Dunlop truck tires expand to mixed service

AKRON, Ohio, — The resurgence of the Dunlop brand in North America is spreading from the family car to commercial trucks, says parent company Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.

The company will roll out Dunlop tires to fill out its commercial tire line, including sizes in mixed-service to go along with its full line of Dunlop line-haul, regional and urban tires.

Mixed-service tires, which can be used on- and off-road, feature severe-service tread compounds and improved belt packages for improved resistance to cutting, chipping and tearing when the tire leaves the roadway, the company states in a release. The tires’ open lug design provides countless tread edges for grip, and yet, tire technology is used to deliver ride comfort and quietness on pavement, officials said.

“Expanded Dunlop offerings give our dealers a full tier 2 commercial tire lineup,” said Donn Kramer, director of commercial tire marketing in North America. “These tires provide Dunlop dealers with additional weapons in their mid-price tire arsenal.”

Two new mixed-service commercial tires — the Dunlop SP831 and SP931 – and two new sizes for the SP581 mixed-service tire line come on top of one of the most comprehensive series of consumer tire launches in the company’s history.

Kramer says Dunlop’s brand — already popular in Europe — is gaining momentum in North America too.

Last year, the company added commercial tire capacity at its plant in Buffalo, N.Y., to enable the Dunlop expansion.