It was time for new tires. I decided to go with Michelins through FMCA. My local TCI center in West Palm Beach didnt have the 275/70 R 22.5 tires I needed. I then contacted the TCi dealer in Orlando. The managers name is Todd. He had my tires and was very cordial on the phone. I decided to make the 2 1/2 hour dirve to get them. All was well when I got there until we started talking about balancing, etc. I wanted the ceramic beads and was met with a questioning look. Todd said he would check to see what he had. He found the beads.
The attention then shifted to the rear duals. I have the Crossfire system installed which equalizes the pressure in the duals and gives you a visual indication of pressure. I was concerned that the system would not be reinstalled properly. In retrospect, I should have taken a photo of each dual. Tom and the techs seemed to have no concern that this would be a problem. There was a different tech working on the two sides. Neither of them used English as a first language. The rear hubcap on the Freightliner is held on by a bolt. The left side is left handed. I pointed this out to the Techs. I hung around to watch the tech try to remove it with lefty loosey. I had Tom tell him again. "Hey Jose, its left handed.". Jose continued to try lefty loosey. I had to get Tom to tell him again in person.
When the duals went back on, each tech installed the Crossfire differently. Neither method was like the way it came in. When I pointed it out to Tom, he couldnt seem to see the problem. "You RV people come in here with this aftermarket stuff and make extra work for us.". Suddenly the no problem was a problem. My patience was exhausted and I had to walk away. All they had to do was take a moment to study the installation and reinstall it the same way.
I will have to remove it tomorrow, reclock valve stems, and rotate valve stems to fix it. Needless to say, I wont be back there.
The good news is that the tires with balancing beads ride very smoothly.
