The Fleet Business Authority
Issue link: http://heavydutytrucking.epubxp.com/i/236631
PHOTO BY IMI PRODUCTS PHOTO BY IAJP 3000 A typical wheel prior to blast-cleaning (left). After the blast cleaning (right), defects will be visible. If the DOT stamping is not clearly visible, scrap the wheel. The process After dismounting the tire, the wheel should be cleaned and degreased, and then inspected for obvious defects such as cracks or distortions. If the DOT stamp and/ or manufacturer's marks are illegible, or the wheel is damaged it should be scrapped (see page 52). The previous coating is usually removed inside a blasting cabinet, where the wheel is blast cleaned using media such as steel shot, sand or glass beads of varying sizes. IMI President and CEO Robert Fogal says the size PHOTO BY IMI PRODUCTS man at Wilson Trucking of Fisherville, Va., looks after the tires and wheels on a fleet of 900 trucks and 1,900 trailers. He has his own wheel refinishing installation at the terminal. He says he can do a wheel for about $23, and a wheel could be refinished three to five times over its service life. "That wheel would look pretty sad over that length of time in service without refinishing, and it's much less expensive for us to refinish them rather than replace them. I believe refinishing has cut our wheel consumption by about 70%," he says. Swabbing the wheel with acetone or methyl-ethyl-ketone will reveal if the paint was properly cured. Balancing compounds won't affect ATIS or TPMS F leets that worry about the fine granules in certain balancing compounds affecting tire valves needn't worry; products such as Equal come with a filtered valve core made of stainless steel screen to prevent any of the material from clogging the valve or preventing it from sealing properly. Bob Fogal Jr., president and CEO of International Marketing Inc., which manufactures Equal, says tires are assets that need to be managed, and fleets should be taking advantage of every tool at their disposal to get the best value from their tires. "Aside from providing cradle-to-grave tire balance on every new tire, Equal provides vibration dampening inside the tire as well, which helps absorb some of the impact on the tread face as the tire rotates," he says. "We all know that as a tire wears it becomes more fuel efficient, so it's a shame to pull a tire prematurely because the tread has worn irregularly. Keeping tire and wheel assemblies properly balanced provides the maximum miles to take off, thus ensuring more fuel economy from a tire when it's at it's most efficient." Once the balancing compound is installed, it will continuously balance the tire, regardless of the tread condition. That, combined with tire pressure management or automatic inflation systems, will help prolong tire life and ensure even wear down to the final few 32nds of an inch of tread. Editor's note: This information was inadvertently left out of last month's story on tire pressure monitoring and inflation. www.truckinginfo.com JANUARY 2014 • HDT 51