Super Single Tires

[Vegas Teacher]

Hey,

 

I saw something called super single tires. Not a singled out axle but super single tires - what you you all think of them?

[TreyandSusan]

HHRV Resource Guide on subject

 

Also search forum with "super single" use the quotes in the search box.

[jkoenig24]

Someone had Super Singles at the East Coast Rally this past April. Someone else here recently posted about how much nicer his HDT ran after he switched to SS. Sorry I can't recall names right now.

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Heavymetal just changed them out on his new Western Star

[alan0043]

Someone had Super Singles at the East Coast Rally this past April. Someone else here recently posted about how much nicer his HDT ran after he switched to SS. Sorry I can't recall names right now.

 

There was a white Volvo 730 that Nacarato Volvo brought to the camp grounds that had super singles on it that was for sale.

 

Al

[Heavymetal]

Hey,

 

I saw something called super single tires. Not a singled out axle but super single tires - what you you all think of them?

 

I switched to super singles just this week and love them. I could tell the difference in ride as soon as I hit Hwy 21 in Central Texas, it is a two highway used by oil transports and is not rough but rutted from all the heavy loads and the difference between tandem dually's and the super singles was apparent quickly. The truck held the lane so much better then before and rode a lot better.

 

Heavymetal

[Heavymetal]

HHRV Resource Guide on subject

 

Also search forum with "super single" use the quotes in the search box.

Nice read, except when it talks of the cost. I am not sure about the rest of the country but in this part of Texas the only ones that run super singles are fleets that haul liquids and only on the high way so when they trade their trucks in the dealer has to switch the S.S. out and go back with duals in order to sell the used truck. The dealer switched my for free and they were new Michelin Tires and really nice Alcoa Aluminum rims that they paid to polish .

[Security team 24/7]

I'll probably get shot for this, but hey you want opinions...right? I have driven trucks that had these tires installed. The upside is there are 4 less tires to buy when it comes time "to buy"...also when doing the due diligence of checking air pressures, it's easier and quicker than getting your hands caught in between rims! oh yeah, and they do tend to ride a little bit better! Oh yeah, and there is a fuel mileage saving, it's small but there is a saving! Large fleets who run 13 to 14 thousand miles A MONTH (150,000 mi per yr) with many trucks, can realize substantial gains in that dept.

Ok, here's the downside! The tires and rims cost more than duals...especially when you have a blowout and your sitting on the shoulder of a hwy somewhere in Tim buck Too...waiting for the mobile guy to source out one of those monster rims and tires, because even after this many years, they are hard to find everywhere! Plus when you do have a blowout, you are completely disabled on the spot, and most certainly have destroyed the rim as metal contacts the road...ouch! and make no mistake, I have seen many a truck sitting on the shoulder, or worse yet...flipped on it's side in the ditch, that had lost control in less than ideal weather conditions. I was following one of the "Major Carrier" trucks through St. Louis a few years back in a heavy downpour and he blew one of his "super singles" truck went down to that side, shimmied side to side, he lost it and jack knifed through the ditch and into a rock wall...driver was killed...but hey the carrier was saving 1/2 to 3/4 mpg! great trade-off.

I have also driven trucks with these tires through snow, and there is no comparison between the traction with "Singles" and traction with conventional 8 tire dual setup..Super singles "Suck" in any amount of snow...or very heavy rain. Look up the meaning of "Hydroplaning" in the dictionary! I know most of us are retired and avoid snow like the plague, but we still can encounter snow when coming south in the autumn or going back in the spring. I have hit 6 in of snow in Amarillo Tx in late nov one year and was sure glad to have duals shed off the snow as opposed to be wearing a toboggan on each side!

Last but not least, we don't do 14,000 mi per month, heck most of us don't do 14,000 mi per year! So a set of 8 new tires is going to last us right up to the point where we see considerable attack of UV radiation to the sidewalls! General rule of thumb is about 7-8 years! I will be replacing ours ...all 8 (big rubber) 24.5's this coming Nov 2017 before heading out for next winter, that will pretty much take me out to the end of RV'ing for me.

FWIW, I have driven for fleets that made considerable expenditures to switch to them, only to revisit the "old way" of duals because repairs, downtime, skyrocketing Insurance rates and driver safety were compromised!
But what the heck, "Super Singles" Look really "Cool" Right? ....not on my truck! Thanks...

Let the Feeding Frenzy Begin!

[Pete Kildow]

Super singles have been running for lots of years. There the big fat tires you see on the steer axle. Concrete trucks, Dump trucks, Giant haul trucks with the big front axles. In all my years of driving OTR, Dump trucks along with hauling logs. I never seen one of these with a blowout.

Wide base tire's, came along for the back of the trucks. Lots of people call these super singles. But there wide base tires. When they first came out, people ran them low on air pressure. So sure they had blow outs. Buddy of mine owns 200+ Semi's, he had lots of them set up with wide base tires. And the trailer set up that way also. As a fleet the single tires are out lasting the duals. In flats that drivers did not catch or lazy and did not check before leaving. Thus blowing out both from over heating the other tire.

He has tire pressure monitors on all of them now. So now that driver that was over looking the low tire has been taken out of the issue. He's running them for the extra weight savings. Along with the fuel savings.. His wide base tires had 2 blow outs last year. Both were from running over something and not a tire failing. So you can't call it a blow out, just a loss of air.

As for traction, His trucks have had no issues with that. I asked him about that a few years back. And even on snow and ice, his drivers were finding out Truck handled it all as good as before. And in some stuff better then the 2 tire setup. So now when he orders a new truck. Its leaving Peterbilt with wide base tires.

As with anything new its always been bashed or hated. Until its been pushed out of production, or became second nature. I can remember when auto trans even in our pickups were still considered not as trust worthy as a manual.

My 1.3 cent's not worth the air its typed on ..

Pete

[Vegas Teacher]

Thanks for the information. I love this website because I know somebody somewhere is an expert on the topic and post. I really appreciate your help. Nice looking truck by the way!

 

Later,

 

Vegas Teacher - Cory O

[NoDirectionHome]

 

 

I love this website because I know somebody somewhere is an expert on the topic

So... after reading the two completely contradictory responses, what's Your conclusion? The internet, where every individual personal experience makes you an expert.

[Hewhoknowslittle]

I want them cause the look cool. big fat tiies turn me on.

 

Roger

[greenacres]

Wide base tires will always carry the full load.

Dual tires share the load but only in a perfect world.

[Hot Rod]

I remember reading somewhere that single wide base tires were not recommended in a single axle situation as opposed to on tandem axles. Anyone else with info on that bit? Maybe something to do with if one tire blew out on a singled truck the whole side of the truck would drop, vs. on a tandem where there is still one tire holding everything up if the other one blows?

[HERO Maker]

I remember reading somewhere that single wide base tires were not recommended in a single axle situation as opposed to on tandem axles. Anyone else with info on that bit? Maybe something to do with if one tire blew out on a singled truck the whole side of the truck would drop, vs. on a tandem where there is still one tire holding everything up if the other one blows?

I think you win the game with that answer! If you never experience that blowout, then you'll never need that extra tire. But if you do, and you only have one tire on the side of a singled truck, you're sitting for awhile. But maybe no longer than the rescue vehicle with the right tire on board! Or a big enough truck to hook on you and tow your truck and trailer.

[TreyandSusan]

They are not recommended on singled (4x2) unless the tractor has ESC (Electronic Stability Control).

[Heavymetal]

They are not recommended on singled (4x2) unless the tractor has ESC (Electronic Stability Control).

We are on our first trip with the super singles and so far I do prefer them over the tandem duals. We run a 6x4 with 4 new Mitchell tires and I find the truck holds the lane better and the ride is a little smoother, not sure about fuel economy as I have nothing for comparison. I don't think I would run them if my truck was singled though.

So far we have done a little over 3,000 miles in the new truck on this trip and I am still trying to find the sweet spot for mpg but as of today I am averaging 10.3 running between 65 & 70.

[rickeieio]

I think as the super singles become more common, the fears and issues surrounding them wil fade. We run singles on our steer ales, and on our trailers, so why make a big deal about it?

 

Ideally, I would like one tires size on the whole rig. Someday, on our custom toy hauler, I'll accomplish that. But in the real world, it's difficult. Even my work rig has 3 sizes, because the trailer has 24.5, and the steers are metric, the drivers 11.00 x 22.5.

[Pete Kildow]

I remember reading somewhere that single wide base tires were not recommended in a single axle situation as opposed to on tandem axles. Anyone else with info on that bit? Maybe something to do with if one tire blew out on a singled truck the whole side of the truck would drop, vs. on a tandem where there is still one tire holding everything up if the other one blows?

That goes along with our single steer tires. How in the world can be drive with that one tire. That may blow out at any time. Plus that's where the giant single tires started out.

Pete

[noteven]

I think as the super singles become more common, the fears and issues surrounding them wil fade. We run singles on our steer ales, and on our trailers, so why make a big deal about it?

 

Ideally, I would like one tires size on the whole rig. Someday, on our custom toy hauler, I'll accomplish that. But in the real world, it's difficult. Even my work rig has 3 sizes, because the trailer has 24.5, and the steers are metric, the drivers 11.00 x 22.5.

 

Single tires same size as puller truck on tandem axleless suspension on the custom toyhauler so it isn't eleventy feet tall, real abs air brakes, air suspension with kneeling capability, 180000 btu diesel radiant heating, all systems inside the insulated envelope, skid shoes on the belly like a lowboy for boondocking,

 

like that?

[rickeieio]

 

Single tires same size as puller truck on tandem axleless suspension on the custom toyhauler so it isn't eleventy feet tall, real abs air brakes, air suspension with kneeling capability, 180000 btu diesel radiant heating, all systems inside the insulated envelope, skid shoes on the belly like a lowboy for boondocking,

 

like that?

You peeked. Or peaked, or piqued........

 

Yes. But you left out the stacker so we can haul a fun car and some bikes, and forget about the smart.

[shorts]

Axel less, air ride suspension with kneeling capabilities and the light bulb just came on! Remember the GM motorhomes with the air bags horizontal between the tires they kept everything low and a wide floor between the tires.

[Chad Heiser]

Axel less, air ride suspension with kneeling capabilities and the light bulb just came on! Remember the GM motorhomes with the air bags horizontal between the tires they kept everything low and a wide floor between the tires.

 

Those were also front engine, front wheel drive.

 

[noteven]

Oops

[noteven]

You peeked. Or peaked, or piqued........

 

Yes. But you left out the stacker so we can haul a fun car and some bikes, and forget about the smart.

http://dallassmithcorp.com/products/lo-floor-trailer-chassis-modules/

 

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