A look at how dangerous our jobs are

[Tony302600]

Today I had the luxury of doing 4 tires on a 05 F-550. yes yes. They wanted 2 fronts and 2 outer rears, they said inners are ok. I am done with the job, I air up the inner's to 80 ( as they requested ) i walk not 10 feet away, and the loudest explosion sound of my life ive ever heard happens.

 

Everyone in the dealership, even tehe salesman run back to the truck shop and start the " what in the hell was that" questions. My ears hurt like a bitch, the other diesel tech said "Holy shit" and i look back and the sidewall of a 19.5'' tire was torn in the middle halfway around.

 

Thank god i use the 10foot long air gauge ford gave, and started using it 2 weeks ago. Man am i glad that I wasnt next to it.

 

Anyone have the luxury of hearing this? LoL

[OHNO60]

yup few times,mostly the big truck tires. your right it sounds like a bomb went off. we even had one fly across the yard about 30 feet.tire tech was picking his sh*t off the wall for weeks

[Aaron_Johnson]

We refused to change 19.5 without having a cage to inflate them in. They were too cheap to buy the cage, so we sublet them now. Good for you for using the 10ft hose. Not a lot of guys up here use that. I think we have to take safety into our own hands and look out for #1.

[Alex Bruene]

We always use a 10ft. hose to inflate 19.5s. Our first experience with one blowing up on us was with our parts F-450. The parts driver had been driving with a flat inner. We told them if it's been driven flat, it MUST be replaced... but of course they thought we were full of shit and told us to just put air in it. At about 70psi, it started to make an odd creaking noise, so I said "wait for it"... then BOOM!!! made the parts driver shit his pants... so I said, "told ya so"! We have no issues changing them on a regular tire machine, but I don't inflate them to service pressure until they are mounted because I don't want to handle them when they are fully inflated. And, for our troubles/risks with these tires, we get 1.1 per tire we replace.

[Tony302600]

1.1 a tire.... you kidding me. your lucky as hell...lol... me and the other diesel tech had to fight to get .5 for 2. 1.5 for 6 because the tire shop down the street does it for that.

[Alex Bruene]

We get 0.3 for a P rated tire, 0.7 for LT rated light truck tire, 1.1 for 17.5 and 19.5 inch 12 ply tires, and 1.5 for 22.5 inch tires... each. Mind you our labor rate for tire installation is done at $40 per hour, not the normal door rate.

[Alex Bruene]

me and the other diesel tech had to fight to get .5 for 2. 1.5 for 6 because the tire shop down the street does it for that.

I'd tell them to send them to the tire shop down the street...

[Mekanik]

It it dangerous to just "check" the tire pressure without 10 feet of hose? What if I'm changing oil and I check the tire pressure and 1 tire is low? I can't fill it up all the way without the 10 foot hose?

[Alex Bruene]

It it dangerous to just "check" the tire pressure without 10 feet of hose? What if I'm changing oil and I check the tire pressure and 1 tire is low? I can't fill it up all the way without the 10 foot hose?

You are supposed to treat any load range "F" or higher tire like a heavy truck tire. I think the recommendation is a 6' hose...

[Tony302600]

Alex i showed the oil change guys what to use if they ever fill those tires up. I will never ever fill those up without that hose setup ford gave us. LoL.

[eastendpowerstroke]

I will never ever fill those up without that hose setup ford gave us. LoL.

UUMM /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/scratchhead.gif What hose Ford gave us ?? when did you get this alleged free hose /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/shrug.gif

My early days were in a tire shop so I got a book full of BLOWOUT stories, a few funny ones and a bunch of scary stories

[Tony302600]

I dunno guess we bought one cause it says rotunda on it and it has a 10ft hose.

[Keith Browning]

I think I need to look into this. For at least a year I have been thinking it would be the wise thing to use. I just never get around to it. That's not good!

[Jim Warman]

For about the last four years, every time I air one of these up, I've been thinking the same thing... I used to do heavy truck tires (22.5 and 24.5) and they have the same bead angle as the 19.5.... I would never consider airing one of those up with my beautiful visage directly in the line of fire... and there I was.... doing it with a 19.5 (well, not doing "it"... but you get the picture)....

 

Now that this thread has given the idea some life, I think one of the available units with the built in gauge is getting ordered (screw my damned budget.... had to order about $8G worth of stuff, including a new all make scanner to fulfill our out of province inspection and commercial motor vehicle inspection equipment requirements).

[Keith Browning]

Cant seem to locate one online yet. But as I am doing this I thought why couldn't I get a $8.00 locking air chuck and have a custom made length of air hose made to replace the 1 foot hose that is currently on my tire inflater? Our maintenance guys just got a 6 footer made up for our new press. I'll bet it could not have been much money.

 

On EDIT:

http://www.uniquetruck.com/Hand_Held_Truck_Tire_Inflators_C80.cfm

[Jim Warman]

No reason you can't.... When I had my own shop (and this piece somehow got in to the wrong bin) all I had was a locking filler adapter with several feet of hose connected to an old blow gun - no gauge. Absolutely nothing fancy and I still had to get my face in there with a tire gauge (not as scarey)... but there was a great peace of mind being that far away from the "blast zone" during the crucial part of the process....

[DwayneGorniak]

At two previous dealerships I worked at, I Had old Hydralift two post hoists in my bay that were worn right out. The first dealership didn't do anything untill I dropped three trucks off my hoist and the bodyshop bills were racking up. The second dealership was when I was a Foreman. I dropped three trucks off that same piece of crap style hoist and then refused to work on the hoist after that. The dealer principal thought I was just a whiner and that it was something I was doing wrong untill an apprentice dropped two trucks off the hoist. I had called in the hoist inspection company and they deamed it unsafe. I also had to threaten to call Occupational Health and safety before the cheap ass owner would buy a new hoist.

 

It is extremely pathetic when dealerships are so damn cheap and don't give a rats ass about the safety of their employees, yet the dealer principals will have the fanciest offices and furniture and will stop at no expence for their own comfort.

[srashawn]

just a osha tid bit about heavy duty tires.when filling heavy duty tires you must use a clip on chuck that enables you to stand outside of the trajectory.when removing a flat dual you must deflate the tire while it is still bolted to the hub.you should never fill a flat tire above 10psi with out it being secured in a tire cage or bolted to the hub.proper ppe and inflation devices and cages are to be provided by the company along with traing and refresher training.never inflate a tire that has been run flat with out demounting it off of the rim and inspecting it first.I train my guys every year and will go over it off and on through out the year.these heavy duty tires can split a person in half.The air force shows us the pictures every year of what happens when you dont follow the rules and its pretty grusome.

[Mekanik]

The air force shows us the pictures every year of what happens when you dont follow the rules and its pretty grusome.

I'd like to see those pictures.

We ordered on of those 15' tire guages today.

[DwayneGorniak]

Watch out for those 08' Superduty hoods. I just landed myself 20 stiches in the head at 11:30 this morning. I was using a hood prop rod. There is no real nice place to mount a prop rod on these trucks and have it remain secure. I will be using a ratchet strap from now on tied to the hood and the other end to a hold down in the box. I am now making the pain go away with Miller genuine Draft. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/drinkingdude.gifAnd I will be wearing a bandanna for a while. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/banghead.gif

http://www.forddoctorsdts.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=193&limit=recent

http://www.forddoctorsdts.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=194&limit=recent

[Jim Warman]

Darryl would probably congratulate you for finally "using your head" /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

 

Glad to see you came up smiling.....

[Keith Browning]

Hope your hairline does not retreat too much over the years. Thats gonna leave a mark! Looks like it hurt too. By the way, why were you propping the hood up? I have whacked my head on the grille a few times but man!

[DwayneGorniak]

I,m too damn tall to get under these sardine cans properly and keep whacking my freekin head on the damn piece of crap grill. So I flip the hood back so that I can get some head room. Good thing I have a thick skull.

[Mekanik]

Watch out for those 08' Superduty hoods. I just landed myself 20 stiches in the head at 11:30 this morning. I was using a hood prop rod. There is no real nice place to mount a prop rod on these trucks and have it remain secure. I will be using a ratchet strap from now on tied to the hood and the other end to a hold down in the box. I am now making the pain go away with Miller genuine Draft. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/drinkingdude.gifAnd I will be wearing a bandanna for a while. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/banghead.gif

http://www.forddoctorsdts.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=193&limit=recent

http://www.forddoctorsdts.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=194&limit=recent

 

Wow /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/eeeesh.gif. I had an instructor that had that happen to him and then he developed a seizure disorder.

[Tony302600]

i'm 6'5, and that hood hasnt gotten me yet. But i did count 10 "god damnit, stupid ass engineers"" from the other diesel tech after he kept hitting his head on the grill. LMFAO