tables on michilans website....most grip/handling problems on singles can be attributed to incorrect inflation. I've lost grip with duels just as many times as i do with singles. I've driven with singles all winter and had no real grip problems. When properly inflated they grip just as good.


    BUT, the op is talkign about use on trailers so all of this is irrelevant since he's not talking about drives.
     
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  6. Richter

    Richter Road Train Member

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    You do realize almost all truck tires, single or not are not designed to go over 75. If you plan on going that fast regularly your crazy. The likly hood of a steer blowout goes up exponentially and if it does happen, at those speeds, you may not live to tell about it.

    A pressure monitor system is a good idea for duels or singles....with singles though, its cheaper.
     
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  7. UrbanCowboy67

    UrbanCowboy67 Light Load Member

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    When I was in school I did a huge research project on this subject. The real question you have to ask is, "Do I want Fuel Economy and Longevity, or Load dispersion in the event of a blow out. The truth of the matter is there is a larger contact patch and harder rubber used in SS tires and they do not (to my knowledge yet) retread them. When I worked at a truck stop (wrenching) The debate was back and forth. Most truckers liked the increase in fuel economy because on a truck hauling 100plus gallons of fuel they can see a huge difference, some up to 300miles further on a tank. Other truckers all freak out saying they wouldn't want to loose 25% of the load displacement in a blow out, but I always ask what typically causes blow outs. Retread tires, bald tires, and the number 1 is low air pressure. I have talked with all kinds of truckers, from multi-million mile drivers, to rookies. The mistake I have heard over and over again when I did road side calls was, "Darn, I knew I should've checked that pressure before I left!" The only time I changed a SS tire on the side of the road was because the driver drove on the wrong side of the construction cones and picked up a spike. I would say this is an all opinion topic. Kind of like talking religion or politics. To each his own. Your Rig is your home on wheels, treat it how you would your actual home, don't force something down someone's throat cause you feel you are right.


    Keep the Wheels Rolling
     
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  8. Richter

    Richter Road Train Member

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    First off, they do offer retreds on singles. but, lets leave the retread argument for another thread. the only single blow out i had was on a trailer with a failing auto inflate system. (low air pressure) As for load dispersion....I didn't even know it for 200 miles. The load was fine on 3 wheels (it was heavy to). it also had low tread (2/32). If you take care of tires, singles are less likly to blow out. Many duels blow to uneven inflation. No air cirulation on inside tire or, sun on outside tire can cause uneven pressure. One tire then take more weight and goes boom.
     
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  9. UrbanCowboy67

    UrbanCowboy67 Light Load Member

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    Very nice. As I stated, it has been since they first came out years ago that I wrote the paper. I guess they will always retread tires, but good to know as most big companies its a crap shoot to see if you get traditional duallys or SS tires
     
  10. Dirty-Low-Walker

    Dirty-Low-Walker Medium Load Member

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    I had one blow on a Peterbilt tri-axle dump truck, right front going 60 plus, took the right side of the nose out, ruined the rim, ripped the mirror bracket off, put a hole in the door and damaged the fuel tank straps, had to lowboy that one to the dealer.
    Driver quit after that and my insurance company went after Dunlop, the tire wasn't even a month old.
    Never used them on a trailer but i did work for Old Castle in PA and their walking floor trailers had them and they were always getting stuck in the mud, Old Castle fazed them out.
     
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  11. Cowpie1

    Cowpie1 Road Train Member

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    Yeah, retreading wide based rubber is big business now.

    I have had wide based on my Columbia now for two winters. I never have any issues with snow and ice. I can get in and out of places just as well as when I was running dual. I have had these wide based on this truck from the factory, and now have about 231,00 on them. I took a tread depth gauge to them about 10,000 miles ago, and still had between 18/32 and 20/32 on all of them, with no abnormal wear, cupping, river wear, etc.

    Now, It may have something to do with it, that I am using 0" offset wheels. Some have experienced bad wear using 2" off set wheels that have a wider stance. I have an intermediate length axle which is slightly wider than a standard drive axle, but I can still put duals on it if I had to. It more than makes up for any offset wheels. I am also running the balancing beads in each tire. And I generally keep the tire inflation i line with Michelin's recommended pressures. Usually between 95 and 100 psi. Haven't used a TPMS on them, but considering it here shortly, so I stick the tires quite frequently to check that the pressures are where they should be.

    Overall, I like them. I will continue to use them.
     
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