Commercial Truck Tires – A Short Application Guide Vol. 1

Commercial truck tires come in various sizes and with different tread designs and constructions, which not only determine the tire’s vehicle application, but its axle position as well.

Let’s take a look at the tires’ different axle applications. Basically, commercial trucks have three axle options: the steer axle, the drive axle and the trailer axle. The tire’s tread design and construction determine its axle application.

Steer Axle or All Position Tires

Steer axle or all position tires are the most versatile of the commercial truck tires. Mainly they are manufactured to be mounted on the vehicle’s steer axle, but their construction and tread design allows their excellent performance on other axle positions as well.

Such tires ensure first-rate controllability. Their usually ribbed tread pattern closely follows the road surface and increases the steering responsiveness and the driving stability. This axle controls the entire vehicle’s handling, so tires mounted on it must be easy to maneuver in various conditions.

The ribbed pattern’s constant road contact also upgrades the tread life. This axle positions comes with accelerated tread wear, especially on the tire shoulders, which can shorten the tire’s usability. Steer axle tires combat irregular tread wear by allowing the ribbed tread design to evenly distribute the driving pressure along the entire tread area.

The better pressure distribution also manages to control the fuel economy. The even pressure circulation eases the driving forces off the tire and lowers its rolling resistance. This results in a fuel efficient and environmentally friendly performing capability.

Drive Axle Tires

Drive axle tires are meant to be mounted on the drive or torque axle located on the truck’s rear. The primary function of these tires is to provide the suitable traction needed in different weather. Compared to steer and trailer tires, these models are a more aggressive tread pattern, sometimes with an optimized siping pattern, that increases the grip on the road surface in dry, wet, and winter weather situations.

Apart from determining the truck’s traction, drive axle tires also help with the vehicle’s controllability. They closely follow the instructions of the steer axle and ensure that the trailer is under constant control. The better handling guarantees a safer performance throughout the year.

The tread design and the optimal construction also boost fuel efficiency. They help the steer axle tires to reduce the rolling resistance by enhancing the traction in all conditions. In this manner, the vehicle’s fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are decreased, which guarantees a fuel conscious and environmentally friendly performance.

Trailer Axle Tires

Trailer tires are the ones that do the heavy lifting. Not literally, but they do carry heavy loads, for long periods of time in some cases. It is important to select the trailer tires suitable for your vehicle for them to withstand such load pressures.

These tires are manufactured with a stiffer construction. The stronger structure is capable of withstanding heavy braking, enlarged loads, and the scuffing of the tread during the tire’s performance. The reinforced construction keeps the optimal tire shape under the load and driving pressure affecting the model, without allowing the model’s deformation, which boosts the load carrying and handling capability.

This internal structure can be either bias or radial. Radial tire feature a directional cord in the construction that enables the sidewall’s optimal flexibility. The better sidewall flex enhances the load controllability and it allows the tire to run cooler during its performance. This actively resists heat build-up along the tread area, which extends the tire’s usability by avoiding premature tread wear.

Bias tire, on the other hand, is constructed with cords placed at a 32-degree angle. This structure ensures a stiffer sidewall. As a result, bias tires are capable of handling heavier loads with better efficiency, but they increase the heat build-up during their performance. This is even more true under heavy load pressure.