Friday 13 May 2016

How to Choose the Right Type of Loader Tires for Your Truck

Investing in the right tires can make a huge difference in the operation of heavy equipment, such as loader tires. The right tires provide the maximum traction and wear, while the wrong tires wear out prematurely, without providing proper service. Choosing the right type loader tires is important for your truck.

While choosing the tires it is not the type of equipment, but how the equipment is used which plays a major role while selecting the right type of loader tires for your truck. Choosing the right tire for front loaders depends on what type of surface on which you use the equipment. Mud and sand pose great obstacles, as the traction on these surfaces is not as good as on other surfaces. Proper tire selection maximizes traction for the required surface.

Many people struggle with finding the right tires for their trucks as they are not able to understand the various tire types and consequently not able to decide what type of loader tires works best for them. It is important to first determine the type of tire that needs to be purchased. Here are a few criteria to consider while choosing the best loader tires for your truck.

Choosing the Tread Pattern

The single most important factor in selecting heavy equipment tires is the tread pattern. The tread patterns need to match the terrain on which that the loader tire is used. There are two basic types of terrain, hard and soft. Hard terrain consists of asphalt, concrete, and rock whereas soft terrain consists of mud, snow, and sand. The key thing to look for when choosing a tread pattern is the lug-to-void ratio. A high lug-to-void ratio is better for hard surfaces, while a low lug-to-void ratio is better for soft surfaces. Such tires provide the much needed high rubber contact for use on hard surfaces, while providing a broad, wide tread for great traction at the same time.

Choosing Between Radial and Bias

Radial and bias are two basic types of tire casing constructions. Many contractors use bias tires as they are more cost effective. Bias tires have the cords laid from bead to bead at an angle of about forty-five degrees. Adjacent layers can, however, be placed at the opposite angle which creates a strong tire having a robust sidewall. Radial tires are manufactured with the body cords running parallel to each other and perpendicular to the bead. Radial tires have largely replaced bias tires for many applications as radial tires can increase traction, fuel efficiency, and tire slippage performance by 6-14% over bias tires.

Tire Sizes

While choosing the right type of loader tires, the size of the tires also needs to be taken into consideration. The size of the tire affects the amount of pull the vehicle has as well as the overall speed.

Tires must always be matched in size. All four tires should be of the same size. Using different sizes of tires cause premature wear and tear and make the suspension system wear off in an uneven fashion.