Tires for a T1N Sprinter at GVWR?

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by booster

What is with the funny blue color on the rotor. It normally is not good for a rotor to be two colors like that.

Well, that's an interesting question. It may or may not be a photo artifact of the iPhone 12 Pro Max, which I have dubbed the drama queen of cell phones. It came with this souped-up camera system which is really its raison d'être. Except, like all experimental tech, sometimes its interpretations are a bit over the top.

In short, I don't know, but the next time we remove that wheel, I will re-examine.

[booster]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

Well, that's an interesting question. It may or may not be a photo artifact of the iPhone 12 Pro Max, which I have dubbed the drama queen of cell phones. It came with this souped-up camera system which is really its raison d'être. Except, like all experimental tech, sometimes its interpretations are a bit over the top.

In short, I don't know, but the next time we remove that wheel, I will re-examine.

That was one of my thoughts also, sometimes colors can reflect funny off steel, but if you have semi metallic pads it would be all dull grey.


The main reason was that discoloration can mean stuck caliper and hot rotor, which can also cause tire failures.

[InterBlog]

There's something else to potential consider in this equation, which I discovered literally by accident yesterday. Minimizing details, it went like this:

(1) Pre-departure inspection of the van confirmed tire pressures were still at 80 psi rear, 70 psi front, nine days after installation of the two new Agilis CrossClimates on the rear.

(2) Drove 97 miles averaging under 60 mph in about 2 hours (stopped once for fuel).

(3) Accidentally hit concrete crater on a section of poorly-maintained under-construction freeway. The impact was sufficiently severe that I exited to inspect front end for damage and re-gauge tires.

(4) Tires at that point were all undamaged, but uniformly +10 psi relative to the pre-departure readings. They were 90 psi rear, 80 psi front. I measured them twice with the same gauge I had used earlier in the day for the pre-departure check. I am certain of those measurements.

(5) There was no corresponding change in ambient air temp, which was around 60 degrees for that 2 hour period in question.

A pundit on Air Forums declares that's too much gain - something is wrong with this picture.

For my part, I had never before blown a tire, and I had no previous reason to micro-monitor my tire pressures. I don't know if that pressure gain is typical of this van under normal operating conditions, but I suspect it is, because I see no variable that might have changed to cause it now but not previously.

Incidentally, FWIW, I was at least 150 pounds lighter on my return trip vs. outbound. I dropped some stuff off and reduced my fresh water load.

I don't know what the +10 psi is informing me of. Is it directing me toward a specific response? Or is it expected?

[booster]

10 psi increase would be about 50*F increase in temperature of the air in the tire and a bit high but somewhat depends on the ambient also as road heat can add to or subtract from the tire temps.


Do you have an infrared thermometer "gun" to check the temps. That is a good thing to do, especially if you had tire failures. I look pretty much only at tire temps is inspecting as we go. Ours now run very cool, most of the time 10* or so over ambient with the front and rear very similar, but variations because of sunny side of the van. Tire pressure off the TPMS is just a looking for even type thing. You could also check the wheel hub temps to see if you are heating the wheels from the wheel bearings, which does happen, especially with semi-floater rear axles compared to full floating ones.



I am actually a bit surprised the fronts went up the same, as the fronts often run substantially cooler.


The higher pressure, higher load capacity, Eurospec tires are sounding better all the time, I think.

[hbn7hj]

I would say expected. With a TPMS you can instantly read your pressures and my 80 psi rears are usually at 90F or higher after driving a bit at 65 mph.

[booster]

Originally Posted by hbn7hj

I would say expected. With a TPMS you can instantly read your pressures and my 80 psi rears are usually at 90F or higher after driving a bit at 65 mph.

Do you mean your pressures at 90psi, or tires at 90*, which is quite cool.


Our TPMS has the valve stem sensors, and being there rather than inside the tire, the temps are way off for reality. The casing temp with the IR is much more accurate of what the tires are really seeing.

[hbn7hj]

Originally Posted by booster

Do you mean your pressures at 90psi, or tires at 90*, which is quite cool.


Our TPMS has the valve stem sensors, and being there rather than inside the tire, the temps are way off for reality. The casing temp with the IR is much more accurate of what the tires are really seeing.

90psi pressure. I have seen 95psi

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by booster

That was one of my thoughts also, sometimes colors can reflect funny off steel, but if you have semi metallic pads it would be all dull grey.


The main reason was that discoloration can mean stuck caliper and hot rotor, which can also cause tire failures.

It seems as a reflection of a blue thing (sky) of the shiny surfaces.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by booster

10 psi increase would be about 50*F increase in temperature of the air in the tire and a bit high but somewhat depends on the ambient also as road heat can add to or subtract from the tire temps.


Do you have an infrared thermometer "gun" to check the temps. That is a good thing to do, especially if you had tire failures. I look pretty much only at tire temps is inspecting as we go. Ours now run very cool, most of the time 10* or so over ambient with the front and rear very similar, but variations because of sunny side of the van. Tire pressure off the TPMS is just a looking for even type thing. You could also check the wheel hub temps to see if you are heating the wheels from the wheel bearings, which does happen, especially with semi-floater rear axles compared to full floating ones.



I am actually a bit surprised the fronts went up the same, as the fronts often run substantially cooler.


The higher pressure, higher load capacity, Eurospec tires are sounding better all the time, I think.

(1) Good suggestion on the temperature gun. Yes, I have one and I will do this on my next trip.

(2) My husband the engineer is diving into research on C-type tires, which some of the online widgets want to tell me won't fit our Sprinter, but I'll come back with more specifics on that shortly.

[rowiebowie]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

It seems as a reflection of a blue thing (sky) of the shiny surfaces.

It is a reflection, but not of the sky. The blue Crazy Tall Bottle Jack was just admiring itself in the mirror finish of the shiny disk.

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by rowiebowie

It is a reflection, but not of the sky. The blue Crazy Tall Bottle Jack was just admiring itself in the mirror finish of the shiny disk.

Crazy tall indeed, Bingo!

[InterBlog]

From crazy tall to crazy busy, I am still researching this, but crazy work and volunteering demands are slowing me down.

Long story short on the C-type tire option -

There are conflicting reports on whether they can be installed on the same wheels (i.e., rims - my tire processing clients insist that the word "wheel" applies only when considering rim + mounted tire jointly).

Multiple web widgets claim that they cannot. Multiple flesh-and-blood customer service reps claim that they CAN; in fact, they were designed to fit the same rims because it would be stupid not to do that. How are they going to sell tires if they won't fit on existing rims?!

Yesterday I asked a Discount Tire rep, "OK, how do I PROVE that they can be installed on the same rims when the online widgets won't offer them as an option?"

He said, "Before you place a special order for them, talk directly to the franchisee who you want to install them. Confirm with THEM that they will do the job."

And so I will do that, as soon as I procure the TPMS that I still haven't selected due to time constraints on my research.

[magnells]

Interblog,

They absolutely fit.

As I noted in my earlier post (https://www.classbforum.com/forums/f...tml#post124165), I have C-metric tires on my 2005 T1N Sprinter (2006 Roadtrek).

They are mounted on the standard Sprinter steel wheels.

The first pair have over 44K miles on them and the second pair have over 35K miles on them. They have run flawlessly since they were mounted in 2017 and 2018.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by magnells

Interblog,

They absolutely fit.

...

I should have been more precise in my statements.

I bet that they do fit properly in a technical sense - but will certain installers put them on for fear of liability? Will they look at their computer system and report to me that the C8 version of the Agilis CrossClimate is not on their list of "approved" tires for them to mount, and therefore they will not do it? But I am welcome to have them sell me the regular R16 instead of the R16C8 that I actually want?

More to the point, that's the potential snag that I want to rule out.

[magnells]

I can only speak from my experience.

Neither the Dodge dealer in Anchorage who fitted the first pair, nor my local tire dealer in Massachusetts who sold me the second set, had any questions or concerns when I asked them to supply my Continental VancoFourSeason tires.

I cannot imagine why a tire dealer would balk at installing an identically sized, but higher rated tire.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

I should have been more precise in my statements.

I bet that they do fit properly in a technical sense - but will certain installers put them on for fear of liability? Will they look at their computer system and report to me that the C8 version of the Agilis CrossClimate is not on their list of "approved" tires for them to mount, and therefore they will not do it? But I am welcome to have them sell me the regular R16 instead of the R16C8 that I actually want?

More to the point, that's the potential snag that I want to rule out.

I figure large chains might be more likely to balk due to broadly-written, liability-driven corporate policies. You will just have to ask. Start with your preferred installer. If they decline, look for a smaller, independent, local tire shop.