Air Pressure; Underinflation - Fleetwood American Eagle User Manual

A.
WARNING
For safety and maximum tire life, check and adjust tire
pressure (including the spare,
if
equipped) at the
beginning of each trip and daily during the trip. Pay
special attention to inside rear duals. Always check
pressure when tires are cold, and do not bleed air out
of warm tires. Follow the tire pressure instructions in
the Chassis Operatar's/Owner's Guide/Manual or
the tire manufacturer's tire pressure chart.
"'I
NOTE
1
Fleetwood recommends using
a
high quality tire pres-
sure gauge far accurate, repeatable pressure readings.
"'I
NOTE
1
Check the wheel lug nut tightness periodically. They
could work loose during driving. Check the Chassis
Operatar'siOwner's Guide/Manual for correct lug nut
torque and torquing procedure, and schedule.
Air Pressure
The most important factor in maximizing the
life of your tires is maintaining proper inflation.
Driving on a tire that does not have the correct
inflation pressure for the load of the vehicle is
dangerous and may cause premature wear, tire
damage, and/or loss of control of the vehicle.
A tire that is underinflated will build up exces-
sive heat that may go beyond the prescribed lim-
its of endurance of the rubber and the radial
cords. This could result in sudden tire failure. A
tire that is underinflated could also cause poor
vehicle handling, rapid and/or irregular tire
wear, or an increase in rolling resistance which
results in a decrease in its fuel economy.
Overinflation will reduce the tire's footprint or
contact patch with the road, thus reducing the
traction, braking capacity, and handling of the
vehicle. A tire that is overinflated for the load
that it is carrying will also contribute to a harsh
ride, uneven tire wear, and will be more suscep-
tible to impact damage.
On The Road
Maintaining correct tire inflation pressure for
each loaded wheel position on your vehicle is of
the utmost importance and must be a part of
regular vehicle maintenance.
Federal law requires that the tire's maximum
load rating be molded into the sidewall of the
tire. If you look on your tire's sidewall you'll
see the maximum load allowed for the size tire
and load rating, and the minimum cold air infla-
tion pressure needed to carry that stated maxi-
mum load. Utilizing less air pressure means a
lesser load can be carried by the tire.
The amount of air pressure you need to use
depends on the weight of your fully-loaded vehicle.
So, you cannot determine your comxt air pressure
unless you know your vehicle's actual weights.
Underinflation
When an underinflated tire is run at normal high-
way speeds, it flexes too much and builds up
heat. This heat damages the inner liner, casing
and outer sidewall of the tire. If not remedied
quickly, the tire will be irreparably damaged.
In extreme cases, the sidewall of the tire is
destroyed, both from the excessive heat it endured
and due to the weight of the vehicle pressing on
the tire casing without the cushioning effect of the
COlTect air pressure, and the crushing/cutting
action of the wheel as it rolls on the underinflated
sidewall. According to guidelines put out by the
Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA), any
tire that has been run at less than 80% of recom-
mended air pressure for the load it is carrying
should be inspected for possible damage.
When one tire in a dual configuration comes out
of service due to underinflation damage, the
other tire in the dual configuration should be
inspected immediately. If the unserviceable tire
was underinflated, that means the serviceable
tire was carrying more and more of the load for
that wheel position. Consequently, it too may
have suffered some casing damage.
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