Building Tires to Meet the Demands of Multiple Applications

Dual-marked E4/L4 tires provide a host of advantages to mining and quarry operations and tire dealers. They allow them to stock one product to fulfill multiple applications, consolidating inventory cost and space. Building a high-quality dual-marked E4/L4 tire is not without its challenges—the tire must meet the requirements placed on it by both equipment like loaders and wheeled dozers, as well as articulated and rigid dump trucks.

Tires like the dual-marked E4/L4 Galaxy HTSR400 radial meet these demands through a three-legged stool of tire making: intelligent design, robust construction, and advanced compounding.

What is an E4/L4 Tire?

The Tire and Rim Association (TRA) has standardized a set of classifications for OTR tires to help ensure equipment is outfitted with the proper tire. TRA codes aren’t a marketing designation, rather they reflect important factors, including design, engineering, and manufacturing specifications unique to the demands placed on tires by different machines and applications.

An “E” marked tire is intended for use on earthmovers such as dump trucks, coal haulers, and scrapers, while tires marked “L” are constructed for use on wheel loaders and wheeled dozers. The number following the letter in a TRA code indicates the depth of a tire and the type of tread pattern it features. A tire marked “4” features a deep rock tread that’s 1.5x dee…