What's Driving Your Drive Tire Decisions?

There’s no question about the general purpose of drive tires – they’re engineered specifically for the drive axle position to transform torque into traction.

In addition to dependable traction and stability, there are certainly other desirable attributes for drive tires – long tread wear, a retreadable casing, fuel efficiency, resistance to cuts and abrasions . . . to name a few.

Leading tire manufacturers like Double Coin have done a tremendous job of developing drive tires that address specific applications. It is important for fleet managers and owner operators to do their homework to ascertain the correct type of drive tire for your applications. Talk to a knowledgeable tire dealer. Research the various manufacturer offerings.

Here are some key deciding factors:

• Do your vehicles operate strictly on the road or is there some off-road work involved?
• Are your routes long haul, regional or a combination of both?
• What are you hauling?
• Are you looking for high mileage, fuel efficiency, or a good compromise?
• How many miles are you averaging per month?

For example, the Double Coin RLB400 is an extremely popular closed shoulder drive tire for line haul operations. It delivers very long mileage; check out these comments from Florida owner operator Carl Andrioff (pictured to the right) who hauls cars . . . or these comments about the RLB400 from dealers and retreaders.

The extra deep 30/32” tread of the RLB400 contributes to its great traction and long wear. Traditionally, an ultra deep lug can cause a tire to operate at higher temperatures (not a good thing!), but Double Coin engineers have utilized a base compound between the belt package and the tread rubber to dissipate heat as the tire is in operation.

There can be a compromise on fuel economy in regards to deep tread depth. The RLB400 delivers very competitive fuel efficiency for a deep tread drive tire, but for fleets whose number one priority is fuel economy, there is the SmartWay® verified Double Coin FD405.

Again, it is critical for the end user and tire dealer/tire manufacturer to work closely together to match the right drive tire to the application.

Here are a couple more examples from well-respected Alabama tire dealer Ed
Westmoreland (pictured to the right). He says the Double Coin RR150  tire is hard to beat for spread axle applications.

According to Ed, the front axle in the spread configuration often slides on operation, which can quickly tear up a tire tread. "The Double Coin RR150 (pictured to the left) is extremely durable on the spread axle," he notes. "The Bridestone R196 is a good tire but it does not last as long as the RR150 and it costs about 75 percent more."

For his logging truck customers, Ed says the Double Coin RLB1 open shoulder drive tire “does a good job of clearing out the mud and delivering traction off the road.” Click here to read all of Ed's comments.

Typically, the more severe applications, such as waste haul and logging, need to replace drive tires more frequently and measure tire life in time such as months; while drive tires for regional and long haul applications measure tires in terms of miles.

A good tire dealer, like Ed at Westmoreland Tire, has the experience and resources (i.e., good tire manufacturer relationships) to provide you the right drive tire for your application.

We have a great network of tire dealers across the country. Use the "Find a Dealer" button in the top right corner of our website to find a Double Coin dealer near you.