Yokohama Tire Corp. plans to launch its latest medium truck radial at the upcoming Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville.
The newest tire, the Zenvironment 101ZL, is a premium long-haul steer tire, that, according to John Cooney, Yokohama director of commercial sales, “runs longer, and is more trouble-free and fuel efficient than anything we’ve ever brought to the market.”
Yokohama claims the tire “provides at least a 10% increase in overall tread life and significant resistance to irregular wear.”
The EPA SmartWay certified tire will be available in October 2010 in sizes 295/75R22.5, 11R22.5, 11R24.5 and 285/75R24.5.
The new 101ZL features Yokohama’s Zenvironment construction, which it claims “controls casing growth and greatly reduces strain energy in the shoulder and bead areas for low rolling resistance and better fuel efficiency.” It also features pressure equalizer sipes for optimized rib contact pressure to resist uneven wear and for wet weather braking and handling.
“Stress equalizer ribs,” Yokohama said, “increase road contact at the shoulder’s edge, which is ideal for withstanding step-down wear,” while special grooves help tread tear resistance.