time for new tires

[Pat Fagan]

Continuing the condition inspection on Smokey today I removed the left hub cap and discovered one of the three wheel hub nuts laying inside on the wheel. The bolt had snapped off at the base of the threads. I don't know, if the bolt had backed out, if it would have jammed against the brake assembly but if it could it would be worth installing the bolt in the other direction in the future. Anyway, it's now time to replace my 8.50 X 6.00s and I've been leaning towards some 26" Goodyear blimp tires. After patching several spots on the underside of the left elevator and horizontal I'm particularly interested in a treadless tire. Does anyone know if that tire requires a 6 bolt hub or is the 3 bolt one acceptable?

[N942VT]

Been running 26's with three bolts for some time Pat, actually same with the 31's

[jaredyates]

I used the 3 bolt wheels also. There may be a brake clearance problem, depending on which diak and torque plates you have. Let me know if you need more info on that. There was mention of it in the last Beartracks issue.

[Pat Fagan]

Thanks, it's good to know that my 3 bolts will be adequate when the time comes. After further thought I've decided to fly another season or two on my existing tires. I was going to replace them because the tread is about worn off but why bother of I'm only replacing them with treadless tires. As long as the side walls are good and no chords show I'll just keep on.

[Rollie]

You might want to look at the Desser 8.50s, they don't have tread and weigh a lot less than the certified 8.50 or the 26" Goodyears. I ran the 26" for awhile on my Pacer and found them to be very stiff, I kept as little air in them as I could get away with but the sidewalls were so stiff I didn't get much give on landings. Since the Dessers are much lighter, the sidewall is thinner and I expect to be able to run more air yet have a softer ride than I had with either the other 8.50s or the 26" Goodyears. My Patrol is sitting of the Desser 8.50s now, and hopefully soon I'll get to try them out.

[Pat Fagan]

I saw the smooth 8.50s and ordered a set. When they arrived they felt somewhat insubstantial. You're right, the sidewall is much more flexible and at only 4 ply they are considerably lighter but I just felt uneasy about subjecting them to the rocks we have here in the desert. I drove to Desser and traded them in for the 26" Goodyears. Much heavier and much more solid tire, as well as much more expensive but I feel better about it. Tried them out yesterday with a pretty good crosswind from the left and they seemed to be pretty cushy with 20 pounds in them.

[N942VT]

Good choice on the Goodyears. I run those 26's at 15 lbs with no problems. Put a witness mark on the wheel / tire to check for slippage.

[Mark Goldberg]

I run the same tires with 12-13 psi for years with no problems. Mark

[Pat Fagan]

Thanks, I'll experiment with less air. Good idea on the witness marks. I was stunned how fast the engine turned over with the new battery.

[Battson]

You can run them as low as 6 to 8 psi quite safely using this technique (link below):

The difference in "cushiness" from 20 psi to 8 psi, is like night and day.