Tiips to improve tire life- spread axles

No. I didn't know I was on one, I just thought I was a ####### flatbedder.

 

Tires do make a huge difference. Tired of blowing recaps that came on the trailer I threw a set of $1600 a set virgin Kelly's on my trailer. They were all toast in 40-60k miles. I switched to a Yokohama all position virgin tire starting with the front axle and I've got them all on the rear axle now with 8/32-12/32 160,000 miles later, and a new set of 4 wearing even better on the front axle 40,000 miles behind. Just grab ahold of the sidewall of these tires and give them a tug, then try the same with some drives/dry van trailers. The shoulders on these tires are absolutely massive compared to OTR low RR tires, but totally worth it in the face of driver abuse. Haven't broken a single bead since I got them, either, so their scrub load is obviously lower, since I'd break beads on an almost monthly basis, even empty on the old tires. The hair on the back of my hands is thanking me since I almost always had to reset the bead with the old ether and torch trick at shippers and receivers.

 

I know it's an old thread. Firestone fs561 are the best tires I've ever had on my spread. Lasted for 3 years well over 200k miles . I'm pulling 48 flat . It seems they discontinued them. Cant find them anywhere . How did they work out for you.?

 

I got some good mileage out of them, I couldn’t say what it was for sure without digging way back. I haven’t looked for any lately, I no longer pull a spread.

 

If you pull an all aluminum spread heavy you better like dump valves or like cracks in the neck. One cant always just turn wide, thats kinda dumb to even suggest in my opinion.

With double dumps on a spread one can crab walk the trailer which is irreplaceable in very tight quarters. Those "he'll never get that out of there" moments.

 

I used a dump valve with a ravens spread from the 95 era. Stayed on the same set of tires all year. What happens is the aft spread dumps it's air and floats so you can gently get around a U turn or really tight turning and it wont hurt it. There are advantages to it. Turns it into about a 38 foot trailer to back into a small hole essentially.

Although when empty in Louisiana in rain it tends to lock and slide right side when decelerating from highway up the ramp. So you come off the brakes and let the tires bite and it will line up behind again. ABS did not exist back then. With the nature of driving a flatbed, we were much more cautious and less of abuse on equipment.

 

That’s some funny $h!t