The United States Antarctic Program (USAP) anticipates replacing the light-truck fleet in the next 25 years and requested a detailed look at the potential tires to be used for ice-shelf work. The USAP fleet management team has worked to reduce the curb weight of potential truck options in an effort to minimize the impact on the snow roads. With current Ford F-350 pickups weighing in at 7840 lb empty and a ground pressure of approximately 17 psi, selecting a lighter truck frame would present major advantages. Similarly, operating the current Mattracks (track system in lieu of tires) installed on some of on the light-truck fleet has run between $35 and $50 an hour over the past 6 years, costing the USAP program as much as $40,000 per season per vehicle. A light truck on tires, for comparison, operated at $6 per hour at McMurdo Station over the same time span.Following testing of nine different types of tires, this report concludes that a suitable tire replacement for the light-truck fleet is commercially available. The BFGoodrich K2, particularly in the Light Truck 32.8 in. (nominally 33 in.) diameter size (BFG LT33), shows significant advantages at all sizes in this tread pattern.


    Access

    Access via TIB

    Check availability in my library


    Export, share and cite



    LIGHT TRUCK OR OFF-ROAD TIRE

    TILL DOUGLAS ANDREW / GILLICK JAMES GREGORY / CELIK CEYHAN | European Patent Office | 2023

    Free access



    OFF-ROAD HEAVY TRUCK TIRE

    BARTON CHRISTOPHER B / MAYNI PAUL A / MEREDITH BRETT | European Patent Office | 2017

    Free access

    Light truck tire

    HU DEBIN / HUANG DAOQIANG / WANG JIANBO | European Patent Office | 2021

    Free access