Imagine a tire with a tread that regenerates itself as it wears. It's not science fiction, it's Michelin's new XDA5 drive tire for Class 8 rigs.
Michelin uses patented design and manufacturing techniques to mold the tread

of the XDA5 in three dimensions. As the tire wears, the tread reveals new grooves and tread blocks, effectively giving the tire a second life-self-regenerating to improve wet, worn traction. This regenerating tread design keeps the tire in service longer before retreading - a 30 percent improvement in tread life over other drive tires that are commercially available. That translates into improved safety and lower costs for fleets and owner-operators.
Double-wave Matrix sipes give the Michelin XDA5 tire's 30/32 deep tread blocks the ability to lock together in all directions, delivering rigidity, resistance to scrub, and minimizing irregular wear normally associated with deep tread block designs. At the base of the Matrix siping, a raindrop groove is molded into the tread block that reveals a new groove when the tread has 10/32 remaining, a feature of self-regenerating tread. Due to this self-regenerating mechanism, the XDA5 tire offers renewed grip, enhanced worn traction, as well as more usable tread, which ultimately results in longer life.
The Michelin XDA5 tire also features a footprint that is more than 10 percent wider than its predecessor, delivering a larger contact patch and, in turn, superior stability and handling throughout the life of the tire.
The Michelin XDA5 tire will soon be available in four sizes - 275/80R22.5, 11R22.5, 275/80R24.5 and 11R24.5. Next year it will be offered in a 305/75R24.5 LRJ version, created expressly to accommodate Mexico's higher load-carrying demands.
For more information, visit www.michelin.com.