Dear Al Shirawi Enterprises (ASE) Customer,
Tyres are one of your biggest expenses accounting for between 15 and 25 per cent of your owning and operating costs. And yet, tyres are often only considered when they go flat, or worse, burst.
Many fleet owners only consider price when they choose a tyre but since tyres have such a major impact on performance, the real factors that should be considered are rolling resistance and wear.
Scania has divided tyres into six major areas based on application:
- Long Haulage
- Regional
- Urban
- Construction
- Off Road
- Winter
It is important to ensure you choose the right type based on your application. Field tests confirm that savings of up to four per cent on your fuel bill is possible simply by selecting the correct tyre type.
In addition, rolling resistance is responsible for one third of total fuel consumption according to Scania.
Tyre pressure
Tyre pressure is essential for safety, performance, fuel-economy and tyre life, and yet it is an area that is often neglected. I have seen several severe accidents in Dubai involving underinflated tyres leading to sudden blowouts causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle. In many cases, such accidents are avoidable.
A few examples:
- Overinflate by 20 per cent and the life span of the tyre is reduced by 10 per cent
- Underinflate by 20 per cent and life span is reduced by 25 per cent.
- Underinflate by 40 per cent and the life span is reduced by 60 per cent and rolling resistance is up by 20 per cent. This gives a six per cent increase on your fuel bill.
Wheel balancing and alignment
This is a major issue here in the UAE. You should ensure proper wheel alignment takes place at least once every six months.
Tyres on one-piece rims should be properly balanced on a regular basis to ensure optimum life and fuel economy.
In addition, check the axle alignment to avoid the “dog walk” scenario which creates unnecessary tyre wear and is a safety issue.
Experience shows that proper maintenance of the tyres and the wheel alignment can save up to 30 per cent off your tyre bill and significantly reduce your fuel bill.
The new maintenance contracts from ASE include tyre pressure check at every oil service and wheel and axle alignment every six months, giving you More Time on the Road.
Cuts
I will come back to the importance of daily inspections later, but it is worth mentioning that they should include checking for tyre cuts, flat spots from harsh braking and stones between the tyres at the rear.
While you are at it, check the tread-depth to ensure the tyres are within legal and safe limits.
Tread patterns
It is important to choose the right pattern, it is also important to ensure that you at least have the same pattern on all tyres on the same axle. If not, you could be in for a shock when braking. Using different tyres on the same axel makes the axel uneven which this causes increased pressure when braking and can lead to tyre bursts.
Storage of tyres
If you have a few sets of tyres in stock, ensure they are stored properly and away from sunlight. Sunlight on new tyres will cause ozone cracks – microscopic surface cracks that will impact on the tyre life and performance.
Fitting new tyres
When fitting new tyres, follow a proper inflation procedure where you first allow the tyre to settle on the rim using a first burst of air, then fill up the tyre. Overfill by around 10 per cent and then reduce to the correct pressure.
All this should be done in a so-called tyre cage to avoid nasty accidents if a rim is not properly settled.
Summary
Savings of up to 30 per cent in tyre life are possible if you follow these steps. If you consider that tyre costs account for up to 25 per cent of your annual expenses, that means you could be about to save up to 7.5 per cent on your total expenses per year.
Contact us toll free on 800 24702 to find out more about axle alignment and wheel balancing or sign up for a maintenance contract with tyre pressure and wheel and axle alignment included, which will help you to really start saving on your tyres. Email: TalkToUs@ase.ae Or fill in the form alongside and we’ll call you!
Our CASE customers may already know that we source and sell a variety of tyres to fit your machine’s need. We’ll source the correct tyre for you and save you money over the run.
Check this diagnostic chart (PDF 381 KB) which will show you what elements cause excess wear on your tyres.
Next Week
I’ll explain why it is importance to do daily vehicle inspections to prevent unplanned stops.
More Time on the Road
with Al Shirawi Enterprises (ASE)Lars Möller, General Manager, After Sales
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