New Bandag steer tire takes turn toward truck show debut

Bridgestone’s Bandag Tire Solutions is introducing its R287A steer tire at the March 25-27 Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky.

The new radial has already been approved for use on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) SmartWay-certified semi-tractors, and is California Air Resources Board (CARB) compliant as well.

“The R287A is a refinement of a successful product – the R287 steer,” says product manager Chris Hoffman.

“The new tire offers superior ‘worn appearance’ and longer tread life,” he notes. “Engineers altered the Side Groove structure of the new R287A for enhanced appearance as the tires wear.”

This refined structure acts similar to a “shock absorber,” helping to prevent shoulder edge wear from spreading to the ribs, according to Hoffman. The inside of the groove is engineered to prevent stress cracking. An Equalizer Rib promotes uniform wear and higher removal mileage by fighting initiation and the spread of rib edge wear.

The tire also uses an enhanced cap/base compound and design for improved mileage, he says. “The top, or cap compound is formulated to wear slowly, fight irregular wear and run cooler for superior tread life. The base compound shields the casing from damaging tread heat for enhanced retreadability. A shallow 16/32-inch tread depth for less tread squirm also promotes longer mileage.”

The casing incorporates four full steel belts and an all-steel casing ply, and is designed to minimize heat buildup, Hoffman adds.

For more information, visit www.bridgestone-firestone.com.