| Author |
Message |
Bob Wies (Ncbob)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, June 12, 2006 - 4:30 pm: | |
I've been told that most of the truckers have gone to the aluminum wheels for the sake of economy...less power required to get 'em going, etc.
Most of us are running aluminums on the outside of our drive axles with steel wheels on the inside.
Has anyone noodled out the savings (if any) on how long it would take to pay for the interiors if they were bought used? I'm thinking of the weight..not the glitz. Sure I keep mine polished but I keep the stainless polished too..that's just me.
No doubt there'd need to be some sort of vinyl gasket between the two aluminum wheels but would the savings offset the cost?
Inquiring minds want to know!
NCbob |
Donald Lee Schwanke (Dontx)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, June 12, 2006 - 4:40 pm: | |
Not really. Alcoa wheels are by test 5 times as strong as steel, that was my reason - and the glitzy look.
Don't think anyone could say there would ever be a paypack on a bus, when hauling with the Kenworth, the advantage for me was that for every pound of wheel I lost, I could add one pound of payload! |
t gojenola
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, June 12, 2006 - 7:50 pm: | |
Your greater problem might be finding replacement studs that are long enough. With steel on the inside you don't have to change them.
tg |
Donald Lee Schwanke (Dontx)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, June 12, 2006 - 9:03 pm: | |
Nah, they make special nuts for that, real ingenious. |
Stan
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 13, 2006 - 8:41 am: | |
Do the special nuts work on both hub pilot and stud pilot wheels? |
Donald Lee Schwanke (Dontx)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 13, 2006 - 8:54 am: | |
Now that is a good question, I would suppose so, but the only ones I ever did were stud piloted wheels. |
Marc Bourget
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 13, 2006 - 9:30 am: | |
You have to be careful in your selection of "special nuts" to avoid (mis)matches with mating or parting lines.
Poor understanding + poor choices = poor performance (i.e. premature failure)
This isn't an overstatement, its simple, elementary, mechanical engineering with respect to the design and use of fasteners. |
Donald Lee Schwanke (Dontx)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 13, 2006 - 1:27 pm: | |
Well, the ones for stud piloted wheels do exactly that, but in thinking it over, I don't know how they could get the job done on hub piloted wheels. |
Kevin Loftus (Brodi)
Registered Member
Username: Brodi
Post Number: 1
Registered: 7-2006
Posted From: 158.147.202.162
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, July 10, 2006 - 1:52 pm: | |
I believe the use of aluminium rims helps prolong the life of the brakes. Al dissipates heat better then steel. |
Pete/RTS Daytona (Pete_rtsdaytona)
Registered Member
Username: Pete_rtsdaytona
Post Number: 249
Registered: 1-2005
Posted From: 72.40.12.34
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, July 11, 2006 - 10:47 am: | |
Omni-Tran transit Bus (San Bernadino California)- purchased thier RTS's Fleet with 24.5" Alco's
So the mechanics would not have to lift heavy rims ??
Pete RTS/Daytona 1989 Omni TRan RTS with alco's |
Bob Greenwood
Unregistered guest
Posted From: 63.233.6.179
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, July 18, 2006 - 7:17 pm: | |
welp, I just can't see the alum. being 5 times stronger,have a blowout on the front,lets see wheather you would rather be going down the road at 70 on alum. ,or steel....I believe I'll take steel |
Buswarrior (Buswarrior)
Registered Member
Username: Buswarrior
Post Number: 836
Registered: 12-2000
Posted From: 65.92.125.98
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, July 18, 2006 - 10:35 pm: | |
Hello wheelers
Aluminum offers a fleet customer practical cost savings of not having to worry about periodic refinishing/painting of the wheels.
Improper painting is a direct cause of wheel fasteners failing to maintain clamping force on the wheel. A fancy way to say, with too much paint on the rim, the nuts loosen off by themselves.
Catch 22: without paint steel rims rust, with too much paint, they fall off. And what does a wheel painter get paid to keep this high level of quality control?......
And the aluminum does look good when you clean them up!
I agree Bob, a steel rim will bend and otherwise take a ton of abuse as it is being ruined and stay relatively round and intact. An aluminum wheel doesn't react well to a lot of misadventure.
In straight strength tests, the aluminum wheels are stronger, but there are other tests in which they are outperformed by steel.
Moral of the story: Everyone pick the wheels you can afford, install them correctly and be...
happy coaching!
buswarrior |