New Firestone tires for pickup trucks and minivans are presented

The Bridgestone company has introduced two new tires to the American market: the Firestone Transforce HT2 for pickups and the Firestone Transforce CV2 for vans used for last-mile delivery. Both new products are designed primarily for operation on paved roads and combine "efficiency in rainy weather, smooth ride, and exceptional wear resistance."

According to Jeremy Norwood, chief engineer of the passenger and light truck tire development department for the aftermarket at Bridgestone's American division, the goal in creating the new Firestone tires was "to introduce two reliable highway tires for commercial vehicles that can withstand intense loads during fleet operation and at the same time have low noise and high mileage."

The new tires have the same tread pattern and construction, but differ in the design of the sidewalls and the composition of the rubber compounds used, which are optimized according to their areas of application. Thus, the HT3 has blocks on the sidewalls that make their external appearance more aggressive, while the CV2 has protective ribs on the walls that increase their strength and improve resistance to tears and other damage.

The tread pattern of the new tires with closing 3D lamellas is optimized for a uniform distribution of stiffness, thanks to which the wear is also more even, including when transporting heavy loads. In addition, the open shoulder areas accelerate the removal of water from the contact patch, increasing safety on wet roads, and the rubber compounds were developed to increase wear resistance. The new products are also made using the Enliten technology, which reduces rolling resistance due to the reduced weight of the tires.

Transforce HT3, replacing the Transforce HT2 model, is available in LT sizes with a rim diameter from 16 to 20 inches, and Transforce CV2, which replaced the Transforce CV tires, is offered in sizes 195/75 R16C and 235/65 R16C.