HiSpec Series 06 Wheels

[Jager]

I have the HiSpec Series 06 wheels on my camper. Like many of you I have been dealing with the crappy tire issue (blow outs) for some time. I have come to the simple conclusion that E rated tires simply won't handle my camper. I have tried a few different brands and they all just end up blowing out. Some last longer than others but no where near as long as they should. I'm guessing this is due to a combination of load and speed. I think the E load rating is under rated for my camper and when I'm on the interstate I roll at 70mph plus or minus 5mph.

I am moving to G rated tires for this reason. In doing that I needed to make sure my wheels were rated for the air pressure and the weight. So I contacted HiSpec, the manufacture of many of our camper wheels. Like I said I have the Series 06 wheels on my camper. HiSpec lists 3 different wheels that all match my wheels, 2 have a weight rating of 3200lbs and one with a rating of 3960 lbs.

Which one do I have?

I contacted the company about a year ago and was told that the higher rated, heavy duty wheels had a "HD" stamp on the inside of the rim. Well that is WRONG and UNTRUE. I contacted HiSpec again this week to ask again and this time I got hold of Jim Guibert, Director of Sales & Marketing. He explained to me that "all HiSpec wheels are capable of 110psi however the wheels are limited by the lesser of the stem or the weight rating of the wheel itself". He further explained that all HiSpec wheels are "marked" (actually stamped) on the inside of the wheel with their serial number, weight rating, etc . . .

I pulled one of the wheels off my camper and looked. Low and behold he was correct. Note that you may not be able to see these stamped markings without taking the wheel off the camper. These stamp marks are on the inside of the spokes. In my case the brake drums are in the way and there is no way I would have ever been able to see this. If you are in doubt which wheel you have on your camper, pull the wheel and look at the markings on it.

http://www.hispecwheel.com/index

Also, the HiSpec site has a "specification" section for their wheels but no where do they explain what those spec refer to. Honestly most are obvious but just in case you want to know here is a short explanation:

http://www.hispecwheel.com/products/768/Series-06

Size - wheel diameter x wheel width in inches
Bolt Pattern - # of lug x the "distance from middle of one lug hole to the middle of another hole that is directly across from it in inches
Bore Size - measure of the center hole in the wheel in inches
Offset - google this. It is basically the # of millimeters the flat mounting surface of the center is offset from the center of the wheel.

Finally, I was unable to find any torque spec for what the sequence was suppose to be for tightening the lugs or how many ft-lbs of torque to apply on their site. Jim sent me the following spec. I have always been told to tighten lugs skipping every other lug type of pattern. I was surprised to see that is NOT what they say to do for 8 lug wheels. FYI > > >

EDIT: Ok, this site won't let me upload a pdf file larger than ~20k. The torque spec from HiSpec is 123K so I'm going to try and find some other way to post it. Not sure how I'll do this but fyi > > >

[bobbecky]

Sounds like you are good to go with your wheels, just have all metal high pressure stems installed with your new G rated tires and if you have 1/2 " lugs on your drums, the torque is 120 lb ft. The torque is dependent on the lug size, not the wheels. If you under torque, you have the possibility of the lug nuts coming loose, and if you over torque, you may cause broken lugs. If you don't have a Dexter manual or whatever brand axles you have, you need to download one and there will be a description of the pattern for torquing the lug nuts.

[Jager]

I had to try about 15 different things to try and find a way to meet the forums strict restrictions for posting (or attaching) images to find a way to post the torque specs I received from HiSpec. Hopefully you can see them.

I also think I already have the high pressure metal valve stems.

[gearhead]

Sounds like you are good to go with your wheels, just have all metal high pressure stems installed with your new G rated tires and if you have 1/2 " lugs on your drums, the torque is 120 lb ft. The torque is dependent on the lug size, not the wheels. If you under torque, you have the possibility of the lug nuts coming loose, and if you over torque, you may cause broken lugs. If you don't have a Dexter manual or whatever brand axles you have, you need to download one and there will be a description of the pattern for torquing the lug nuts.

100% correct. I would add that "best practice" is to torque incrementally. There is probably a spec written somewhere but not having it front of me, a starting point may be 60 ft. lb., then 100 ft. lb., then 115 ft. lb. Torque values are usually for dry threads or a very light application of machine oil. Not slathered with grease or Never Seize. When you finish, set your torque wrench to zero for storage.