3.2 Tyre Types

There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of heavy vehicle tyres that are available in the
market. How can you determine which one is correct for you? The two most important
considerations are:

• regulatory (i.e. the legal requirements that govern which tyres can be fitted), and
• application (i.e. the specific characteristics of your operation that make it unique,
  including axle position, load, speed, and surface type).

All heavy vehicle tyres sold and fitted in Australia must conform to the applicable Australian
Design Rules (ADRs), which include ADR 96/00 (Commercial Vehicle Tyres) and ADR 95/00
(Installation of Tyres).

Past that, every heavy vehicle has a tyre placard fitted in a prominent position on the exterior of
the cabin, which dictates the size of the tyres that must be fitted to each position on the vehicle
(e.g. steer axle, drive axle).

The tyres fitted by the manufacturer as original equipment were selected taking into account all
aspects of the vehicle’s operation at time of purchase. Replacement tyres must be of the same
size designation, but can differ according to the requirements of the application. So let’s have a
look at tyre sizes and applications.