Posted by Brooke Just
Titan International, Inc. — manufacturer of Titan Wheels and Titan Tires — has introduced the new Titan HK 458, a crossover wheel loader tire suited for extreme loader applications that require aggressive traction and excellent self-cleaning. The E-4/L-4 dual-rated bias tire combines the tread design of a forestry tire, a wheel loader tire and an ATV tire all-in-one — making it well-suited for both muddy, challenging construction sites and agriculture applications.
“In listening to customer feedback, we recognized there was an opportunity in this market niche for an improved crossover tire that would meet their floatation needs without the hassle of changing out the wheel,” said Matt Miller, tire technology manager, at Titan. “For the HK 458, we gleaned designed elements from our tried-and-true forestry and construction bias tires while incorporating our latest design and manufacturing technology. We also developed a bead design that improves the resistance indexing in high torque applications but still fits the standard OTR wheel.”
The open forestry tread pattern molded with Titan’s forestry compound decreases wear rates and is complemented with multiple layers of high-elongation steel-belts underneath it providing puncture resistance.
“When you look at most traditional loader tires, they’re simply not meant to run in messy and mud-caked agriculture applications like feedlots,” said Scott Sloan, ag product manager at Titan. “A traditional loader will easily get mud trapped in the small voids between the lugs and instantly lose traction. With the HK 458, you get aggressive traction and excellent self-cleaning to maintain that traction all day long.”
Sizes and availability
The HK 458 is initially available in two sizes, 20.5-25 and 23.5-25. This hybrid tire is suited to fit a range of mid-sized wheel loaders from every OEM.
To support product availability, Titan is using its latest automated building technology to stay ahead of demand while keeping quality at the forefront.
For more information on the new HK 458, visit titan-intl.com.
