SHOP FOR MOBILE AND HIGH SPEED CRANE TYRES

To search for your tyre you need to know the tyre size you need. Tyre sizes can be written in many differing formats, so our Tyre Size Guide is a helpful read to understand them. The size is almost always written on the tyres sidewall and for mobile crane tyres would look something like '16.00R25' or '445/95R25'. The first type (16.00R25) is imperial written in inches, and the second is the newer metric marking now being adopted by many manufacturers.

With both sizes the last number is the RIM (the diameter of the hole in the middle of the tyre) in inches (28 inches in our example). The first number is the tyre WIDTH (know as Section Width), and in our example it would be 16.00 inches or 445mm. The 'R' if presents means you have a tyre of RADIAL construction, and the '-' if present means the tyre is of CROSSPLY construction.

The metric sizes (445/95R25) tell you the PROFILE percentage after the width, here it is 95% profile (this means the side walls on the tyre are 95% as tall as the width of the tyre). This profile can be ignored if your tyre size if written in imperial as it is not given.

Plugging these numbers into the tyre finder above will help you to narrow down your tyre search!

Radial tyres were invented in 1946 and allow the sidewall of the tyre and the tyre tread to work as two independent features. The flexibility of a radial tyre, together with its strength, are two combined factors which mean a radial crane tyre absorbs impact shock and bumps more effectively than a crossply tyre.

This gives you and your machine a more comfortable ride and allows the driver to work longer. The flexibility of the sidewall enhances vehicle stability and provides maximum contact of the tyre with the road surface. This improved contact with the ground reduces the wear on the tyre tread meaning radial tyres last longer than crossply tyres. It also helps spread the weight over the ground reducing soil compaction. Radial tyres tend to have higher speed ratings so for some faster road going machines Radial tyres are the only usable option.

Radial tyres do however tend to be more expensive than crossply alternatives, so could be viewed as an investment that will pay off in the long run.

Crossply tyres have been around a lot longer and whilst don't offer the advantaged of Radial tyres, they are cheaper, and in some applications are the preferred choice. Crossply tyres have stiffer tyre sidewalls than radial tyres, and so tend to be better at avoiding sidewall punctures, something that is advantages in forestry use for example. They also give less suspension than Radial tyres which can be an advantage on forklift trucks and scissor lifts for example that require a firm ride.

A Ply Rating is similar to a tyre Load Index and is an indication/measure of a tyre's strength, telling you the maximum weight that the crane tyre can safely carry. Tyres with a higher ply rating carry more weight but cost more due to their superior construction and the extra materials used. Ply Rating's are usually only given on tyres of Crossply construction, the newer Radial tyres should have a load index number given instead. In general, you shouldn't switch to a lower ply rating than you currently have. You can normally increase the ply rating of the tyre used, but bear in mind the higher a tyres ply rating the stiffer a tyres sidewall usually becomes. This can be advantageous in helping to avoid punctures in the tyre sidewall, but may reduce the suspension/cushioning you experience riding your machine.

The exact carrying capacity of crane tyres can vary by axle, speed, pattern, pressure and manufacturer. Tyre manufacturers often provide detailed information on how much weight a tyre can carry in their technical tyre books: please check the Technical Link of a product or Contact Us if you need help.

Most modern mobile crane tyres have a speed and load index, sometimes known as a service index, stamped on the sidewall. A tyre's Speed Index is the maximum safe speed that the tyre can be run at; this is represented with a letter from the very slow (A1) to the very fast (Y and beyond).

The Load Index is the maximum weight that mobile crane tyres can safely support. This is represented by a number: the higher this number is the more weight the tyre can carry. It is imperative for the safety of the vehicle and its occupants that tyres with high enough Speed and Load Indexes are chosen. To find out more about Speed and Load Indexes and all other tyre markings, have a look at our Tyre Size Guide .

We currently do not offer a fitting facility for Heavy Earthmover or Heavy Plant machinery, on small lawn equipment like Ride on Mowers, on leisure vehicles like Quad bikes, ATVs or UTVs, on passenger vehicles like Cars, Vans, Motorbikes, or on Vintage, Military, Adapted vehicles or on some non UK domestic market vehicles.

For more information read our Crane Tyre Fitting information page .

Storing your tyres correctly when on the machine or stacked as spares is important in extending their life time and ensuring they remain safe and continue to function as they should. General advice is to keep your mobile crane tyres out of heat and direct sunlight, as it can dry out the rubber and cause cracking. When leaving a machine unused for a long period try to jack the machine up to take some weight off the tyres to avoid misshaping them. Other advice to follow is to keep them away from liquids like petrol, oil and grease so not to deteriorate the rubber compounds.

We often get asked about fitting inner tubes in mobile crane tyres designed to function without an inner tube, often due to the tubeless tyre having a puncture. Whilst an inner tube will hold air and keep your tyre inflated it is not recommended for a couple of reasons. The main reason is for safety, as a tubeless tyre is designed to deflate slowly when punctured so is safer. A tube in a tubeless tyre once punctured can lose air rapidly and if the tyre casing isn't holding air successfully the tyre could deflate very quickly causing a safety hazard. Also, tubeless tyres have a rougher inner surface and this can rip the tube, or cause friction & heat which can burst the tube.