[AT] truck tires; now pressures

[Stephen Offiler]

Sounds vaguely familiar although I don't follow Indy racing.  I'm sure
Google would tell us the whole story.  I've seen tire durability dictate
the outcome in motorcycle road racing at the top level (MotoGP, which is
like Formula One racing on two wheels).

SO



On Thu, May 15, 2014 at 12:59 PM, Herb Metz <metz-h.b at comcast.net> wrote:

>
> I don't follow the Indy 500 very closely, but, if memory serves, approx ten
> years ago the winner was determined by tire durability and their having a
> couple pounds less pressure on one tire?
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Stephen Offiler
> Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2014 11:57 AM
> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
> Subject: Re: [AT] OT truck tires/driveshaft?
>
> Firestone tires on that original Explorer (circa '91) has a max pressure
> rating of 35psi.  Firestone engineers recommended 28psi for the Explorer.
> Ford dropped that to 26psi to tailor ride and handling characteristics.
> Now add the fact that 99.9% of the driving population never checks their
> air pressures, and let a year or two go by, and natural diffusion thru the
> rubber has dropped the pressure to sub-20psi sort of levels.  Now we have
> created a situation that exacerbated the Firestone's propensity toward
> tread separation.  Lots of blame to spread all around in that whole thing.
> It also gifted the driving population with pressure sensors in each wheel
> in modern vehicles.
>
> SO
>
>
>
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