Buses (Highway, Intercity, Charter, Transit),
Motor Home Bus Conversions, Motor Coaches, Private Coaches,
& Entertainer Coaches For Sale!
Eagle, GM, General Motors, MCI, Dina, Grayhound, Greyhound, Prevost,
Gillig, Brill, Crown, AMG, AM General, Flxible, Flexible, and others .
. .
New, Used, Wrecked, Junk, Burned, Salvage!
Buyer, Buy, Sale, Trade, Wanted!
Refurbished, Rebuild, Rebuilt, Rebuilding, Shells!
Tejas Coach Works . . . Located in north central Texas just 50 miles west of Fort Worth!
Technical Data Section - Tires
This page upgraded 06-05-03Tejas Coach Works Tire Recommendations
To view other pages in the Technical Library, scroll to the bottom of this page and click the Navigation Bar for your choiceNOTE: COPYRIGHT 2006 Tejas Coach Works
This information is open for anyone to read, but is not intended to be copied.
Instead, please feel free to invite others to view it
here at tejascoach.com.
Thanks
Work In Progress... Draft Copy . . . Un-Edited
| Special Bulletin! Re: Scarcity of Availability of Straight 40 WT. Oils |
Information is now posted in at TEJAS OIL. Instructions where to find Locations with MAP & PHONE links. |
Tire Sizes |
 | |
The older buses used the tube type tire which originally was produced as a Bias type tire in the 20 inch size. The most popular tire size for trucks was the 10.00-20 which you could fine at any truck stop. The size of tires that highway buses or Parlor Coaches were designed to use was the 11.00-20. As tires became more modernized, the Radial type tire was introduced and was produced both in Tube Type 20 inch and Tubeless Type 22.5 inch as well as in the 24.5 inch. The 22.5 is Tubeless and the 11.00-22.5 tire is the same size as the older Tube Type 10.00-20. The size of tires that highway buses or Parlor Coaches were designed to use was the 12.00-22.5 in the Bias and 12 R 22.5 in the Radial Type.
TUBE TYPE TIRES
Most any -20 tube type tire (with the exception of the 15" super wide tires which utilizes a 11.75 wheel) will fit on a 20 x 8.25 rim.
They come in several sizes.
The sizes I am familiar with are as follows:
10:00-20 This is the size most commonly found on an 18 wheeler semi-truck.
10:00-20 It is smaller and will give you some more power up hills but loose top end speed and fuel economy (mpg).
11:00-20 This was the original size intended for highway coaches and buses.
TUBELESS TYPE TIRES
Any 22.5 tubeless tire (with the exception of the 15" super wide tires which utilizes a 11.75 wheel) will fit on a 22.5 x 8.25 rim.
They come in several sizes.
The sizes I am familiar with are as follows:
11:00 R 22.5 This is the size most commonly found on an 18 wheeler semi-truck.
11:00 R 22.5 It is smaller and will give you some more power up hills but loose top end speed and fuel economy (mpg).
12:00 R 22.5 This was the original size intended for highway coaches and buses.
12:50 R 22.5 This is one of the replacement sizes that can be leased but not generally found in retail tire stores.
12:75 R 22.5 This is one of the replacement sizes that can be leased but not generally found in retail tire stores.
13:00 R 22.5 This is one of the replacement sizes that can be leased but not generally found in retail tire stores.
The R stands for radial and you can buy a non radial in most sizes also.
The most economical buy would be the 11:00s do to the fact that it is the same size that most highway truck utilize and therefore is more plentiful on the market thus having a greater demand results in higher competition for the seller to sell his product and competition results in usually a lower price to the purchaser.
Any tire larger than the 11:00 series will not be as popular and the seller realizes this and thus will not have them on stock and will probably have to special order them which he now realizes that he can name his price. A lot of retailers will not even have access to the 12:00 and larger size tires. It is generally only "Leased" to large transportation operators or municipalities. Some of these "Operators" will purchase them for you for a price. My cost for them to me when I was an "Operator" from the "Lessor" was $500.00 per tire not including excise tax or sales tax or any markup. And it has been four (4) years since I bought any from a "Lessor" which was Goodyear. If you go to a local Goodyear Retail store he will not even have access to purchasing any of the tire larger than the 11:00 series. The leasing department of Goodyear does not communicate with the RETAIL Department and the Retail Department generally is not even aware that there is a LEASING Department. If you want to get a tire in the 12:00 and larger series you would need to contact an independent larger Charter bus or trucking company and ask the tire department supervisor if they lease their tires and if so, would they entertain purchasing some for you through their supplier.
One other bit of information is that the larger size tires usually will fit the following vehicles as standard equipment: Fire Trucks, Cement Mixer Trucks, Motor Cranes, Garbage Trucks, Off Road Trucks and of course Highway Coaches (Buses).
Tire Quality and Price
There are no free lunches
We basically get what we pay for in life and tires are no exception. The best way I have found to check the quality of a tire is to see what the inflation table indicates on the sidewall. The best quality tires will recommend a pressure of 110 to 120 psi. The worst will have inflation rates as low as 80 to 90 psi. The highest priced tire on the market may not be the best quality tire out there. I have found that a more reasonable priced tire, XXXXXX has a non-steer position tire, the SP 156 (the SP 156 appears to be obsolete, new designation SP 160) had a rating of 120 psi, Load Range "H". It would carry a weight of 7030 (7160) lbs single or 6170 (6610)lbs dual. Although they were not listed as a Steer Axle tire, I found them acquiring over 100,000 miles on all positions of the Eagle Buses I operated when I kept them at the highest recommended air pressure. I also found that 50% of this brand of tire did not require wheel weights when mounted as per prescribed by the manufacturer. The most weight I had to have on one was 6 ounces. I have had some tires made in countries I could not pronounce (the name of the tire was just as difficult) some times had to have over 38 ounces and still bounced all over the road.
The only tires I found to be a quality tire were those made in USA, Japan, and some in Korea. I have found that some tires that were the most expensive made in Europe were very weak in the side walls and gave a sensation of slipping in turns. The most stable tire I have run were the XXXX brand. The construction of the tire was basically a Biased casing with steel belts converting it to a Radial. They would hold to the road like glue. The only problem was that I could not get but 40,000 to 50,000 miles on them and they required frequent balancing.
I have found that any Brand tire with a "sipping" grove on the extreme edge (within 1/8" of the outer edge) of the tread always caused unusual tread wear patterns especially on the steer axle of my Eagle coaches.
Work In Progress... Draft Copy . . . Un-Edited UP DATED 06/05/03
NOTE: COPYRIGHT 2006 Tejas Coach Works
This information is open for anyone to read, but is not intended to be copied.
Instead, please feel free to invite others to view it
here at tejascoach.com.
Thanks
| HOME | REPAIRS | PARTS | BUSES FOR SALE |
CONSIGNMENT BUS SALES |
REQUEST INFORMATION |
BUS LINKS |
| Technical Library |
Helpful Tips & Oil Information | DDC OIL | TEJAS OIL | TIRES | ELECTRIC |
 |
|
Tejas Coach Works
910 Pasadena Blvd.
Mineral Wells, Texas 76067
Hours of Operation: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM M-F
940-325-2332
to e-mail us, Click HERE tejas@tejascoach.com