Hi
The outer edges on the front tyres on my Iveco 79.14 are wearing faster than the rest of the tyre. Is there anywhere on-line where I can find alignment information like for example what the toe-in measurement should be? Thanks!
I’ve noticed there seems to be very little in the way of HGV maintainance stuff on the net - odd because there is a wealth of information covering tractors and agricultural machinery 
Z
You’d need to get it seen at professionally. I’ve tried measuring truck tow in and without the jigs its a PITA.
Get it las aligned 
ring lasalign or steertrack, u go to them, they come to you £120 later no more problems. That said the tyres will have to be flipped as you’ll not stop the wear once it’s started. Steertrack have a drop in centre at Rugby and you can be done and dusted in under an hour.
My back axle on a two year old tractor was ridiculously out of true, fuel savings, tyre savings; what’s no to like.
cheers
Zetorpilot
SENIOR MEMBERJoined: 15 Jun 2007
Posts: 27
Location: Finland, ex UK
madders:
ring lasalign or steertrack, u go to them, they come to you £120 later no more problems. That said the tyres will have to be flipped as you’ll not stop the wear once it’s started. Steertrack have a drop in centre at Rugby and you can be done and dusted in under an hour.
My back axle on a two year old tractor was ridiculously out of true, fuel savings, tyre savings; what’s no to like.
cheers
course he’d wear the tyres out gettin there 
madders:
ring lasalign or steertrack, u go to them, they come to you £120 later no more problems. That said the tyres will have to be flipped as you’ll not stop the wear once it’s started. Steertrack have a drop in centre at Rugby and you can be done and dusted in under an hour.
My back axle on a two year old tractor was ridiculously out of true, fuel savings, tyre savings; what’s no to like.
cheers
£120 to Finland, that’s not a good rate for the job 
Granted, the fact that he’s in Finland has slightly arsed that answer, but if colin from steertrak happens to be on holiday in Suolahti he might do it for cash… 
madders:
Granted, the fact that he’s in Finland has slightly arsed that answer, but if colin from steertrak happens to be on holiday in Suolahti he might do it for cash…
Suolahti? That’s right in the middle. I’m on the south east edge, near Imatra, right by the Russian border.
I doubt that he’d want to spend his holiday fettling my rusty wagon though - but it’s a good point - maybe I should just get it done commercially. There’s a big haulage depot near me that does their own maintainance, maybe they can suggest somewhere if they can’t do it themselves.
Thanks for the replies / suggestions
Z
Denis F:
£120 to Finland, that’s not a good rate for the job
Very true Denis F, but do they have ELKS there?
Maybe llamas? (They’re bigger than frogs)
Zetorpilot
Your toe-in measurement is probably correct. Manufacturers set a toe-in (3-6 deg) to improve stability during heavy braking. They don’t care about your tyres.
If you don’t have a professional wheel alignment place handy you can use a tape measure and/or string. Set the wheels dead straight for best fuel & tyres
something good:
ZetorpilotYour toe-in measurement is probably correct. Manufacturers set a toe-in (3-6 deg) to improve stability during heavy braking. They don’t care about your tyres.
If you don’t have a professional wheel alignment place handy you can use a tape measure and/or string. Set the wheels dead straight for best fuel & tyres
Well my case is so bad that the edges look freshly scuffed after a few kilometres. I can’t believe that the ex-owner did thousands of kilometres like this. Amazing that there is any tread left.
As a short term solution I think I have to do what you suggest - I don’t think I can make it any worse anyway 
I’ll also swap the front wheels over as madders suggested. Then maybe I’ll be able to make it as far as the nearest wheel-alignment place!
As a side note - the text on the tyres reads that they are re-cuttable. Is this okay to do? Back in my real trucking days in the UK I always thought this was illegal (although I have seen it done).
Thanks
“Z”
I think madders means turn the tyres on the rim rather than swap the wheels over, if you have wear on both outer edges.
Could try more air in them too. . 8.6 - 8.9 Bar (125 - 130 psi)
No prob cutting tyres once but when they start to shoulder like that theres not much point. Set the tracking and get a new set. I find Mich Energy least prone to shouldering. . http://www.michelintransport.com/ple/front/affich.jsp?codeRubrique=44&lang=EN&codePage=PLOE_PRODUIT_XFA_1_XFA_1_PLUS
something good:
I think madders means turn the tyres on the rim…
Ahh now I get it, thanks.
Well I went to a local HGV garage today and they checked the alignment. Actually it turned out that it was okay. Also the king pins and tie-rod ends were okay too.
The mechanic’s suggestion was that the fault was a weakness in the tyre carcass, causing the middle of the tyre to somehow buckle under allowing the weight to be borne by the edge of the tyre, causing the wear at the edges. I should have mentioned before that the inner edges of the tyres had worn too, but not so badly. There was also a kind of wavy-ness to the wear which is presumably down to worn shock absorbers.
The tyre pressures were 6 bar (manufacturers recomendation), but now I have increased the pressure to 7 it seems to help, if anything. There is no maximum pressure marked on the tyres as such, but it does give a maximum load rating at 90psi so I didn’t quite have the nerve to go all the way up to 8 bar 
So for the time being I’ll keep my eye on them and see if the incresed pressures help. I’m a bit surprised that it looks like the fault is with the tyre as they are first-life Goodyears of some sort, but still…
Anyway it was a good suggestion to go and have them looked at professionally, so thanks!
They only wanted 5 euros for checking the alignment etc and they also found that the anti-roll bar mounting bushes were loose too. I gave them 20e as 5e seemed too little
i have suffered similar problems with ford rigid trucks but it tends to be the longer ones converted for the bedding trade where they have a tremendous wheelbase,no amount of checking and rechecking wheel alignment or checking king pins and bearings alleviated the problem when using standard steer axle tyres…what we do now is to run a more “agressively” edged tyre not too far off a drive axle pattern…the more “square” edge to the tyre outers seems to have cured the problem.This may be a solution to your wear problems.
Ah, just noticed you have a Iveco 79.14. I thought you were on about a tractor unit. .
So you had flat tyres . . 
7 bar should do it but I think those tyres will be nearly scrap now. .
I went to a local HGV garage today and they checked the alignment. Actually it turned out that it was okay
OK how?
something good:
Ah, just noticed you have a Iveco 79.14. I thought you were on about a tractor unit. .So you had flat tyres . .
I went to a local HGV garage today and they checked the alignment. Actually it turned out that it was okay
OK how?
Flat tyres? Not at all - they were 6.2 bar (to be exact) which is what it says in the owners’ handbook, and on the tyres themselves - well actually there it says 90psi)
Alignment was checked with a simple jig with the front axle supported. Nothing fancy but I trust their judgement - they are a separate company but operate from the same premises as one of the biggest haulage firms in the region, and they do their maintainance.
AH’s points are interesting as these tyres have a very rounded profile - so much so that I’m surprised that the wear is at the edge and not up the middle.
Needless to say, once I’ve changed the front shock absorbers and put new tyres on the front, I’ll keep an eye on them VERY carefully. I’ll keep the existing tyres for as long as practical though for economy reasons, unless there is a pressing reason why I should change them sooner. New shock absorbers are on order and should be here in a fortnight.
As I got this wagon for free I’m not too upset that the previous owner wasn’t so careful about things like this.
Thanks
“Z”
Zetorpilot
Madders’ suggestion to use Steertrack is an excellent one.
I do some sub-contract tipper work, on an artic that was recently seen-to by Steertrak.
Fantastic! I can’t comment on tyre wear, or fuel efficiency particularly, but he outfit goes around corners like you wouldn’t believe!!
I’ll be getting my unit done.
Good to know what the price is as well.
Snow Associates:
ZetorpilotMadders’ suggestion to use Steertrack is an excellent one.
Indeed. And if it wasn’t for the 3000km round trip I’d call in at their place tomorrow!
Zetorpilot
As far as I know; they’ll come to you. The company I drive for have the guy come to their premises and do the work. Bit like a tyre-company would.
I guess if you look 'em up online, you’ll have a local guy in your area.
Give them a whirl!
As far as I know; they’ll come to you
What…Even if you’re in Finland…■■? 