General RD
Regional cargo transportation is vital for the normal functioning of small and medium-sized businesses. The efficiency and speed of such cargo transportation to a large extent depends on how correctly the tires are selected. In this review, we will recommend good tires for regional trucking and tell you why we recommend these tires.
About regional and urban cargo transportation
With urban transportation, everything is clear - it is the transportation of goods within the city. With regional cargo transportation, everything is also not very difficult, this is intercity transportation with a range of no more than 125 miles. Now try to answer the question, which tires are more exposed to wear on urban and regional routes or on long-distance routes?
Many will say that tires wear out more on long-haul trucks - still, it’s so far to go there! In fact, on regional and especially urban cargo transportation, tires wear out much faster and special requirements are imposed on the strength of such tires. To make it clear where the increased wear of rubber comes from, imagine that a truck on long-distance transportation travels tens of kilometers without stopping. Again, most of this path is straight.
Now imagine what happens to the bus while driving around the city or between nearby settlements. You constantly have to slow down and start again at traffic lights or in busy traffic. Again, let's not forget about the corners where the sidewalls of the tires deteriorate.
So, urban and regional trucking requires particularly durable tires, unless, of course, the carrier does not want to change them too often. And, of course, such tires should be especially effective at the start and during braking. As you probably already guessed from the name, General RD tires meet all these requirements.
About tires in general
The General RD is an all-season tubeless tire designed for urban use and short-distance transport. The tire is designed to be mounted on the drive wheels, that is, on the rear axles. Tires can be used on single and double discs. General RD tires are designed for use on asphalt, concrete, and unpaved road surfaces. The tire has numerous operational advantages with almost no disadvantages.
General RD advantages
- Durability due to increased tread resistance to abrasion. The tire will last at least 1.5 times longer than tires from other manufacturers. The manufacturer warrants its tires for 65,000 miles. Agree, this mileage is quite enough to fully recoup the cost of these tires.
- Strength of tires and resistance to mechanical deformation. The General RD features reinforced sidewalls. This ensures that the tire is not damaged when hitting curbs. Thanks to the reinforced center rib, the tire is not afraid of hitting obstacles such as speed bumps and other uneven road surfaces.
- Excellent grip regardless of weather conditions. This has a positive effect on the braking distance. In addition, the improved grip allows the truck to start more efficiently with virtually no slippage.
- Fuel economy. It must be said that this advantage is characteristic of most of the modern tires manufactured by General Tire. Fuel savings are achieved by lowering rolling resistance.
- Self-cleaning function helps to remove stones and dirt from the tread grooves. Thanks to the special design of the tread grooves, the mud falls out even at low travel speeds.
- Optimal combination of price and quality. General Tire produces tires presented in the middle price segment, while the quality level of the same General RD corresponds to the quality level of tires in the premium price segment.
As already mentioned, the tire has no particular drawbacks. However, you need to understand that the General RD is an all-season tire and still does not compare to winter tires. Therefore, in severe icy conditions, we recommend supplementing such tires with chains that can improve traction and prevent slippage.
What are these tires made of?
Primarily, the benefits of using tires are attributed to the materials of manufacture. For the manufacture of General RD tires, high-density rubber is used with the addition of composite and silica fillers. Fillers are primarily used to provide additional grip on the road surface. Silica fillers in the construction of the tiring work as a micro-abrasive and it is because of this that the tire has better braking performance on the ice. However, we draw your attention to the fact that no fillers in all-season tires can replace specialized winter tires.
Design features
General RD is a modern tire, which, like all General Tire products, consists of several layers, each of which is responsible for a particular function.
The layer that is in direct contact with the road is the tread, that is, the working layer created from a special compound that is durable and elastic at the same time. The second layer is a mixture of rubber and latex on which the tread blocks are fixed. The third layer - reinforcing is rubber, into which metal belts are melted.
The task of these belts is to ensure uniform contact of the tire with the road surface. Only in this case will the tire tread wear evenly, which, in turn, will extend the tire life without the need for frequent replacement. The fourth layer is rubber with interwoven wire reinforcement. Finally, the fifth inner layer ensures the tightness of the tire. The tire is equipped with a steel cord around the inner radius, which provides sufficient pressure on the rim.
Tread pattern
The tread uses massive blocks, separated by wide grooves. The grooves on the one hand function as hooks, and on the other hand ensure effective water drainage. In part, the presence of these grooves allows the car to start without slipping even in bad weather. Like most modern tires manufactured by General Tire, General RD tires clean themselves of adhering dirt. This is an important advantage if cargo transportation takes place not only on asphalt but also on unpaved surfaces.
Compatibility with other tires
As already mentioned, General RD tires are designed to be installed on drive wheels, that is, on those axles to which torque is transmitted from the engine. Of course, these tires can also be fitted to the steering wheels. But in this case, General RD tires will not demonstrate all their capabilities.
General RD tires are compatible with all matching steering tires. However, the best handling is achieved by combining General RD tires with General Tire steering tires. For example, a combination of General RD and General HS tires provides optimum performance. General RD tires are primarily intended for the US and Canadian markets. However, there are enough sizes in the brand's product range for use on non-US vehicles.
Let's summarize
Sometimes choosing and purchasing durable tires for commercial vehicles is not easy, despite the fact that the range is large. That is why we advise you to pay attention to General Tire tires and in particular to General RD leading truck tires. Again, let's not forget that these tires demonstrate the optimal combination of high quality and affordable price. Therefore, we recommend them!