Differences Between Heavy-Duty and Light-Duty Truck Tires

Although heavy truck tires and light truck tires both fall under the category of commercial vehicle tires, they differ significantly in design, performance, and structure due to the large differences in load capacity, usage, and driving conditions of the vehicles they fit. A detailed comparison can be made from the following eight key aspects:

Core Positioning and Compatible Vehicle Types

The fundamental difference between the two lies in the "load rating" and "usage scenarios" of the compatible vehicles, which directly determine the tire design objectives:

Heavy Truck Tires: Designed for heavy trucks/trailers (such as tractor heads, dump trucks, tank trucks), mainly used in scenarios like "long-haul trunk transportation, heavy engineering loads, and port distribution." They must bear single-axle loads of over 10 tons (some engineering vehicles have single tire loads exceeding 30 tons). The core requirements are "high load capacity, wear resistance, and impact resistance."

Light Truck Tires: Designed for light trucks/micro trucks (such as pickups, urban delivery trucks, small refrigerated trucks), mainly used for "urban distribution, short-distance logistics, and sporadic urban-rural transport." Single-axle loads are usually between 3-8 tons, with core requirements of "flexibility, low rolling resistance (fuel saving), and moderate load capacity."

Structural Design: Carcass and Tread

To meet different load and wear resistance needs, the structural strength of the two differs significantly:

1. Number of Carcass Plies (Core of Carcass Strength)

Heavy Truck Tires: The carcass uses 10-16 layers of high-strength cords (mostly nylon or polyester cords, with some engineering tires using steel cords). The sidewall thickness can reach 15-20mm, capable of resisting carcass deformation and impact under heavy loads (such as potholes and crushing stones).

Light Truck Tires: The carcass has only 4-8 layers, with sidewall thickness of 8-12mm, focusing more on "lightweight" and "driving flexibility," without needing to withstand extreme heavy loads.

2. Tread Design (Balance of Wear Resistance and Grip)

Heavy Truck Tires:

Tread Pattern: Mostly "large block patterns with deep grooves" (groove depth 15-25mm), enhancing wear resistance (long-haul tires can achieve lifespans over 150,000 km). The grooves are wide (≥10mm) to facilitate stone ejection (preventing stones from embedding and causing tread cracking);

Tread Rubber: Uses "high hardness wear-resistant rubber" (Shore hardness 65-75), sacrificing some noise reduction to prioritize wear and tear resistance and tear resistance.

Light Truck Tires:

Tread Pattern: Mostly "medium block with fine grooves" (groove depth 8-15mm), balancing wear resistance (urban delivery tires last 50,000-100,000 km) and grip on city roads (such as water drainage in rainy conditions);

Tread Rubber: Softer hardness (Shore hardness 55-65), balancing moderate wear resistance and driving comfort (reducing bump noise).