PDQ 4000 Tires and inner tubes

[Roy]

I have three PDQ 4000's. I buy inner tubes by the case. I have called PQD and get their standard customer service response of contact your distributer Click.

I have contacted several tech's from from several distributors and they do not have a clue.

I have tried putting powder in the tire when changing the inner tube. I have tried putting a sealer in the tube when installing them.

Does anyone have any other suggestions that may work?

 

[koliver]

Are you using the SST rims? If not, these make a big difference. I have seen people take the bad tube, slice it down the middle and put it around the new tube to give it a thicker wall. Just another idea for you.

The type of tire that you use can make a difference also.

I believe if you search around on the forum, this has been discussed a few different times.

 

[Gabriel]

Those guys just need to make a run flat tire. I know this is high tech stuff, but flat tires on a car wash seems pretty old school. It would seem that an engineering drop out could redesign this system so that the tire can be removed if solid and the whole problem would be solved. I have heard this complaint for 15 years and no fix. Other units have gone to solid wheels, why not PDQ? Not criticizing, just amazed! Could it be done? I think probably in a home shop!

 

[raisetheprice]

Solid tires do exist for the 4000. I run them on my trolleys, but don't on the bridges because the rim can slip inside the tire with the added weight and strain of the bridge. These tires can also come apart for the same reason. But with the trolley, they're great because the arch index stays true etc etc. I run ss rims & tires/tubes on the bridge from KR with great success. No powder, no sealer, just about 30 lbs of air. My PDQ disty sold me 'tubeless' tires forever...duh!!!

 

[lag]

I started years ago ,using an inner tube and lining the inside of the tire.

In the early years PDQ used to sell us a "tubeless" type tire,and have you put in an inner tube. Well tubeless tires are rough inside ,and the tube would always go bad.

I then started using tires that were "tube " type (they are smooth inside). i also still put an old tube in as a liner. Since I started using tube type tires ,our flat tire problems have almost disappeared.

 

[boywonder]

I to have had this problem. When the tube is new its to flat. Take the core out and blow it up to get it into shape. Slide it into the tire and one side of the rim. Add the other rim and run a 9/16" bolt through to holes. Then add the core fill to 30psi and throw on the shelf until its needed.

 

[raisetheprice]

I to have had this problem. When the tube is new its to flat. Take the core out and blow it up to get it into shape. Slide it into the tire and one side of the rim. Add the other rim and run a 9/16" bolt through to holes. Then add the core fill to 30psi and throw on the shelf until its needed.

Another option is to put enough air in the tube once it's inside the tire to make it take shape just before installing the wheel halves. This will insure that you don't pinch the tube between the wheels or anywhere else. Once you get all your bolts tight, complete the air fill to 30 psi.

 

[newhampshiretech]

I have seen a lot of failed tires when I was a tech due to cuts and or foreign debris in the tire destroying the tube. so after the customer puts in three tubes and all fail in a few months, I would find the problem and solve it before putting in a new tube. you must remember a good tube in a bad tire= a soon to be bad tube. let me preface this by saying my friends dad owned a tire shop that I worked at for 4 years I'm MAST certified By Michelin. and have worked on tires so small I used screwdrivers to change them to earth moving tires you couldn't roll into a self serve bay because of sheer size and everything in between ( split rims there are some stories there but thats later).
if you really want to now the cause of the tube failure.
1. remove the flat tire tube and rim assembly.
2. take crayon or whatever and mark on the tire the location of the valve stem
mark the rim and tire as well so when you take it apart yo can see where the tire is in relation to the rim and where the tube is in relation to the tire.
3. remove the tube and air it up. find the leak, then using the mark of where the valve stem was on the tire line up the tube with the mark and look in the tire where the new found leak is.
you may have rust in there or a cut in the tire or any number of things that cause the tube to fail.

problem with tube tires is that a cut literally just a little slice in a tire can destroy a tube over time. as the tire rolls with pressure on it the slice opens and closes on every rotation like a little pac-man mouth just rubbing at the tube till it wears through.

so now that you know why the tube is failing you can fix that issue or replace the tire if need be before putting a shiny new tube in there just to get destroyed again.

 

[Roy]

I am using the rims that came with the units. I have tried every type of tire I can find. Between three 4000's I change on a average week 3 tires. The leaks in the inner tubes are always on the side of the tube.

 

[Roy]

Who is your distributer, I have two in my area. One is too busy with their own car washes and the other is not trust worthy. Maybe I can get the tubeless tires from your distributor?

 

[Roy]

I have at least three tires set up like this at each location. It has done nothing to stop the inner tubes getting leaks on the sides of the tube.

 

[Roy]

Another option is to put enough air in the tube once it's inside the tire to make it take shape just before installing the wheel halves. This will insure that you don't pinch the tube between the wheels or anywhere else. Once you get all your bolts tight, complete the air fill to 30 psi.

The holes are forming in the sides of the tubes

 

[MEP001]

Have you ever replaced the tires? I get them from a lawn equipment supplier online for our Vector, about 1/3rd the price of the only local Vector distributor.

 

[Roy]

Are you using the SST rims? If not, these make a big difference. I have seen people take the bad tube, slice it down the middle and put it around the new tube to give it a thicker wall. Just another idea for you.

The type of tire that you use can make a difference also.

I believe if you search around on the forum, this has been discussed a few different times.

One other quick question because you are from PDQ and all the tech's in my area wont even try to fix this problem. When the arch is going around the car it will stop on the way to the entrance (back of car) and again on the other side when going to the exit (front of car) Some times it will just stop with no indication and some times it will tell the car to pull forward when moving to the back of the car and when it stops on the same pass going to the front of the car it will say go forward. It will do this on each pass to some cars and on others it will work the way it is exposed to. On our car it will do this 6 carwashes out of 10.

 

[Roy]

I wish it were that simple. I have gone to the extreme of buying 20 tubes and 10 tires from four sources for a total of 40 tires and 80 tubes. I paired each tire with its own tube and did not reuse a tire until all tires and tubes had a flat for the first 40 tubes. For the next 40 tubes I used powder and the result did not change. All tubes are getting small holes on the side of the tube.

 

[koliver]

Getting off on your other subject, do you have Virtual Treadle? Sounds like a problem with that. There are a couple different relays, and it will also depend on the version of software you have in the VT controller. If you can not reach your distributor, please call PDQ Tech Services and they will help you out.

As for the distributor not wanting to fix your machine, please provide me with some more information, either by PM or phone, and we will see what we can do to resolve your situation.

 

[Bud]

Roy, I noticed you said you are buying the tubes "by the case". How about the tires? Some years ago I had the same problem with two machines, 4000's. I have no idea why but whenever I didn't change the tire along with the tube, it would be flat inside of a week. I checkeds the inside of the tires etc but they would still go flat. As soon as I started changing the tire and tube, the prblem went away except for the normal flat. I probably only change 3 or 4 tires a year on my machines. As a matter of fact I have two I am going to change shortly because the tread is so worn ( on the bridges).

 

[raisetheprice]

Roy, I noticed you said you are buying the tubes "by the case". How about the tires? Some years ago I had the same problem with two machines, 4000's. I have no idea why but whenever I didn't change the tire along with the tube, it would be flat inside of a week. I checkeds the inside of the tires etc but they would still go flat. As soon as I started changing the tire and tube, the prblem went away except for the normal flat. I probably only change 3 or 4 tires a year on my machines. As a matter of fact I have two I am going to change shortly because the tread is so worn ( on the bridges).

Same here, I change tire and tube every time together. I also clean the rim as best as possible. These days, the tire dry rots before I have to change it. Since going to a 'tubeless' tire...problem has almost vanished. But I will say this...it always goes flat when I have my tie on or need to be somewhere else...lol. Standard operating procedure.

 

[MEP001]

I used to keep a disposable coverall on hand for just such a need - nowadays I don't ever wear anything but jeans and a t-shirt and don't really go anywhere but the wash every day.

What are the inflation requirements/limits of a Laser? The tires on a Vector call for 70 PSI, and in five years I've replaced one tube. It still has the original tubeless tires with tubes in them. Maybe the high pressure keeps them from flexing and breaking.

 

[lag]

What are the inflation requirements/limits of a Laser?

20-25 psi ,no higher than 40 psi. We run at 30 psi.

I figured I was not the only one who broke down ,while wearing my " Sunday" clothes.