Singling the Volvo.

[trimster]

210 WB. Thinking about singling long. 

Need to find someone to do it in Salt Lake. Any leads appreciated. 

Bob

[rickeieio]

Do you have valid reasons for singling, or do you just "want to"?  Make a list of pro's and con's. Many of us are still tandem, because that's what works for us.

Fuel mileage will be affected very little.  Storage space can be increased a bunch.  Ride will likely be a little rougher single.  The list goes on.............

If singled, tires will wear faster, and age is important, as is loading.   Less so on both counts if tandem.  Brakes last just a few weeks longer than forever if tandem.  If tandem, you have lots of spares on board.   Many here are pushing the limit on axle loading,  both front and rear, especially if singled long.

Do a "weights and balance" calculation to see whether singling is right for you.  Lots of discussion about it, led by DollyTrolly, an old fly-boy.

[GlennWest]

Why long. Can overload front axle 

[trimster]

Maybe because it's such a short wheelbase to start with. Might not be good thinking on my part. 

Bob

[jenandjon]

I'm singled long. I wouldn't recommend. I bought it that way. Problem is I'm awfully heavy on the steers. I'm not overloaded but I'm right there. If I built it over again I would have move the axle forward to make it single short. Save your money for other things and leave it tandem. Yea its more tires to buy but its also more brakes.

I mean its your truck you can do whatever you want so go for it if you want but I wouldn't mess with it. 

[ARGO]

I singled short. Short or long is your choice, but if'n I was to do it again- 

I'd trade the whole tandem to a yard for a factory single. Brakes etc are bigger, & same time you get the gear ratio of your choice. I went from 3.73 to 3.08, a little too far. Hindsight says 3.23, but I can run 55-65 in 9th.

[trimster]

Thanks all. 

Discussions with the CFO has lead me to keep it as is. We do need 8 new rears. That will be an ouch,  but probably won't need to drain the account like that for years to come. 

Bob

[Wrknrvr]

  You could single the dual tires.. just run the outside tires.

 

 

   Vern in a T-shirt 

[trimster]

That's an interesting idea. 

Hmmmmm.....

Bob

[geodog]

I replaced my drive tires two at a time. Started on outside duals.

 

 

ShortyO

 

[Phil D]

One wheel and tire per wheel position has been discussed here many times.  You may want to search the forum for some of those discussions in order to make an informed decision.

To summarize, engineers (most notably, the engineers that work for the companies that make the hubs on which you'd be mounting those wheels and tires) hate the idea, unless it's done "right" -- and nobody that does it does it "right" because that involves purchasing new zero offset wheels for all four drive tire positions.  The weight ratings of the hubs is drastically reduced when operated with a standard offset truck wheel.

[rpsinc]

I have also seen leaving rear as dually and the forward axle singled.  At least that reduces 2 tire/wheel combos.

[GlennWest]

You so get more storage area singled. I singled mid. Actually you retain orginal wheel base this way. It is a personal decision. Nothing wrong with leaving as is. They stop good singled. Don't know if extra brakes make a difference. It is more tires, more air bags, more protential air leaks. Do you have a locker? That would ber only reason I know to keep dual

[rickeieio]

Bob, you've opened a can-o-worms..... :-)

If you remain tandem, you can (logically) run your drive tires a lot longer.  Since the weight per tire will be so low, the tire pressure charts don't even go that low, it would seem we can run them much longer than that mythical 7 year mark.  Mine are currently 12 y/o, and I may be pushing my luck.  My struggling thought process is that my tires stay crazy cool, being so lightly loaded, and we all know heat is the enemy of tires.  My drives typically run 20-30 degrees F cooler than the steers.

As suggested above, swapping you tandems for a single at a junkyard makes sense.  What most folks don't factor into the mix is that one axle of a tandem IS NOT rated for the input loads it will receive, while a factory single is.

As to Vern"s suggestion of just running the outside wheels, it makes sense.  As to the counter argument of the hubs not being rated as such, it also makes sense, EXCEPT, the loads are so light it'll likely never approach the limits imposed by the hub not being evenly loaded.

Now how do we lasso a worm?

[hone eagle]

What Rick said ,don't have to post when he reads my mind.🤐

[podwerkz]

Four super singles would be my choice but they can take 20-50 thousand miles to break in....better be ready for that.

[ARGO]

If you decide to single by moving the rear axle fwd, or leaving it long, just be aware the input yoke on the rear axle is NOT the same size as the front. If having a driveshaft made keep that in mind. And it is a Metric tube on Volvos

[SuiteSuccess]

If leaving tandem look at second tier drive tires such as Sailun, Hercules, Coopers, BFG instead of Michelin, Goodyears, or Bridgestone.  Second tier will save $$ and serve just as well.  If you want later three consider for steers.  BTW if you are not going off road consider all position.  Lots of discussion on tires if you search this forum.

[trimster]

interestingly, I just got back from the tire place and was having the same kinda discussion with a salesman who 'got' what I am doing. I got gigged on the State inspection for having a G rating on one steer and H on the other. Really needs to be H for the axle rating. (note to self, don't go to the Volvo dlr for safety inspections. The tech gigged me for not fire extinguisher while he wrote his notes setting in the drivers seat with the new fire extinguisher right next to his right foot. Doh.),

We talked about tread patterns, overall use of the truck (bad weather, off road, only fair weather...). We then chatted about super singles. He has the used rims ($75 ea) and some very serviceable used tires. He'll give me some $$$ for the 8 aluminum rims I currently have. I was not clear if the used tires were caps or virgin. We didn't get that far.

I know there's strong feelings about super singles. All of which make sense. Not sure I would ever wear one out but road damage can affect any tire. Just not enough of them when doing super singles. I would do Supers for two reasons... the conversion price makes sense and the mere fact that I really like the look of them. Big, fat, meats. Reminiscent of my drag racing days. One reason is logical, the other...not so much.

Bob

[GlennWest]

Road tire service truck likely won't have a tire. Something to consider 

[rickeieio]

Given the huge number of trucks on the road w/ super singles, I wouldn't make it a huge concern, but it does bear some thought.

Not that long ago, if you saw a truck w/ SS tires, he was likely carrying a spare.  Hardly ever see that now.

And yes, I like the looks of them.  At least one member here has had them on for over a year, perhaps he'll let us know what he thinks of them.

[podwerkz]

 

I put about a million miles on super singles (wide base singles) ...both with, and without, nitrogen. I recommend nitrogen fill and bump them at every stop just like duals. Other than that they are damn near maintenance free, quiet, smooth, and long lasting. But they do take awhile to break in, and handle right, as I mentioned earlier. 

If you do somehow manage to destroy one when on the road and have to call for service, you just tell the guy what you need and they will bring it.

Super Singles have a substantial tread thickness and rarely get a 'normal' flat, and if they do, you will know it, unlike one tire in a set of duals going flat and the driver is sometimes unaware until it explodes. 

They can be a little 'floaty' on snow and ice. Usually slightly better MPG but not enough to pay for themselves if switching over. And, normally the axles are a tad longer (wider) to accommodate super singles, so an axle swap might be necessary.

Pros and cons to either configuration.

 

 

 

Edited August 20, 2020 by podwerkz

[bigredhdt]

Are you talking about the free 78% nitrogen or $$ 100% nitrogen that you have to buy at special locations?

[podwerkz]

Trust me, I knew the skeptics would chime in. They always do.

[Moresmoke]

My truck came with singles. I switched over to duals this spring. The tires I had were due to be changed because of weather cracking. I am not currently a fan of Michelin’s in any flavor.

Anyway, my reasoning for running duals is pretty simple. 
 

1: I travel the most on weekends, often late into the evening. In locations where the tire service guy will get to you first thing Monday morning. I want to get home. If you travel mostly popular routes with services, may not be an issue for you.

2: There are more budget friendly tires available in sizes for duals. I can buy a pair of mid tier tires for $600. There isn’t much choice out there between the top names and the never heard of China imports in wide base.

I noticed a significant drop in fuel mileage going to singles. I did go to a much more aggressive tread than I had previously.