Sumitomo Dunlop has launched a new drive truck tire into the South African market, which the company says has been locally developed, produced and tested.
“The SP835A is a big deal for both the company and the trucking industry,” remarked Riaz Haffejee, CEO of Sumitomo Rubber South Africa, manufacturer of Dunlop tires. “The launch of the SP835A sees the beginning of a new era where we are now able to supply a full set of locally produced tires for the entire truck, in all positions – from Steer, to Drive and Trailer.”
According to the company, the tire was developed with improved cost per kilometer (CPK), and high mileage in long-haul highway applications in mind. Additionally, it notes the tire has been manufactured using a cut-resistant compound and has a heel and toe resistant pattern.
Better heat dissipation is claimed through the use of a base tread material in the construction, which enhances retreadability, while the design of the lug groove is aimed at minimizing retention of stones and keeping block stiffness.
Sumitomo claims that during in-house field application tests, the tire showed an improvement of up to 18% in mileage compared with commonly available drive tires.
