What did you do to your truck today??

[hatzie]

If the date code is 2015 that's 7 years. 6 years is supposedly max service life so you got the good out of those.
Tires age. Use up the tread or don't they still age.
I had two Cooper Weathermaster tires snap cords and fail on my 85 C10 back in 1996. They were roughly half worn through the tread and were only four or five years old.

[Just call me Sean]

Those were the brand tire I chose when I finally stopped buying used and only bought new. They were a huge step up from what I used to throw on there. I've had other issues similar to this one with them but I mostly blame alignment issues, and I'm really not that picky. I am curious how the Generals are going to do though, since I can't get the Goodyears anymore.

I ordered two of the Generals so the 99 will have four new tires, I have to pick them up tomorrow. Then I'll put one Goodyear on my truck and one on the van, so those all will match still. I've been using the spare on the van for a long time, and right now it's on my truck so the van is sitting with a flat. Then I'll need to get one new trailer tire and I'll finally be caught up on tires.

[hatzie]

I ran 15" General all season tires on a 1979 Impala and they did alright. Put nearly 45K highway miles on that car in just short of 3 years and the tires were past the wear bars.

[special-K]

Originally Posted by hatzie

If the date code is 2015 that's 7 years. 6 years is supposedly max service life so you got the good out of those.
Tires age. Use up the tread or don't they still age.

That's my point. They used to age years beyond that. It's pretty sad when a 25 year old tire will hold together better than a 7 year old one. Go back even farther to gum rubber (actual rubber) to Firestone Gum-Dipped and you'll find my friend's '40 Harley with original tires with no rot. I was wondering the other day, do heavy equipment tires rot out in 6 years, too? You know, the tires that cost thousands of dollars each and cost hundreds to install.

[Just call me Sean]

New tires on the front of the 99, one old Goodyear on the 93, and about to put the other on the van.

[special-K]

It's a nice feeling. My Suburban was needing new tires for longer than I liked it. I think it was March when I finally got a set.

[Just call me Sean]

My trailer tire was leaning a bit and the drum was rubbing the backing plate. The spindle is cracked. I pulled the axle and will have to drop it off at the trailer place tomorrow to have a new one welded on.

[special-K]

Ewww... glad you caught that. I see trailer wheel leaning in all the time and wonder if it's a bent axle or in the hub. I also see a lot of trailers left on the road with one wheel gone. Mine's a '96 I bought new and I've been leery to us it recently, till I go over it. I haven't been using it much, hasn't moved since Jan. It's been too long since I pulled the wheels. I don't want to be that guy with a trailer on the side of the road

[hatzie]

Originally Posted by Just call me Sean

My trailer tire was leaning a bit and the drum was rubbing the backing plate. The spindle is cracked. I pulled the axle and will have to drop it off at the trailer place tomorrow to have a new one welded on.

Glad you didn't set her on fire.
I've seen an OTR trailer nearly burn down from seal and bearing failure. Saw she was smoking and I got him to pull over before it was a complete disaster. I used up one of my fire extinguishers after he used up his to keep the hot axle from catching fire again while he was waiting on the fire dept alongside the interstate.

I've seen footage of rear axles catching fire on OTR transit coaches and burning them to the ground for the same reason.

I usually repack the bearings once a year... roughly... OK less than 2 years

If the bearings are shot I get Timken sets and Dexter or SKF double lip seals.

Originally Posted by special-K

Ewww... glad you caught that. I see trailer wheel leaning in all the time and wonder if it's a bent axle or in the hub. I also see a lot of trailers left on the road with one wheel gone. Mine's a '96 I bought new and I've been leery to us it recently, till I go over it. I haven't been using it much, hasn't moved since Jan. It's been too long since I pulled the wheels. I don't want to be that guy with a trailer on the side of the road

Leaning tires is probably wheel bearings to begin with but folks do overload non commercial trailers too.

All kinds of fun to get the job done if you don't know the bearing and seal part numbers yet.
Kinda annoying to pull it apart and then slap the hub back on for another week so the parts don't sprout legs while you wait for seals and bearings.

[Just call me Sean]

I'm glad the wheel didn't come off on my way home. I've burned up bearings several times on that side, no fire but smoke from the heat. The drum is damaged from the last time it happened, had to glue the dust cap on. I've also busted several leaf springs on that side too. Last time I put on one with an extra leaf. I'm going to rebuild the shelving to better distribute the weight, most of my stuff is on that side right now.

So bossman said he needed me to work and wanted me to put the tools I needed in my truck. He said to bring him the axle and he would pick up everything I needed and he would pay for it. Instead of fixing that axle he got a new one and a new loaded drum. So I didn't lose a day's pay and I didn't have to buy anything. I didn't expect to unhook the trailer from the truck and I didn't think about it before I did. I had the jack stands in front of where the wheels would be so when it popped off the ball the front flew up and the trailer slid down the stands onto the ground. No damage or injury though so no big deal. It's all together now and ready for work tomorrow.

[special-K]

Sounds like driveway fun at it's best!

[Just call me Sean]

Originally Posted by special-K

Sounds like driveway fun at it's best!

Lol!

[hatzie]

Glad that worked out so well for you. :-)

[Just call me Sean]

Thanks. Me too.

I picked up a new tire to go with the other new stuff. Now I'm caught up on tires, if you don't count questionable spares.

[hatzie]

Originally Posted by Just call me Sean

Thanks. Me too.

I picked up a new tire to go with the other new stuff. Now I'm caught up on tires, if you don't count questionable spares.

Spares are supposed to be questionable.

I almost guarantee the spare on my 2005 is the one GM stuffed under the bed in September 2004 when it rolled off the line.

[Just call me Sean]

Lol!

[special-K]

I ran my '92 with the original spare it's entire 22 year long life. I think I used it twice. I couldn't believe how scaly the top side (back) of the wheel was. The tire would probably hold up better than a 7 year old one. Something got changed in tire composition since back then. I ran the original trailer tires on my trailer I bought in the '90s until just a few years ago

[hatzie]

Originally Posted by special-K

I ran my '92 with the original spare it's entire 22 year long life. I think I used it twice. I couldn't believe how scaly the top side (back) of the wheel was. The tire would probably hold up better than a 7 year old one. Something got changed in tire composition since back then. I ran the original trailer tires on my trailer I bought in the '90s until just a few years ago

Sunlight exposure factors into it as well.
It's probably a combination of that and Chinese rubber compounds.

[special-K]

No sun shining on that spare but plenty on the trailer tires. Especially the side-mount spare. I was looking at a couple of old hay wagons yesterday pondering those tires. Farm equipment was always a good place to use old worn out tires that still held air. You never put new tires on that stuff. I guess those days are gone and now a hay wagon needs new tires every 6 years. The tires that were on my '71 wrecker I sold a while back I had originally bought for another C/30 in '88 and they were solid. They figured out how to make rubber that rots in 6 years. Bad for us, good for the industry. But isn't that the way?

[DeadheadNM]

Pulled a complete OE roof rack and rubber strips for the Suburban from a local salvage yard.

[Just call me Sean]

I accidentally finally figured out why my truck has been stinking like gas. I was putting oil in the 99, the funnel is under my hood, next to the vapor canister. The hose came off. I hooked it back up but it really needs a new hose.

[special-K]

Does vapor come out of the hose when it's disconnected? Not really a fart can. More like a burp can

[Just call me Sean]

The check engine light on the 99 burned out, which is weird because the security and ABS lights have been on a lot longer and they still work.

[special-K]

How long was it on? Just kidding!

[Boog]

Put new shocks on the front of the '91. I had been hearing a clunk under the front end lately so I crawled under there to find the bushing was completely gone from the lower shock mount on one and while both shocks were dry the other one began dripping oil while I was under there looking. Isn't that timely? I believe those were the original shocks too. 85,000 miles. I had to use heat, the death wheel 5000 and air chisel on one upper bolt and impact wrench on the other one. Rides nice and quiet now. Oh and I put on Monroe gasmatics. I used to buy 4 of those for what 1 costs now. Geez.