Get a Grip: The latest and greatest tires for heavy equipment (and 1 model for your pickup)

Updated Dec 9, 2015

MaintenanceLeadIn the heavy construction and trucking industry tires have too often been viewed by contractors and fleet managers as a commodity, an afterthought, the cost of doing business, like diesel fuel.

But the pros in these fields know that every dime counts and, more importantly, that tires are a major operating expense. You spend more on tires than anything except fuel and wages.

What’s more, having the right tires for your applications improves safety, performance and fuel economy. Nobody puts cheap tires on a Ferrari. Why would you put them on a machine that cost you a quarter million dollars and with which you intend to move tens of million dollars in material?

Tire manufacturers have continued to come up with new designs and rubber compounds over the last few years that improve performance. Another trend is developing specialty tires that solve specific problems in niche applications. Whether you need tires to help your 4WD truck plow through the mud or a giant tire for a mining truck, here’s a look at the latest and greatest in today’s tires and tire technology.

BridgestoneGet your plows ready and keep them steady with radial tires

Winter is coming and Bridgestone’s V-Steel Snow Wedge All-Season (VSWAS) radial tire is designed specifically for motor graders as a year-round tire that also provides traction in snow removal, minimizing the need for chains. The casing for the VSWAS provides good retreadability, and cut-resistant rubber compounds extend service life.

Deep siping on the tread pattern minimizes the need for chains in winter and also works in soft sandy soil or gravel. Tie bars within the sipes control the movement of the tread blocks resulting in more even wear. Wide grooves and angled lugs reduce stone retention and the throwing of damaging stones. Grooves in the lug walls enhance traction in the snow by shearing multiple layers of snow below the top layer. The VSWAS is available in 17.5R25 size.

 

 

GoodyearSteer tire helps save fuel

Goodyear recently introduced the Goodyear Fuel Max LHS, a fuel-efficient steer tire that complements the Goodyear Fuel Max LHD G505D drive tire that was introduced last year.  According to the company, the combination of the two tires can save up to $1,300 worth of fuel per truck per year compared to competitive brands.

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The steel-belted Fuel Max LHS offers multi-layered tread compounding to promote even wear over long-haul applications. Penetration resistance helps prevent small stones from drilling down into the tire casing and improves the likelihood of being able to retread the tire.

 

 

MaintBKTTelehandler tire stays steady on the ground

Tires are a huge part of the safety factor when operating telehandlers at the extended range of their capacity.  Even the smallest wiggle in the tire can translate into large movements at the end of the boom, making material placement difficult or hampering the ability of workers to do their job up high.

The BKT Lift Star is a 16 PR tubeless bias tire in the 400/75-28 size built application specific for telehandlers. The Lift Star improves stability by fitting on a bigger rim and having a shorter, stiffer sidewall. The tire’s larger footprint improves flotation and reduces ground compaction. The tread is designed from long life at high travel speeds and on paved surfaces.

 

 

MaintCooperFend off damage with ruggedized tread and sidewalls

Cuts and gashes are a big issue for trucks going off road, whether in a construction environment or the great outdoors. Cooper Tire has beefed up the sidewalls and tread on its Discoverer STT Pro line of tires with a product it calls Armor-Tec. The tires also feature mud release dimples and scoops that prevent build up and improve traction in sloppy conditions.

The Discoverer STT Pro tires feature a new silica-infused tread compound that improves wet traction in daily traffic, lowers rolling resistance and ups your fuel efficiency. Stone repelling draft angles on the tread’s groove extrude small rocks before then can migrate inward and damage the tire casing.

 

 

MaintTitanGrader tire grabs the edges

To keep the blade engaged and on target, motor graders need excellent traction and stability regardless of rocks, sand, mud or water. The tread on Titan International’s new TGS2 line of radial all-season tires for motor graders has an open shoulder design with full tread depth across the surface to provide good traction in snow, ice and mud.

Siping on the lugs give edges some bite, allowing the tire to hang tough where others might slip in challenging conditions. Additionally, a low sidewall option improves ride quality and helps reduce bounce. The TGS2 is available in standard 14.00R24, 17.5R25, 20.5R25 sizes. The low sidewall version comes in LSW 17.5R31.5 and LSW 20.5R31.5.