Really big trucks

[SpreadAxle]

I thought I would share some photos from my recent trip west.

This is the load I delivered Tuesday in Miami, Arizona to a copper mine. It's one of the most interesting loads I ever had.

How would you like to have to change these tires??

These tires are 11'9" wide, or should I say tall since they're laying down. The whole load weighs 47,000#, which makes each of the 6 tires weigh in at roughly 7,834# a piece. The tread area measures more than 3 1/2 feet across.

Here are the big beasts that will use these. They are Komatsu 830E-AC dump trucks.

This one was being worked on by the mine's truck garage, which is where I unloaded. AS the guys from Cummins Rocky Mountain worked on it, I got to hear(and feel) the massive engine roar.

I wonder how much money is parked right there.

Here are some "action shots" as I drove the muddy road through the mine.

I hope you enjoyed them.

Edited February 19, 2009 by FlatbedKW

[fordh8r]

Thanks for sharing. It's so cool to see stuff like this.

[SpreadAxle]

Glad you liked them

[67PontiacGTO]

Glad you liked them

The Michelin versions of those are made less than 5 mi. from my house. That is all the make there. The tires for some of the world largest equipment come from there. My dad works for Maxim Crane as a sales/crane specialist and he said that it is a big plant that makes only big tires! LOL

[Aaronw]

Any idea how big those Komatsus are compared to the Payhauler in the AMT kit?

[Jim B]

The Komatsu 830E-AC is rated for about 240-255 tons, and weighs in itself at 140-160tons. The International Payhauler 350 is rated between 25-50 tons.

Here are my references:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komatsu_830E

http://www.machinerytrader.com/listings/li...u=INTERNATIONAL

http://www.vannattabros.com/truck5.html

Edited February 26, 2009 by Jim B

[Fletch]

You most likely exerted more effort strapping them down then the guy who is going to change them. I worked for the Firestone Truck Center in Denver. Part of my job was changing off-road equipment tires. Everything is done with a double articulated boom. The toughest part of the job is getting them up off the ground in the first place and dealing with the weather.

[SpreadAxle]

You most likely exerted more effort strapping them down then the guy who is going to change them. I worked for the Firestone Truck Center in Denver. Part of my job was changing off-road equipment tires. Everything is done with a double articulated boom. The toughest part of the job is getting them up off the ground in the first place and dealing with the weather.

That makes sense. Sounds like it would have been a pretty interesting task.

[Fletch]

It's nothing like changing truck tires. Every thing is done with air over hydraulic rams, basically the same things as porta-powers, and the truck mounted boom. There is an "O" ring that goes around the wheel and a flange between the tire and the wheel/"O" ring. pack everything with Murphy's tire soap and add air. To change all 6 of those tires even with all the power equipment would still be 8-9 hours. Somewhere around 45 minutes for each tire being devoted to airing it back up.

[Aaronw]

The Komatsu 830E-AC is rated for about 240-255 tons, and weighs in itself at 140-160tons. The International Payhauler 350 is rated between 25-50 tons.

Here are my references:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komatsu_830E

http://www.machinerytrader.com/listings/li...u=INTERNATIONAL

http://www.vannattabros.com/truck5.html

Oh, so just a tad bigger. Wow, I thought the Payhauler was quite a beast on my work bench, that Komatsu would probably be as big as my workbench.

[Old Albion]

Ray,

Thanks for sharing the photo's. I hate to think how much one of those tyres costs but thats quite an expensive load. Hope it paid well. One of the good things about travelling around you see many interesting things. A scale load of earthmover tyres would make a great load on a 1/25 truck.

Aaron,

Your right a Komatsu dump truck would be a massive kit in 1/25 scale. Yes I want one.

Best Wishes

Dave

[Foxer]

those are amazing tires!!

I'd bet they have to use at least half-dollars to measure tread depth!!

[airrj]

I thought I would share some photos from my recent trip west.

This is the load I delivered Tuesday in Miami, Arizona to a copper mine. It's one of the most interesting loads I ever had.

How would you like to have to change these tires??

These tires are 11'9" wide, or should I say tall since they're laying down. The whole load weighs 47,000#, which makes each of the 6 tires weigh in at roughly 7,834# a piece. The tread area measures more than 3 1/2 feet across.

Here are the big beasts that will use these. They are Komatsu 830E-AC dump trucks.

I am in Cheyenne, WY and every time that I drive down I-25 to Denver I pass at least two flatbeds of these tires headed north. In the last three months I have seen 15 truckloads of these tires. It is amazing that they produce that many.