Why does Rolling Resistance matter in the real world?

Some 13% of the power produced by the engine to move a long haul rig along a smooth road at 65 mph is “lost” due to Rolling Resistance. What is it, what causes it, and how can you help to reduce it.

What is Rolling Resistance?
Rolling Resistance is the term used for the energy required to roll a tire over a particular road surface.

It can be viewed as a Parasitic Power Loss, accounting some 13% of the total energy required to move a long haul tractor-trailer combination over a smooth road at 65 mph.

What causes Rolling Resistance?
Rolling Resistance is caused by the following factors

The deformation of the tire in the contact patch and the sidewalls as it rolls (this accounts for some 80% – 95% of Rolling Resistance – Michelin)
Aerodynamic drag of the rotating tire
Friction (microslippage) between the tread and the road surface
Rolling Resistance is also greatly impacted by condition of the road surface.

Why does it matter?
Because it is energy LOST, it is equivalent to a power loss. Power made by the engine is not fully usable, and inhibits forward movement of the vehicle.

Fuel consumption is therefore increased because of this parasitic loss.

How can you reduce Rolling Resistance?

• Keep tires properly inflated. Properly inflated tires minimize deformation of the contact patch and side walls, and keeps energy loss to a minimum.
• Use “green tires”, with rubber compounds and treads designed to minimize this energy loss. As much as 35 HP may be “saved” at 65 mph at 80,000 lb.
• Use of single wide-base tires in place of dual assembly tires. Two dual tires have four sidewalls as opposed to two for a single tire, thus reducing the side wall flex and energy loss.
• Larger diameter tires have slightly lower energy loss due to the fact that there is less bending of the tire as it enters and leaves the contact patch.

Learn more at: http://www.josephjohansson.com/truck-science/rolling-resistance/

Florida Tow Show 2019, Tow Trucks, Big Rigs, Mega Trucks and More!

Welcome to the 2019 Florida Tow Show. The towing industries largest international show held at the beautiful Hilton Hotel in Lake Buena Vista FL, near Disney and Orlando. Everything from huge expensive trucks to smaller versions. See them all right here. Enjoy and thanks for watching.

Tips for Maintaining and Driving on a Spare Tire

While most drivers realize the importance of taking care of their tires, there’s one tire that usually gets overlooked – the one in your trunk.

But some people assume that because they haven’t used a spare,that it can operate like new. Accidents resulting from faulty or poorly maintained spares happen more than most drivers think. Learn how to safely drive on a spare tire, and what precautions you can take to help keep your spare in working condition.

How to safely drive on a spare tire

When you resort to driving on your spare, it’s important to know the limitations of your new tire. Remember the answers to these three questions to ensure you’re using your spare correctly:

• How fast can you drive on a spare tire? Spares were not designed to drive at the same speed as regular tires; never let your speed exceed 50 miles an hour when you’ve got a spare on your car.
• How far can you drive on a spare tire? As a rule, most spare tire mileage is around 50 miles. They were built only as a substitute to get you safely to a place where you can get your tire repaired.
• How does driving on a spare affect other tires? As noted, driving on a spare is not a long-term solution. It can wear out your full-sized tires faster and, if driven for too long, can throw your car out of alignment.

Spare tire maintenance

Consumer Reports and other well-regarded sources on tire safety say that although the tire doesn’t have the same road wear as the four active tires on your vehicle, drivers need to inspect the spare regularly and replace it if the tire is over eight years old – that is unless a vehicle’s owner’s manual recommends changing the spare sooner.

Check spare tire pressure regularly

In addition to not letting your spare age in the trunk of your car, you need to make sure it’s getting plenty of air. All tires lose pressure with changes in the temperature, and your spare is no exception. It’s a good idea to check the tire pressure in your spare on a regular basis – and always before heading out on a road trip. It’s not useful to replace a flat tire with a spare when your spare’s tire pressure is also low.

One way to ensure your spare is ready to roll is to have it inspected every time you have your tires rotated. This is usually something that should be done about every 5,000 miles. Just ask your tire technician to inspect the spare and make sure it’s properly inflated and in good condition.

If your spare does have damage, it’s wiser to replace it rather than attempt to repair it. Space-saver or “donut” spare tires aren’t intended for long-term driving and can become worn much more quickly than a standard tire – particularly if they’re driven at too high a speed or for too many miles. A damaged spare isn’t likely to perform well, even after being repaired, so it’s much safer just to replace it.

Make sure your spare hasn’t been recalled

Just like full-size tires, sometimes spare tires can be defective. You can visit the National Highway Traffic Safety website to check for recalls and make sure that your spare is safe for driving.

If you need help replacing a flat with your spare, or need to fix a flat without a backup tire, Nationwide’s 24-hour emergency assistance program can provide a quick tire change. Get back on the road faster with Roadside Assistance.

If you need help replacing a flat with your spare, Nationwide’s 24-hour emergency assistance program can provide a quick tire change. Get back on the road faster with Roadside Assistance.


Source: https://blog.nationwide.com/driving-on-a-spare-tire/

121 Ways to Save Fuel: Tires

1) Buy fuel-efficient tires

Getting the right tire at the right wheel position can improve fuel economy by several percentage points.

About 13% of each gallon of fuel consumed goes solely to overcoming rolling resistance. That can vary by the load on the tire, the tread pattern and of course, inflation pressure.

“The relationship between rolling resistance and fuel consumption is about 8:1,” says Rick Phillips, senior director of sales, commercial and OTR products at Yokohama Tire. “An 8% reduction in tire rolling resistance will result in a 1% savings in fuel consumption.”

Various wheel positions have different impacts on fuel economy.

“On a tractor-trailer combination, the steer tires contribute 15-20% to fuel economy, drive tires 30-40% and trailer tires about 40-50%,” says William Estupinan, vice president of technical service for Giti Tire USA. “The first priority for a fleet interested in saving a significant amount of money is to start moving toward fuel-efficient tires for the trailer axles.”

A tight rib pattern, thinner tread — 12/32- to 20/32-inch of tread depth — and advanced compounding make today’s trailer tires very fuel-efficient.
With drive tires, traction and durability are higher on the list of priorities. But traction hasn’t really suffered in a significant way in the quest for lower rolling resistance, manufacturers say.

Learn more at: http://www.truckinginfo.com/article/story/2014/06/121-ways-to-save-fuel-tires.aspx

Trailer Parts Galore at North Bay Truck Center

North Bay Truck Center in Fairfield CA has a huge selection of heavy duty trailer parts including bearings, axle assemblies, hubs, and much more. Heavy duty truck and trailer repair is our specialty, and we also work on light duty trucks. We have an extremely well stocked parts department to take care of almost any need in a hurry.

 See more about North Bay at http://www.northbaytruckcenter.com

Classic Cabovers

An assortment of Big Rig Cabovers

When to Replace Your Shocks - Here's Four Reasons

Perhaps the better question is “How well do you want your vehicle to perform?” If you can answer that question, the decision about “when to replace” becomes much easier. The simple answer then becomes a matter of choice:

Optional Upgrade:

If you want more handling and control than your vehicle design is currently capable of: Right now is the right time.

Maintenance Suggested as Maintenance:

If you want to keep your vehicle operating as well as it was designed to: Then KYB and most industry experts suggest replacement shocks and struts after 50,000 miles.

To Restore Conditions-based:

If your vehicle has excessive ride control conditions such as nose-dive or harshness: Right now is the right time.

Necessity Repair:

If your shocks and struts are damaged, causing tire cupping or leaking to the point of dripping: Then you have failed units and replacements become required at this time.

To further simplify the reasons to replace:

1. Upgrade

Vehicles are generally designed to handle a broad range of purposes: Passenger ride comfort on one side, load and terrain capabilities on the other. When your typical use of a vehicle sometimes or always stresses heavier loads, top heavy, towing or off-road conditions, you may want to consider replacing the shocks with units that exceed original equipment capabilities. KYB offers many higher-performing “Monotube” shocks for this purpose.

2. Maintenance

Even on well paved roads the shocks can move up or down 1,500 to 1,900 times every mile: In 50,000 miles that can exceed 75 million cycles. Over time, performance tends to decrease gradually and the motorist usually doesn’t realize how much handling and control is lost. Replacing shocks and struts after 50,000 miles can keep the vehicle performing as well as it was designed and extend its life expectancy.

3. Ride Control Conditions-Based

Worn shocks and struts eventually causes ride control conditions to worsen to a degree that impairs the drivers ability to control the vehicle. Road testing and vehicle inspections by a qualified technician every 12,000 miles is recommended to identify and keep the motorist informed about these conditions.

4. Repair of Failed Units

Shock or strut failures are a driving safety hazard. If you can’t control your vehicle, then it controls you. Evidence of failures includes things like; excessive bounce, units leaking to the point of fluid dripping, tires that are cupping and visual component damage.
A “completely failed” unit may:

•     Leak hydraulic fluid.
•     Cause uneven or cupped tire wear.
•     Create unsafe driving conditions.
•     Make knocking noises or rattles.
•     Create vehicle swaying and require constant steering corrections

Remember - A qualified technician should inspect and road test your vehicle’s shocks and struts every year or 12,000 miles. Find one here…

Find out more about KYB at: www.kyb.com

To find out more about us, you may call North Bay Truck Center at 707-427-1386.

Also find us at http://www.northbaytruckcenter.com

Michelin Auto Inflate Automatic Tire Inflation

Increase fuel economy, extend tire life, reduce road service calls and downtime—all automatically. Maintaining optimal tire pressure is necessary given today's high cost of doing business. Optimal pressure management is nearly impossible to achieve manually due to many complex factors, including leaky valve stems, natural leakage, extreme temperatures, driving between climates, heated shops, gauge inaccuracy and human error. MICHELIN Auto Inflate solves the complicated problem of tire pressure management.

Onsite Roadside Repair By North Bay Truck Center

FORD Trucks at the 2019 Work Truck Show

NTEA Work Truck Show, all new Ford F600, RV chassis, E-chassis and of course 2021 F650-750. Commercial trucks chassis cabs will all the safety features of a F150.

Source: MrTruckTV