Class 8 Trucks

[Christ]

Jeez... I'm pretty sure that's not a new idea at all. In fact, I know for sure it's not new. And lets apply the logic here: You cover the giant rotating windmill causing piece of rubber, and you're going to get better aero, with less drag, creating better fuel efficiency.

If you want to go the next step, cover the friggin wheels. Do you REALLY have to see the tires while you're in the cab looking forward? It's not like any other driver on the road really cares that your tires are huge. And covering them is a safety issue as well... less chance of a tread blowing off your drive tires into the car next to and slightly behind you.

The added weight doesn't even come close to offsetting the efficiency gains that can be had there... and most drivers will cite the weight as a reason they don't do it. It takes away from the total load weight they can carry. Of course, you never hear one of them complain when they have their own truck that has real wood accents and such in it, which all add to the weight.

I understand that truckers tend to live in their trucks... but with the money OTR O/O's could save by adding a few pounds, they could probably afford to rent a place for a week every where they stop! (Some, not all, obviously.)

[Duffman]

Originally Posted by Christ

If you want to go the next step, cover the friggin wheels. Do you REALLY have to see the tires while you're in the cab looking forward? It's not like any other driver on the road really cares that your tires are huge. And covering them is a safety issue as well... less chance of a tread blowing off your drive tires into the car next to and slightly behind you.

Any Trucker doing a proper walk around inspection on his truck checks the lug nuts on each wheel once per day. The fines for wheels that come off is pretty outrageous.

[Christ]

Re-read what I posted... then edit your rebuttal.

Never mind, I'll just point what I wanted everyone to see when reading that post.

I'm well aware of a proper walk-around, and what it entails as far as tire safety. The point of the post was that adding fastened skirts to the rear wheels could prevent a TREAD from blowing out into another lane as it peels off the tire, potentially causing an accident, or killing another driver.

The tire flying off is a wholly other incident, but a solid skirt with enough strength could also keep the tire from coming off the axle completely, which would allow the drivers to stop before the 200 lb tire came flying at someone else on the road.

Either way, skirts could be deemed safer as well as more economical, given their proper construction, so where is the argument?

[elhigh]

Originally Posted by Christ

I'm well aware of a proper walk-around, and what it entails as far as tire safety. The point of the post was that adding fastened skirts to the rear wheels could prevent a TREAD from blowing out into another lane as it peels off the tire, potentially causing an accident, or killing another driver.

The tire flying off is a wholly other incident, but a solid skirt with enough strength could also keep the tire from coming off the axle completely, which would allow the drivers to stop before the 200 lb tire came flying at someone else on the road.

I'm not sure that's a good scenario, either. A skirt robust enough to contain a loose wheel could be robust enough to hold it in and ski-jump the entire truck - then there's a whole lot more than just a tire loose on the road.

That's an extreme example but not outside the realm of probability. More likely it would just shred the skirt to flinders. Then there would be the loose wheel plus flying bits, some sharp, some metal.

I think the best option would be full fenders plus skirts, but the skirts should be hinged and latched with breakaways so the lugs are easy to check, but the wheel won't be dangerously contained, God forbid.

[Duffman]

Originally Posted by Christ

Re-read what I posted... then edit your rebuttal.

Never mind, I'll just point what I wanted everyone to see when reading that post.

.... whatever

Originally Posted by Christ

I'm well aware of a proper walk-around, and what it entails as far as tire safety. The point of the post was that adding fastened skirts to the rear wheels could prevent a TREAD from blowing out into another lane as it peels off the tire, potentially causing an accident, or killing another driver.

The tire flying off is a wholly other incident, but a solid skirt with enough strength could also keep the tire from coming off the axle completely, which would allow the drivers to stop before the 200 lb tire came flying at someone else on the road.

Either way, skirts could be deemed safer as well as more economical, given their proper construction, so where is the argument?

My point is if you want someone to conduct something as important as a safety inspection, you dont make it hard for him to do, I'm sure there are many truckers out there all ready that dont do it properly.

Your assertion that a skirt would hold anything in is rediculous. Any skirt that is strong enough to do such is likely too heavy to manipulate to get at the lug nuts.

[RH77]

Highway scales are also inspection points for tires and other items on the rig. I believe that it's a requirement for the tires to be visible for a drive-by inspection. A quick thwack with a breaker bar is also a reasonably good test, from what I'm told from several friends who drive. That may be the concern for the wheel covering.

That doesn't preclude trailer fairings from being installed, or aerodynamic cab designs...

RH77

[Christ]

Hm. Oddly, I still don't see a problem with driver's lifting an aluminum door to look at/play with a set of lugnuts... apparently, neither does my uncle. He's been doing it for nearly 30 years now, and when he owned his own truck, back in the early 90's, he had 1/4" aluminum plate skirts around his back wheels. Where do you think I got the idea in my head?

The idea that it would hold the tire in after the lugnuts came loose isn't really a stretch, since it hasn't got alot of momentum in a lateral direction other than continuing to spin on the axle it came disconnected from.

The studs that go into those wheels are like 1" longer than they need to be to properly seat the wheel. that means that if the fairing was 1" from the wheel (which is too far, honestly), the tire would still make contact with the fairing before passing the ends of the studs. Obviously, at this point, there would be wobbling and lots of noise/odd feelings, and the driver might have a chance to stop and pull off the road to inspect the problem before the tire actually flew off.

Honestly, given the pressure that the tire would be flopping around with, 1/4 aluminum probably wouldn't hold it in very well without being bent/dented, etc, so that needs more consideration to make it worthwhile.

The fairing itself isn't a big deal though, and could easily be made of clear material that wouldn't interfere with visual checks, and being that it only covers about 1/2 the height of the tire anyway, there should be no problem with lugnut checks.

Saying that you shouldn't make it harder for someone to perform a safety check is quite obvious. Noting afterward that there are many who probably don't do it the right way to begin with defeats the purpose of the first statement.

If lots and lots of drivers aren't doing it properly, why does it matter if you've made it more difficult for them to do what they're screwing up?

It's apparent that you don't want to make the driver have to work any harder than he already isn't, but on that same note, if the larger consensus isn't doing what they're supposed to do anyway, what are you really hurting?

So given the above, let's remove the idea of a strong enough skirt to withstand and contain a loose wheel.

Lets make the skirt clear, so that it doesn't interfere with visual safety checks.

Lets also make it only 1/2 the height of the tire, so that it doesn't interfere with driver's who probably aren't doing their duty anyway, on the off chance that they decide to do what they're supposed to do.

The result is still a net GAIN in efficiency due to less drag. I still don't see an issue.

[RH77]

I'm sure that in Gratz, Pennsylvania, you see a considerable amount of snowfall and summer precipitation. Without a comprehensive wash, the clear covering would soon accrue with a build-up of opaque road grime, salt, and snow/ice. In the ever-changing and difficult economy, it is difficult for an Owner-Operator to stop and spend hard-earned money on a truck wash for the sake of an unknown benefit in fuel economy.

Please take into account the small percentage of FE gained with your proposal of wheel covering. The cost of the device may take some time to recover the investment.

As this site has advised, first start with the "Low-Hanging Fruit" such as air-cleaner decoration, exposed stacks, and non-integrated headlamps. Trailers may vary per customer, so it may not even be in the control of the tractor operator to add such components.

All I ask is to thoroughly think about the implications before posting.

RH77 / Rick (EcoModder.com Moderator)

[Christ]

Ok, I give. You win. It's a bad idea. Moving on.