Two new tyre patterns for light trucks have been announced by Continental Truck Tyres. Designed to fit 17.5 inch rims, the new LSR1 (Light truck, Steer axle tyre, for Regional traffic) and LDR1 (the equivalent Drive axle tyre) sizes are 205/75, 215/75, 225/75 and 235/75, plus the special-purpose size 265/70. The 245/70 will be available in both new patterns later this year. Both LSR1 and LDR1 benefit from a rugged construction, supported through the use of improved rubber compounds, in which the carbon black molecules have been more evenly distributed to make a stronger tyre.

The LSR1 steer tyre has an extra-wide tread area for maximum service life, while careful attention to the design of the groove geometry helps to eject stones to protect the tyre casing for retreading. The tread design and geometry combine to give responsive handling. The extra-wide, deep tread and closed shoulder of the LDR1 drive tyre gives extremely high mileage performance, and its numerous lateral edges maintain high traction for safe road holding, even in wintry conditions. In addition, increased lug density in the centre of the tread pattern and wider spacing in the shoulder section ensure an even wear pattern.

The new tyre size 265/70 permits axle loads to be increased by 370kg on some vehicles which have been fitted with 245/70R17.5 tyres as standard, and is also ideally suited to the new truck class weighing up to 11.99 tonnes, which is exempt from the truck toll charges that are a growing trend on Europe's motorways.

"We've developed the new tyres in response to growth in the light truck market," said Arthur Gregg, Continental Truck Tyres' business director in the UK. "These vehicles can carry a high payload into narrow streets and congested city centres, so they're becoming increasingly popular with hauliers. Now there's more choice in the LSR1 and LDR1 range, even more users can benefit from surefooted performance under a variety of road conditions, and from the fuel economy and long service life that contribute to bottom line savings."