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FEET OF' RUBBER'
Page 56
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As we all tyre. Competition to develop the safest, most economical and durable producs is fierce — Steve Banner rounds up the latest contenders. Tyres have to be selected carefully and treated well: your life depends on them. Get it wrong and your running costs will soar as tyre life shortens and fuel economy falls. Driver safety could be placed in jeopardy, too. Fortunately, the latest tyres offer much better performance than their predecessors. For example, Goodyear Dunlop's new RHS II steer-axle tyre,targeted at regional operators. promises up to 25% better mileage than the product it replaces. Reflecting the intense competition in this sector, Goodyear Dunlop also claims that the RHS 11 offers better than 13% less rolling resistance and 8% better wet braking than its key,but tactfully unnamed, competitor. It invites doubters to review figures taken from a comparative test of the two products carried out by independent testing facility RN Sud in Germany in October 2006. Enhancements for the RHS II have, in part. been achieved by extensive use of silica in the tread compound. as well as advanced polymers. As well as making the tread stiffer and more durable, they help cut rolling resistance and enhance wet weather grip and handling. The RHS II is soon to be joined by a new drive-axle tyre called the RHD II:drive and steering-axle tyres aimed at long-distance operators are in the pipeline. For now, however, the RHS II is being produced in 295/80,315/70. and 315/80 R22.5 sizes. Due to its technology and raw materials, the RHS H is 10% more expensive than the tyre it replaces, but this should be offset by the newcomer's higher mileage potential. Not that the original RHS has disappeared— it is now available in a new and unusual size, 225/70 R17.5, to suit steer axles on 7.5-tonners. It's suitable for standard rims, and increases front-axle capacity by 200kg, according to Jurgen Spielmann, tyre-technology director for Goodyear DunlopTyres Europe. "Many 7.5-tonner operators have had problems keeping the front-axle weight legal," he says. "This is particularly so with reefers where the fridge unit is mounted above the cab roof, and delivery vehicles that face diminishing load difficulties." He, adds that users of the new tyre should also benefit from its improved wear and handling.Tags