Anyone running Steers on the Drives?

I don't care much about the traction, trucks get stuck and slip and slide easy enough with big lug tires or bald. However, drive tires come with a full inch of tread. Steers are generally 18/32", you get less wear out of them for the money.

 

Trl tires seem to be cheaper. With even less tread

 

I think the latest fad now is the rolling resistance. They wear quicker but save money in the long run in fuel costs.

 

The BDR isa good traction tire cap, BUT the rolling resistance is 199! you canget a michelin xda cap that will cost a lot less in fuel. I was putting on the BDR 2 at a time and after 6 of them, took'em off and went with Bandags fuel tech cap. Sold the BDR's back to the tire dealer.

 

The best supper singles beat the best steers when it comes to Rolling Resistance. The tread pattern on steers is designed to reduce sideways movement but designed to be economic with forward movement. Using them as a drive will give you less grip on anything but dry ground. Your more likly to spin. IMO, go with singles to get the lowest RR. If you don't like singles, then go with the XDA energy duels. Will stears work as drives? Yes, but your not letting them do what they are designed for.

 

i have ran them and liked them. years past a lot of guys i knew from your part of the world would run them , have them siped and swore they got just as good traction as with lugs. one benefit i saw was that they don't hold rocks. not a benefit for everyone , but i was in the dirt and gravel on both ends on my trips and i have seen many a casing ruined by rocks burying into the tire. one poster mentioned the tread height. he is correct about that. but i would say that you will get better mpg with an all position tire and it will offset the difference. but once again all i have proved is that if there was a right tire only one tire would be made. hope this helps , johnny

 

I had a customer running steers on drives for over a decade he said he dont get stuck any more or any less then he did with drives and why they do start with less 32 of tread you have more rubber on the road and he can get more miles out of the steers then the drives and you also get the advantage of if you blow a steer you can single out a drive and move a tire to the steer so you dont have to by tire and wheel off truck stop or service truck

 

I don't see the point in lugs on drive tires for twin screw trucks. It's just cosmetic. It's easy enough to get stuck with lug tires and I think a wily driver has more bearing on traction than tire type by not going where he shouldn't be. Big lugs were great on my old Jeep CJ-5 mudder.

Too much resistance and noise with lugs. Some guys just feel better having them so whatever floats your boat.

Are there really any tires that are strictly "steer" application and not allowed for use on other axles?

 

Why would anyone wanna put a steer on the drive position these days when ya can get a proper drive tire with a RR of 99 and double the tread? Some people are clueless...