Warrior WS291

Five-rib straight tread. The Warrior WS291 uses a straight, five-rib pattern that stabilises the contact patch and equalises footprint pressure, reducing shoulder shear and mitigating heel-and-toe wear for longer tread life in steer and all-position fitments. Continuous ribs with optimised rib-to-groove stiffness improve on-centre tracking and braking linearity, while multi-pitch sequencing lowers harmonic noise. Longitudinal grooves are tuned for efficient water evacuation, maintaining micro-scale adhesion in wet conditions common on New Zealand roads without compromising tread block rigidity, which supports precise handling and uniform wear across regional and line-haul service.

Decoupling shoulder design. A dedicated decoupling groove at the shoulder of the WS291 isolates edge stresses from the primary ribs, allowing controlled lateral compliance that suppresses river wear and shoulder cupping on high-scrub routes. By interrupting crack propagation paths and acting as a thermal relief, the design reduces heat build-up at the belt edge—critical for casing durability under sustained loads—and provides an extra buffer against kerb scuffing in metro delivery work, extending usable life and preserving carcass integrity for retread.

High-strength steel casing. The WS291 casing employs high-tensile steel cords in a reinforced belt package with an optimised skim coat, coupled to a turned-up ply and robust bead apex for exceptional structural stability, air retention, and repairability. This architecture resists ply separation and belt-edge fatigue, distributing circumferential and lateral stresses evenly under varying loads, which enhances uniformity, eases balancing, and supports multiple retread cycles. The result is a lower cost-per-kilometre for fleets seeking dependable, retreadable Warrior casings across mixed NZ highway and regional networks.

Low rolling resistance compound. A low-hysteresis tread compound in the WS291, formulated with a balanced silica–carbon black system and advanced coupling agents, reduces energy loss (tan d) at operating temperatures to cut fuel consumption without sacrificing wet grip. A cap–base construction uses a cooler-running base to draw heat away from the belt edges, maintaining casing temperature within a protective window during long hauls. This chemistry minimises tread squirm and heat build-up on coarse chipseal, delivering tangible fuel savings and sustained performance metrics over the full tread life.

Stone ejector groove geometry. Engineered groove bottoms with tapered profiles and integrated stone-ejector features actively resist stone retention and drilling, protecting the WS291’s belt package from puncture initiation and corrosion. By promoting self-cleaning on aggregate and chipseal surfaces prevalent in New Zealand, the design maintains groove volume for water management and preserves rib stability over time. Reduced foreign-object intrusion directly supports casing longevity and retreadability, keeping vehicles in service longer and lowering unplanned downtime.