BKT Releases Giant Earthmax SR 468

BKT has released the 57-in. Earthmax SR 468, designed to fit rigid dump trucks.

So far, the prototype has been made in the 40.00 R 57 size and is ready to be tested in the coming months by BKT engineers, the company says.

BKT says the machinery to make this tire reached the Indian plant in Bhuj last January, just before the lockdown. Installation of the new machinery for the 57-in. tire was installed after the temporary shutdown thanks to the online help of the manufacturer and to the BKT engineers on site, the company adds.

Earthmax SR 468 joins the other products which make up the Earthmax family, a range of radial tires used on off-road vehicles and equipped with an all-steel structure which provides greater resistance to the casing and hence against damage, BKT says. The company says the Earthmax SR 468 has a tread design and the compound created to limit the heat generated, and the E-4 depth of the tread provides resistance in challenging conditions.

Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America has released a new design for irrigation tires with a Y-shaped center block for the Alliance 778 irrigation tire. The overlapping Y shapes in the centerline of the zero-degree lug pattern improve both traction and durability compared to traditional lug patterns, Yokohama Off-Highway said.

"You are guaranteed to be operating in wet conditions with an irrigation tire, so you absolutely need great traction," said James Crouch, Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America national segment manager—agriculture and forestry. "But you also want to minimize rutting and make sure every tire on every tower keeps itself clean, no matter which direction the tire is operating in. We completely redesigned the Alliance 778 irrigation tire to meet the very specific needs of farmers under irrigation."