Inflation costs almost nothing to get right
Every OTR tire on a site has a pressure it is meant to run at for its load and its job. Getting it right costs almost nothing. Getting it wrong is one of the most common reasons a large tire comes off early.
Too low, and the sidewalls flex more than they were built to. Flexing makes heat, heat breaks down the rubber inside the tire, and the damage is often invisible until the tire fails. An underinflated tire also has more of its sidewall exposed to cuts from rock.
Too high, and the tire is stiffer and more easily cut or punctured by sharp rock on a loading face, and the ride is harder on the machine and the operator.
Make the check part of the shift
The useful habit is a pressure check at a fixed time, before the machine starts working, when the tires are cold. Pressures taken from a tire that has been working for hours read higher and are hard to compare.
- Same time, same gauge. Start of shift, cold, with a gauge that is checked for accuracy now and then.
- Valve caps on. A missing cap lets dust into the valve, and a dirty valve leaks slowly.
- Write it down. A tire that drops a little every day is a leak or damage to find before it becomes a failure.
- Know the target. Each position should have a set pressure for its load and application, agreed with the tire supplier.
That last point is where a store helps. Ask Tucson about target pressures when you buy or fit, or raise it as part of mining fleet services. Damaged wheels found along the way are wheel refurbishing, also here.
Fitting and repair
When a tire does come off, the work is OTR fitting and repair. A cut tire may be repairable, and the assessment decides it. Sound casings can go to the Phoenix retread plant. The national OTR services page covers fitting, repair and supply.
Other stores nearby
Willcox and Casa Grande also offer OTR services.
About this store
The Tucson store carries all nine Purcell tire categories and is managed by Mark Laster.
See the national OTR services page for all 41 locations.