Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/24224
A tire that runs even 20 percent of the time off road needs a different tread design and compounding or it will suffer an early demise. If running off road most of the time, a model with more rugged specs is needed. perfect the business and save money. BY JOHN BAXTER J increasingly specialized, learn to pick the designs that fi t your With products becoming ust as a truck with improperly geared rears will incur extra costs for its owner, so, too, will a truck with the wrong tires. There are many more factors than size that account for having the right tire for a specific truck in a specific application. The variables to consider when spec’ing tires are many. Among them are the size and number of plies and related weight rating, the tread design, tread depth, tread compound and wheel position (steer, drive, trailer). Smart spec’ing can save costs in two ways: lowering fuel cost per mile and lowering tire cost per mile. Attributes that lower one cost can have the opposite effect on the other cost, so spec’ing needs to be done carefully. 30 OVERDRIVE FEBRUARY 2011 That’s easier said than done in an era when specialization abounds. “There are more choices and more opportunities to optimize performance,” says Guy Walenga, director of commercial products engineering and technology at Bridgestone/Firestone. “In such an environment, it’s all-important for owner-operators to rely on the expertise of a good dealer salesperson to help them find just the right tire.” The industry is moving more toward “developing products that are ultra-specialized to precisely meet specific service options,” says Giti Tire Technical Service Director William Estupinan. “There are versatile tires, however, that can offer a fair balance between two operating conditions if the conditions are close to each other on the spectrum, medium haul and regional, for instance.” tires Spec