In case you've been looking for firestone 19. five tires , you most likely already know that will this specific size sits in the bit of a "tough spot" in the trucking world. It's that middle-ground territory where your vehicle is actually heavy for regular pickup tires but not quite big plenty of to run the massive rubber you discover on 18-wheelers. Whether or not you're driving the Class 4 or 5 delivery truck, a medium-duty hauler, or even a large motorhome, obtaining the correct set of tires is basically the difference between a smooth, profitable week and an overall nightmare on the side of the interstate.
Firestone is a staple in this category intended for a long time. People often go toward them due to the fact they're reliable without having that "premium luxury" price tag that some some other brands slap on their commercial lines. But even within the Firestone family, there are a few different ways a person can go, and picking the wrong a single for your specific job can lead to some quite fast damage.
Why the 19. 5-Inch Size is the Different Beast
Before we jump into the specific models, it's well worth speaking about why these types of tires are built the way they will are. A nineteen. 5-inch tire isn't simply a bigger edition of the 17-inch pickup truck tire. These are commercial-grade products. These people have much increased load ratings, stiffer sidewalls, and they're made to be operate at much higher pressures—sometimes up to 110 PSI or even more depending on the weight.
When you're shopping for firestone 19. 5 tires , you're usually looking with regard to two main items: durability and "retreadability. " Because tires are an expense, a lot of fleet owners like the fact that Firestone casings are tough enough in order to be capped afterwards on. Even in the event that you're just an individual owner-operator, that heavy-duty construction means you aren't going to get a puncture every period you clip the curb or drive over some particles at a construction site.
The particular Transforce Series: The particular All-Arounders
Many people who start looking for these tires end up checking out the particular Transforce line. Specifically, the Firestone Transforce HT2 as well as the Transforce AT are large players in this particular room.
The Transforce HT2 is really the "highway" specialist. In case your truck spends 99% of its existence on asphalt, this is usually the ideal solution. It's got a tread pattern that's designed to station water away, which is a big deal when you're hauling a heavy load in the downpour. There's nothing quite as questionable as feeling a 15, 000-pound vehicle start to hydroplane, as well as the HT2 will a solid job associated with keeping you grown.
On the particular flip side, in the event that your work requires you off the beaten path—maybe you're doing utility work or hauling existe across a muddy field—the Transforce AT is the particular more aggressive brother. It has individuals chunkier tread hindrances that can actually grab onto unfastened dirt or snow. The tradeoff, because always, is they might be a little noisier on the highway, but regarding a lot of guys, that's a cost worth paying out for the additional grip.
Coping with the "Curb Rash" Aspect
Something I actually really like regarding the way Firestone designs their nineteen. 5-inch options is definitely the attention they pay to the particular sidewalls. If you're driving a delivery truck in the city, you're heading to hit curbs. It's not the matter of in case, nevertheless. Those limited evolves into narrow alleys are brutal upon tires.
Many firestone 19. 5 tires feature what they call "scuff pads. " It's fundamentally just an additional thick layer associated with rubber on the particular side of the particular tire that functions as a sacrificial barrier. Instead of the curb chewing into the structural cords of your own tire, it simply rubs against this thick rubber mat. It sounds just like a small detail, however it can easily save you from having to replace a tire that nevertheless has 70% from the tread left simply because of a sidewall gash.
The FS Series: Regarding the Serious Haulers
If you're moving up from the standard heavy pick up to something more like a dedicated box truck or a flatbed, you might want to look past the Transforce and toward the FS series—like the particular Firestone FS561 .
This is really a "real" commercial tire. It's designed specifically for the steer axle or for all-position use in pick-up and delivery services. What makes these types of different is the tread compound. These people use a high-scrub rubber that's meant to handle the continuous turning and rotating that happens in city driving. When you're constantly making tight right-hand turns from intersections, a softer tire will actually just "scrub" the tread off onto the pavement. The particular FS561 is constructed to resist that, meaning you get more miles prior to you're looking with the wear pubs.
Handling the Rain and Snow
Let's become honest: driving a medium-duty truck within the winter can be a slight chore. Because these vehicles are often stiffly sprung, they may get a bit "bouncy" when these people aren't fully packed, that makes traction even harder to discover.
Whenever you're taking a look at firestone nineteen. 5 tires , pay close interest to the siping. Sipes are small little slits in the tread hindrances. They act such as little fingers that will grab the street. Firestone is pretty great about putting deep sipes within their 19. 5-inch tires so that even as the tire has on down, you still have some "bite" left for wet or slushy days. It's one of those things don't think about within July, but you'll definitely be grateful for come The month of january.
Fuel Economic climate and Your Main point here
Nobody purchases a truck that uses 19. 5-inch tires because they're concerned about winning a fuel economy competitors. However, when you're putting 50, 500 miles a season on a vehicle, even a little bump in MPG results in thousands associated with dollars.
Firestone has put a lot associated with work into "low rolling resistance" styles. Basically, they try out to make the particular tire move even more easily so the motor doesn't need to function as hard to maintain it turning. Several of their more recent 19. 5-inch models are significantly better at this compared to the tires through ten years back. It's not going to make your own truck sip energy like a cross, but it assists take those sting out there of the gas bill at the end of the particular month.
Maintenance is the Key to Longevity
I can't speak about firestone 19. five tires without mentioning maintenance. These aren't tires you are able to just "set and forget. " Simply because they carry so much weight, being off by 10 or 15 POUND-FORCE PER SQUARE INCH can cause the tire to develop up an insane amount of warmth. Heat is the particular number 1 killer of commercial tires.
If you need to obtain the most out of your Firestones, you've got in order to stay on top of your alignments. In case your front end is even slightly out of whack, a 19. 5-inch tire will show "sawtooth" wear or "cupping" faster than you'd believe. And as soon as that wear pattern starts, it's actually hard to stop it. Regular shifts and checking your own air pressure every Monday morning will certainly easily add one more year of existence to a set associated with these tires.
Making the last Contact
At the end of the day, selecting the right firestone 19. 5 tires comes lower to being truthful about to drive. If you're the "highway hero" doing long-distance deliveries, go for something like the FS561 or even the Transforce HT2. They'll give you a noise-free ride and much better fuel numbers.
If you're a contractor which spends half your time on dirt roads or unpleasant jobsites, don't attempt to save a few bucks by obtaining a highway wheel. You'll just finish up getting trapped or spinning your own wheels. Go intended for the AT (All-Terrain) patterns.
Firestone has managed to build the reputation for being the "working man's tire. " They will aren't the least expensive tires on the rack, but they also aren't the nearly all expensive. They land right in that will sweet spot exactly where you think that you're getting your money's worth. When you're relying on your truck to create a living, that's really all you can ask for—a tire that displays up to work every day and doesn't provide you with any suffering.