Continental Tire North America Inc. says it released for sales on Wednesday, July 1, the latest improvement to its lineup of heavy-truck steer tires, the HSU2 (Heavy Steer Urban), which replaces the HSU model and is produced in Continental’s plant in Mt. Vernon, Ill.
The Fort Mill, S.C.-based company says its redesigned tire offers increased tread life through its wider 26/32-inch deep rib design, now with 17 percent more wear volume than the HSU, which provides high removal miles. According to Continental, the tread of the HSU2 is formulated with a cut- and tear-resistant tread compound to provide added wear in both high-scrub and on-/off-road applications, making the tire suitable for waste haulers, construction and other on-/off-highway service.
Also crucial to these applications, according to Continental, is its proprietary stone ejection system that helps reduce casing penetrations and stone retention. The system is designed to actively eject rocks and debris from the tire’s grooves to help prevent stone trapping and drilling, and to help protect against the cracking and tearing associated with stone retention.
Carrying over from the original HSU is a sidewall curb rib designed to help fight damage from curbing, cuts and abrasions. The HSU2’s enhanced bead design enables 10,000-pound load-carrying capacity at 65 mph, the company says.
Also included is Continental’s proprietary VAI (Visual Alignment Indicator) system, a series of sipes at graduated tread depths, equally spaced around the inside and outside shoulder ribs. The sipes are designed to allow for easy detection of wear differences between the shoulder ribs, signaling a potential sign of vehicle front-end alignment problems.
The new HSU2 can be ordered now through Continental truck tire dealers and is available in the 315/80R22.5 size. For more information, go to www.continental-truck.com.
