Goodyear Commercial Tire
After more than five years of development, Goodyear has introduced a brand new steer tire for long-haul trucking applications that promises better uniform wear and retreadability than any steer tire before it, the company says.

Considering a large percentage of steer tires come off due to irregular wear long before the tire is worn down, Goodyear’s new Unisteel G395 LHS focuses on uniformity, and in turn, superior wear and lower cost per mile for carriers and owner-operators.

The new design is a result of specialized proprietary software that was developed jointly with the federally-funded Sandia National Laboratories, in Albuquerque, N.M. Being a U.S.-based company, Goodyear qualified to partner with the government-affiliated lab for the initial research, technological development, and testing — including Frictional Energy Analysis, which used a high-speed video camera to monitor a tire rolling over a glass plate to analyze tread slip in the footprint. The software allowed Goodyear to get very early readings on treadwear performance and enabled the company to fine-tune the tire before any large-scale on-road field testing with U.S. and Canadian fleets.

Goodyear believes that the new technology allowed the company to equally address all the critical components of a steer tire — tread design, casing integrity, compounding and manufacturing. The last of which utilizes the IMPACT system — a brand new patented manufacturing technology that integrates component formation and assembly, automated tire assembly and curing within a cellular system. IMPACT cuts down the traditional assembling method by using a unique “calendering” system that pre-assembles, produces and forms 12 of a truck tire’s 23 components, such as plies, belts, sidewalls, barrier, beads, apex, and other tire parts, in a continuous manufacturing system. The system makes it easier to adhere them to other components and adds precision to setting, spotting, splices and symmetry, says Tim Richards, Goodyear’s leader of the advanced engineering team.

The tire’s highlights make it ideal for a wide-variety of rugged North American operating environments, and its “wet/slush” lateral traction feature was designed specifically with the snow and ice-covered regions of the northern U.S. and Canada in mind, says Joe Zekoski, director of commercial tire technology. The original tread, with an 18/32-inch depth and axle-specific compound, is designed with 5 straight ribs, lateral slots and sipes. As the tread wears down, angled grooves are exposed across the barrel-shaped footprint, which distributes pressure evenly, enhancing traction and handling, Goodyear says. The pressure distribution groove features a larger radius and shorter rib than most steer tires, which helps prevent pressure build-up on the outside rib, and results in less shoulder wear and the potential for tearing. “Especially when cornering, the reduced pressure improves shoulder wear and helps eliminate the risk of irregular wear and cupping,” Zekoski says. For even more traction, all five ribs feature edge blades – crucial for treadwear performance and a lower cost per mile when operating in sleet and snow.

Other features enhanced through the IMPACT manufacturing system include: Goodyear’s ECD, (Enhanced Casing Design). A puncture-resistant, 4-belt package that features high-tensile steel on the three lower belts. This adds durability and reduces slip in the footprint. The top belt is made with polyamide — protecting the steel belt package from moisture, and preventing rust and increasing casing life. Goodyear says the ECD allows the G395 to run at a lower temperature, while reducing the risk of cracking and tearing.

The G395 will be approximately about 10% more than the G397 model it eventually replaces. The tire has a 18/32 tread depth and currently comes in sizes of 11R22.5 G, 11R22.5 H, 11R24.5 G, and 11R24.5 H, with weight for those sizes ranging from 118.6 pounds to 135 pounds. 295/75R22.5 G and H, and 295/75R24.5 G sizes will be available later on this year.

In addition to what Goodyear says is the industry’s longest casing limited warranty — seven years/700,000 miles, regardless of where the tire is retreaded — the company also backs up its confidence in the tire with a pledge to retread the casing if the tire fails to exceed the verified miles to removal of a customer’s current steer tire. “The steer position is the most critical on the vehicle … we’re more than confident in its ability to perform, and it’s why we’re offering a no-risk opportunity for our customers,” says Ted Fick, vice-president of the commercial tire division.

Goodyear will also release on/off highway and severe service steer tires, utilizing the new design and IMPACT technology, later this year or in early 2004. Although the Danville, Va. Plant is the only such Goodyear facility to utilize IMPACT technology, Goodyear says it plans to expand the manufacturing system to other facilities, including the automotive sector in the near future.