New steers

[David_Reed]

I am about to put Centramatics and new shocks my 1996 Mack.

I currenttly have some irregular tire wear and need to replace the tires as well.

These are 24.5's.

My application is 99% on Highway, medium length haul.
Although, I may be going to another company soon and I will be doing apx 5000 miles turnarounds in a 10-14 day period

What recommendations can I get for brand and model?

I have run bridgestones and had some good and some bad experience with them.
I changed to a closed shoulder/rib, Yokohama, I think and had pretty good luck with that.

[SUNSHINE]

There is no skimping on steer tires. I've tried the Bridgestone R299 didn't

like them. Tried the Yokohama's and did very well 100,000 miles :D

Right now I have a set of Michelin steers that are doing very well and give a nice ride. I use equal in my steer tires. 100lbs air pressure.

I have had a steer blow at 60 mph and it was a puckering experience. Just because the boss man wanted to be cheap and didn't want to listen. Told him there was something wrong with that tire if it took 32 oz to balance and the the othe tire took 6 oz. Did't he b!tch when it cost him road service in NJ at 1am.

[David_Reed]

There is no skimping on steer tires. I've tried the Bridgestone R299 didn't

like them. Tried the Yokohama's and did very well 100,000 miles :D

Right now I have a set of Michelin steers that are doing very well and give a nice ride. I use equal in my steer tires. 100lbs air pressure.

I have had a steer blow at 60 mph and it was a puckering experience. Just because the boss man wanted to be cheap and didn't want to listen. Told him there was something wrong with that tire if it took 32 oz to balance and the the othe tire took 6 oz. Did't he b!tch when it cost him road service in NJ at 1am.
What is "equal"?

[Big_Dave]

Centramatics and equal are just a couple of things that are available to help keep your tires balanced if you don't watch your tires closely. I've never used either.

New shocks (all the way around) and a good 3 axle alignment once a year (unless you hit a curb or something) should be sufficient to keep your new steers running true.

Make sure that you have your front suspension checked out closly. Worn front end parts make a big difference on how long an alignment lasts and how fast your tires wear out.

I used Continental HSL. They wear like iron and I never had a problem with them. To me, they proved to be a good tire for all types of driving. I did 'local', regional and long haul.
HSL

Unique pyramid shaped stone ejectors help to eliminate stone retention.

Five rib tread design provides excellent wet traction and lateral stability.

Enhanced tread compound for long original mileage.

Visual Alignment Indicators (VAI) alert user to tire tracking problems.

Shoulder Protection Rib resists irregular shoulder wear.

Applications: Long-haul and over the highway steering and all-position use

Continental HSL (http://www.conti-online.com/generator/www/us/en/continental/transport/themes/tires/long_haul/hsl_tire_page_en.html)

[David_Reed]

Oh well.....
Centramatics.
Installed.
Gabriel Adjustable Shocks.
Installed.
New Yokohama RY617 steers.
Installed.

Out the door at $1189.96

Passed 90 day DOT on truck and trailer.
Paid for by Company

[maxmiddle]

Sunshine,

Taking 32 oz to balance a tire is not only dangerous, but here in Nebr. is illegal for any tire shop. If it takes over 12 oz to balance, the tire will not be allowed on the truck. That tire should never have been left on the truck. Boss is not only cheap, but is an idiot.

Steer tires: we use the Goodyear 395's. We have had good luck with them.

Centramatics: I have them on all axles of my truck. I balance and rotate the steer tires a couple times during their lifetime. I have a T-600 (set-back axle which can be hard on tires), but get 100K plus on my steers.

[Capt._Chaos]

I have used Equal balancing agent in the past, and DO NOT recommend it to anyone.

If & when air with any moisture is introduced to the tires with Equal in them, the Equal powder clumps up & is rendered useless.

Traditional balancing, and CentraMatics installed AFTER the steer tires are balanced works well.

[David_Reed]

I have used Equal balancing agent in the past, and DO NOT recommend it to anyone.

If & when air with any moisture is introduced to the tires with Equal in them, the Equal powder clumps up & is rendered useless.

Traditional balancing, and CentraMatics installed AFTER the steer tires are balanced works well.

These new Yokohamas did not need any lead to spin balance.
That is the first steer tire I've bought that did not require lead on a spin-balance.

RY617's.

So far they are running very nicely and I check everyday for any sign of a wear problem. None so far.