DES MOINES, Iowa (March 14, 2008) — Firestone Agricultural Tire Co., a division of Bridgestone/Firestone (BFS), will launch later this year two radial drive tires that use new “Increased Flexion (IF)” design principles to deliver a 20-percent increase in load capacity.
The new tires—Radial All Traction DT IF710/70R42 (load index) 179B and Radial All Traction DT IF710/70R38 (Load Index) 178B—are designed for the new generation of higher horsepower, four-wheel-drive tractors that require more ballast to transfer that increased power into work, according to Firestone Agricultural Tire Marketing Manager Tom Rodgers.
Tires designed using the IF standard will “generate performance improvements on a scale with those produced by the switch from bias to radial technology a generation ago,” the company said.
The IF standard was approved two years ago by the European Tyre and Rim Technical Organisation and has received experimental approval from the Tire & Rim Association (TRA) Inc. in North America.
The new tires will have applications in both agricultural and construction, the company said, noting end users will be able to use the additional load-carrying capacity either by carrying more load at the same inflation pressure or the same load at lower pressure.
The TRA is the technical standardizing body of the tire, rim, valve and allied part manufacturers for the U.S.