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Selecting the best wheel loader tire can have a dramatic impact on operating costs. “Two of the most common triggers for tire failure for wheel loaders result from mismanagement of tire maintenance, or choosing the wrong tire for the application,” says Robby Hamby, director, Bridgestone OTR and Ag Product Programs. It’s critical that the right tire type, rating and pattern are selected.
The size and capacity of the wheel loader affects the correct choice. “Choose a tire with the load capacity that meets or exceeds the gross vehicle weight of the loader,” adds Hamby.
“We can look at wheel loader size in three ways: the gross weight of the machine itself, the capacity of its bucket and the horsepower and torque the loader exert on the wheel,” says Bruce Besancon, vice president, Yokohama OTR Tires, Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America Inc. “As any of those three measures increases, demands on the tires grows significantly.
Yokohama
Tires are designed to work most efficiently at a specific pressure for the necessary load, providing the proper amount of vertical deflection. “Maintaining tire inflation pressure is one of the best ways to prevent unscheduled tire-related incidents and help ensure safety, uptime and jobsite efficiency,” says Robby Hamby, director, Bridgestone OTR and Ag Product Programs. “By taking a proactive approach to tire maintenance and management through the use of data-centric solutions, owners can improve productivity and, ultimately, profitability by getting the most out of their assets over time.”
“The correct pressure will allow the tire to carry the load it was designed for and the casing will deflect correctly,” says Tim Good, open pit sales manager, Maxam Tire. “Not having enough pressure can cause a tire to separate due to heat or over deflection which weakens the casing. On the flip side, too much inflation can increase the chances for a tire to get an imp
Mining tire market rebounding after tough year
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CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio The North American mining tire industry is rebounding after being impacted negatively by the pandemic last year as mines cut back on operations. Overall, the decline was not as steep as expected. However there were certainly regional and commodity-based differences. OE demand suffered more significantly than replacement demand as most end-customers were not ordering new machines, said Shawn Rasey, director of global business development for earthmover tires for Continental Commercial Specialty Tires. In the pre-pandemic months, (tire) sales were relatively brisk for most markets. From March through May, there were some wide variations, with most dealerships and end-users working off of their existing inventories as much as possible, thus ordering just what they needed at any particular time, he said.
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AKRON Of the three OTR tire markets, construction took the biggest hit during the pandemic last year, but the industry seems to be recovering this year. Overall, there was a decrease in construction-related activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected the OE and replacement tire market in 2020. However, all signs point to a better year in 2021, which is great news, said Paul Hawkins, senior vice president, aftermarket sales, North America, for Titan International Inc. The markets took a dip in 2020 mainly in Q2 and Q3 as COVID-related shutdowns and quarantines took place. There was increased activity moving into the second half of the year, and we see that trend continuing into 2021, added Bruce Besancon, vice president, OTR sales for Yokohama Tire Corp.