How Tyre Mileage is Wasted
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
No. 17—General Maintenance and Equipment
Disregard of Proper Maintenance Can Cause Considerable Tyre Waste and Our Contributor Outlines How the Problem Should Be Tackled and Gives Details of Useful Equipment for the Work
AS we have already seen, much tyre waste is due to inadequate maintenance. In part. thih is attributable to ignorance of the needs of the tyre, but it is also due-to a lack of system and a need
for suitable equipment. We will deal at the outset with the question of system.
The first point to remember is that a tyre requtres certain periodical attentions at regular intervals. Most of these have already been men. tioned in pretrious articles in this
• series, but we will now trx to weld the whole question of tyre maintenance into a workable time-table. It is no good doing these jobs at odd moments, just when it seems convenient. If maintenance is to achieve its object it must work with clockwork regularity and absolute efficiency.
Getting the System Under Way _ One important point must first be settled and that is who is to be held responsible for the carrying out of the system? The question of responsibility is vital, because, if it be not_ decided, it becomes anybody's job, which really means nobody's job. So long as responsibility can be shuffled from one to another, the work wi31, be neglected.
The ideal method, of course, is to make one man responsible for the entire fleet, whether it consists of two or 50 vehicles. He not be a "-tyres only" man, because, except in the case of big fleets, there will not be enough work to keep him fully occupied. If one employee can be found who is a little more conscientious and reliable than the average, then he is the man for the job. He may be just one of the drivers, and it may seem rather unusual to make him responsible for the tyre maintenance of other drivers' vehicles, but what does it matter? We have somehow got to get down to the problem.
The alternative, of course, is that each driver should be responsible for
the tytes on his own vehicle. In some cases it might work, but in others it is almost sure -to fail. It is ' easier to check up on one man than on a dozen, and, therefore, the case for " one-man " tyre maintenance is very strong.
Having settled the question of iesponsibility, the next job is to provide some sort of schedule of work to be done at certain regular periods. Most of the maintenance attentions can be divided into three broad groups—daily, weekly, monthly.
The daily jobs a& as follow:— MORNING.
First thing, before, any vehicle leaves the garage, check all tyre pressures.. Those for the various sizes should be made quite clear to the " tyre man " and he should be responsible for any " topping-up " which is necessary. Punctures, etc., should be put right before the vehicle leaves. It is fatal to " blow up " a slow puncture in the hope that it will last out the day.
Except on very lair fleets, where many tyres are involved, this should take only. a short time, and the man is then free to carry on with his normal duties until the evening.
EVENING.
Pressures on all tyres to be checked again, with a view to repairing any punctures which may have been
sustained during the day; this will save time next nibming. All missing valvecaps should be replaced. All twin tyres to be inspected for trapped stones. Tread • cuts to be examined and probed for flints, glass, etc.
Any tyres which have suffered damage during the day (i.e., severe cuts, kerb damage, etc.) to be removed for vulcanizing. All worn tyres to be reported to the operator immediately, with a view to having them replaced before the degree of wear is carried too far.
Fig.
Faults the Driver Should Report Drivers should be asked to report all mechanical faults in connection with braking, steering, or suspension, to the tyre man, as these often have an adverse effect on the tyres.
So much for the daily jobs. The weekly jobs are rather less definite; they mainly depend on what has been discovered during the daily inspections. The week-end is a favourable opportunity for correcting faulty brake adjustments, plugging tread cuts, or clearing up odd repairs. It is a good time, too, to check up that each vehicle has a complete outfit of tyre-changing equipment, in case of trouble on the roads.
It is amazing, the number of people who travel thousands of miles without spare wheels, jacks, and Theelbra.ces. If trouble overtakes them when no help is available they probably run in on a flat tyre, with the usual disastrous results.
There is only one monthly job, but, it is a vital one alignment check. Every month the alignment of the front wheels should be carefully tested. It is only a 10-minute job and is well worth the effort when one considers the dire conse. quences of running with the front wheels out of the true.
In conjunction with the above time-table of periodical attentions it is essential to keep some sort of .a. tyre record. Whether this be done by the tyre man or by the office staff is a matter which can be decided according to individual circumstances, but it is most necessary. It is a great help in costing, but more particularly it is a check on performance and often provides warning when things are not as they should be.
In times like these P do not advocate the use of any elaborate system. The essentials are simple. . All we need to know is how much mileage the tyre has given and under what conditions, i.e., wheel position, vehicle, etc.
The usual method is to have a card for each tyre. On this is inserted the size, make and serial number ; the last-named is important because it will identify the tyre beyond all shadow-of doubt. Also on the card it is neceqsary to show the date when fitted, the wheel position, the vehicle number and the speedometer reading. Subsequent dates of removal and refitting, together with speedometer readings, are shown, and a record can be kept of any major repairs.
A simple form of tyre card is shown in Fig. 6.. It is almost self explanatory. The ,requirementi in the " fitted " column a r e obvious. So soon as the tyre is removed, and provided that it is not replaced immediately, the " removed" column should be filled in. The speedometer reading in the
fitted " column is then subtracted from that in the " removed " column, and this gives the mileage to date.
• Subsequent 'fittings' and removals are recorded likewise and the mileage of each period of service inserted in the " mileage " column. Thus, when the tyre is finally removed for the last time the grand total of the mileage column will show the service which it has given.
What the Mileage Column Reveals This is a much more accurate method than taking a general speedometer reading as being applicable to all tyres. In the course df their life most tyres spend a certain amount of time on the spare wheel, and this .upsets the latter method of calculation. If a vehicle fitted with four running tyres and one spare wears all five tyres out in 20,000 miles some people seem to think that the mileage per tyre is 20,000. Actually it is only 16,000. The tyre card will give exact individual mileages.
Reverting to the question cf.f maintenance, I would like to say a few words about equipment.
The amount of . equipment which the operator will need to acquire depends largely on the extent tt:t which he intends to be self-supporting. There are two methods. He decides either to take on almost the whole job, leaving only the really specialized work, such as vulcanizing, to his Authorized Tyre Depot, or he decides to cut down his own maintenance to the minimum, leaving nearly all of it to the A.T.D. On the smaller fleets, where a big outlay for equipment is not justified, the latter procedure is usually adopted.
Even then, however, a considerable amount of responsibility still rests with the operator, or his tyre man.., Very few A.T.D.s would be prepared to take on all the dhily jobs which I mentioned earlier. They will undertake inflation, fitting, repairs, alignment, checking, etc., but that is about all.
Therefore, even if the fleet be placed in the hands of the A.T.D. the onus remains on the operator to see that the other . jobs are carried out as required. Furthermore, he is responsible for seeing that the vehicles call regularly for those services which the A.T.D. can give.
If the operator 'decides to take the , latter course his requirements will indeed be few. Apart from seeing that each vehicle is properly equipped with spare wheel, jack and wheelbrace, to deal with troubles on the road, hit need will be only for a pressure gauge. (Schrader 8290 ter truck tyres.) This is necessary to enable his tyre man to carry out the twicedaily check. It is a much quicker a n d cheaper method than sending 'an vehicles, daily, to the A.T.D. If the gauge be used, it will be necessary to send only those which are in need of inflation or repair.
The other daily jobs do not require any equipment which is not normally available in the garages of most operators.
If minor repairs and tyre fitting are to be Undertaken the amount of equipment required is fairly considerable, although, with the exception of the compressor, it is not particularly expensive. Plant of this kind, of course, is a fairly big item, and is justified only when a fair number of vehicles is being operated. In such cases it is a decided asset, however, because it facilitates that most vital aspect concerned with maintenance —inflation.
Tools for the fitting and removal of giarit tyres consist of two flange. operatingtools (Dunlop TL /5 and Size Date , TL/ 6) and a 3-lb. lump-hammer. Also vet* useful, although intended for an entirely different purpose, are a couple of flat I8-in. levers (Dunlop TL/3).
If the endless type of flange, as fitted to Fords, is to be removed, the special levers supplied by the manufacturers will be found more suitable. Another useful item is a round, solid wooden block, about a foot high, which is used for laying the wheel on while the tyre is being knocked off. This, also, it supplied by the Dunlop concern.
Some giant tyres are difficult of removal and are an almost impossible task except to experienced fitters. To overcome this, the Harvey Frost concern supplies a Tyre Remover designed for real "stickers." This is rather a luxury, but is a great boon at times.
Bearing on the same point titre has recently been introduced a chemical product known as "Tyreprim." I have never tried it personthe claims made for it are anything to go by, it is a good antidote for tyres which adhere to the rim. When the tyre is removed the rim 1S scoured free from rust and
coated with " Tyreprim." This ensures easy.removal next time.
The repairs which the operator can undertake are limited to simple cuts
or punctures in tubes, replacement of broken valves, and the pluggiiJg of minor tread cuts with tread gum. All major cover repairs should be left to the A.T.D.
The equipment needed for tube repairs consists of patch-strip, soletion, wire brush and such oddments as scissors, solution brushes, etc. )t is far better, however, to use a simple elearic vulcanizer, such as the Steiner, for these jobs, provided that the limitations of the machine are fully understood. The Steiner offers foolproof vulcanizing which a child could do, and is more satisfactory than the ordinary adhesive patch.
Valve replacement requires two special Schrader tools (Nos. 6974 and 7799) and a stock of repair valves of the appropriate sizes. MILEAGE The plugging of minor tread cuts can best be carried out by means of the Bowes screw-type gun, which is supplied with a stock of cartridges of tread gum. The use of such a tool was mentioned in a prevides article.
Other necessities include a Dunlop Tyre Opener (0T/1 or 0/T2), an • accurate alignment gauge, a stock of Schrader sundries, such as valves, valve plungers, Dublechek caps, and a valve tool (No. 3268).
This list by no means contains all the tools employed iq the business of tyfe maintenance. It comprises the bare necessities for carryieg out that work of which the operator is capable. Nor does it give any idea of the methods of use of the various items; this would make the article far too lengthy.
To sum up, "then, the essentials of. successful tyre maintenance are (a) a knowledge of the needs of the tyre, (b) an organized system of regular periodical attention under the supervision of a responsible man, and (c) the equipment properly to carry out the work.L. V. B.