5 Tips for Selecting the Right Tire for the Jobsite

Any construction professional knows that all jobsites aren’t created equal. Tire companies know it, too, which is why we’re increasingly designing tires for optimal performance in specific kinds of environments. Taking advantage of engineering tires can help you get better performance out of your equipment and enhance the profitability of your business.
Tires for skid steers, loaders, backhoes, earthmovers, and other construction equipment take a lot of abuse—from the sharp-edged assault of broken concrete to the relentless buildup of heat from running on pavement. Learning some of the key elements that impact tire design and construction could help you zero in on the best-performing tires for the conditions in which your equipment is working.

1. RUBBER COMPOUND
   Don’t let the word “rubber” fool you—rubber is just one of dozens of ingredients in tires, which is why the industry term is “compound.” Tiny adjustments in the formula for a tire compound can make a huge difference in the durability, flexibility, cut resistance, and highway performance of a tire. Also, tires are typically made using specialized compounds for treads, sidewalls, and other tire structures.
   The difficult truth about compounds is that there’s no free lunch—it’s all about tradeoffs. Compounds that are good at absorbing energy to maximize cut/chip resistance are invariably prone to wear on abrasive surfaces, and will generate a lot of heat if they are driven fast or carry heavy loads. On the flip side, tires designed for road travel are prone to cutting and chipping on rock or broken pavement.
   Most skid steer tires and E-3/L-3 loader tires are built with middle-of-the-road compounds—moderately good abrasion resistance and some cut and chip resistance—and work well in a variety of conditions. However, for a machine you know will be operating in sharp gravel or on broken asphalt or concrete, a cut/chip compound is probably going to be a good investment.
   Tread compound and tread design work hand-in-hand when it comes to performance. Even the best compound for a particular surface will fail if the tread pattern is poorly suited for that environment.
2. TREAD DESIGN
   It wasn’t that long ago that every loader tire looked pretty much the same, and every skid steer tire had largely the same tread pattern, too. But tire manufacturers have come to recognize the importance of providing purpose-built tread designs that perform better in certain conditions. It’s worth looking to find the tread design optimized for the kind of work you do most.
   The classic bar tread skid steer tire is a reliable choice, but there are plenty of details that can differentiate one from another. For instance, look between the lugs for terraces following the contours of the tread, or narrow bands connecting the treads. Those are “mud breakers.” They’re designed to flex and bend as the tire moves. That motion helps break up caked dirt, and can make a big difference in how well a tire can self-clean in muddy conditions.
   The classic construction tire is the familiar R-4 design, with a bar tread that provides great traction and self-cleaning, as well as decent road performance.
   Even that tried-and-true design, however, has been improved for tires bound for a lot of road time. For instance, on the Galaxy Marathoner, our designers created a sweeping, curved lug at a shallower 20-degree angle, and more overlap along the midline for smoother roadability and longer wear on pavement.
   On equipment operating primarily on asphalt or concrete, though, the R-4 or L-2 tread bars are likely to wear too quickly, even if they’re constructed with abrasion-resistant compound. In response to customer feedback, we developed block tread tires, which are categorized as L-4 and L-5 tires. Those massive blocks put significantly more rubber on the pavement, resisting wear and improving operator comfort. The deep tread blocks are also extremely puncture resistant, which makes them ideal for severe service jobsites like scrap yards and quarries. One caution: deep voids between the blocks and relatively little movement of the tread means L-4 and L-5 tires aren’t very effective at self-cleaning, so they can act like racing slicks in muddy conditions.
3. RADIAL VS. BIAS CONSTRUCTION
   Radial tires dominate the car and truck markets, and have taken over much of the agriculture business. But building a tire with fabric plies that run perpendicular to the tread, then wrapping the plies in steel or nylon belts around the circumference of the tire, is still relatively new to construction.
   For equipment where there’s a need for speed—such as earthmovers that have to cycle from loading areas to a dump site that might be a couple of miles away, or backhoes that are driven from one site to the next—radial tires can be a good investment. They are capable of higher speeds, deliver better drive comfort, and last as much as twice as long as bias tires.
   However, in skid steer tires, bias construction still rules. The straighter sidewalls of bias tires tend to be more resistant to side-impact damage than the bulging sidewalls of radial tires.
4. LOAD RATING
   Check your manufacturer’s spec sheets or ask your tire dealer for details on your tire’s load rating. Make sure the tire is capable of handling the weight of your machine, plus a loaded bucket.
   Of course, the weight of a load can vary significantly. For instance, a cubic yard of dry soil weighs about a ton; dry, loose sand weighs 1.3 tons and a yard of concrete weighs about 2 tons. If you’re dealing with particularly heavy material, carefully consider the weight of a full bucket when you think about what the tire needs to carry.
5. ASK YOUR TIRE DEALER
   Your tire dealer is an expert in a complicated industry. Use that knowledge for your benefit! Be sure to ask for advice on the best tire for your machinery and jobsite—and if you make a change to a new type of tire, ask your operators how they’re working out. A little extra thought about your tires could make a big difference at the jobsite … and at the bank. ■

About The Author
Steve Vandegrift is product manager for Alliance Tire Americas, part of the Alliance Tire Group that manufactures Galaxy, Alliance, and Primex tires. He’s worked at every level of the tire business, from warehouse delivery driver to warehouse manager, customer rep, salesman, and marketing executive, building great real-world insight on tires every step of the way.