4WDrive Magazine
Tire tread compounds are composed of a reinforcing filler, which is usually carbon black, to extend the wear life of the tire. However, thanks to tire technological advances over the past decades, this carbon black can sometimes be replaced by silica in some applications. The benefit of silica-containing filler in general, is less rolling resistance and more grip than traditional carbon black only fillers, which translates to benefits of better fuel economy and higher levels of safety respectively.
Changing the tire from an Original Equipment tire or standard aftermarket highway all-season tire to a heavier-duty aftermarket All-Terrain tire might negatively impact the fuel economy of the vehicle, especially on SUV’s, mid-size pickup trucks, and 1/2T pickup trucks in which fuel economy is increasingly becoming more of a focus with governmental CAFÉ requirements. These vehicles are more sensitive to changes in fuel economy as a result of non-OE tires, which is why Falken utilizes a silica compound in the non-LT sizes to minimize this impact on fuel economy while maintaining the highest level of safety and wet grip possible.
On the other hand, Falken does not use Silica on the LT tire sizes which are intended for ¾-ton and 1-ton pickup truck applications and/or off-road applications in which the vehicles are less sensitive from a fuel economy point of view, and durability and tire tread life are often more of a concern. The non-LT compounds are specifically formulated to maximize grip and wear life, as well as winter performance, all three performances with prioritization over rolling resistance.
Furthermore, because these off-road, ¾-ton and 1-ton vehicles are relatively heavy, the normal force in the tire contact patch is higher, requiring a lower coefficient of friction to maintain the same level of friction with the road (and thus grip) as the non-LT tires. In essence, both the Falken non-LT tires and LT tires perform at very high levels of wet, wear, and winter performances when fitted to the intended vehicle applications.
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