Best Sport Truck Tires

‍Deep Dive Into Pirellis Zeros

Pirelli Noise Cancelling System

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Each Pirelli Zero Tire is engineered to have low noise emissions. This makes the tire almost silent as it drives on the highway. The system, dubbed Pirelli Noise Cancelling, is a sound absorbing sponge placed in the tire.

Vibrations from inside the tire travel up to the cabin, causing noise. Pirelli’s Polyurethane Sponge placed inside the tire absorbs the vibrations, causing a smoother ride with almost ½ the noise emissions. Vibrations from the tire cause the air inside to vibrate,  that's what causes the noise. The Polyurethane material inside the tire absorbs the vibrating waves, lowering the noise by 2 decibels.

To the human ear, this sounds like noise emissions are cut in half. Foam cells are placed through the maximum allowable area inside the tire in order to reduce the most amount of noise possible. Polyurethane, the material the foam cells are made out of, is the same material recording studios use on their walls to make a sound barrier.

PNCS has no effect on the performance of the tire either. The only side effect you receive is a quiet ride accompanied by a smoother trip.

The only downside to the Pirelli Noise Cancelling System is that some retail tire shops have issues with repairing them.

While the repair process entails the simple steps of dismounting the tire, cutting a 4 inch piece out of the foam, repairing the puncture hole, then gluing the foam back in place, some shops refuse the work as they believe it can become a liability issue.

This shouldn’t deter you from a purchase though, because there are many more shops that will service the tires, than shops who won’t.

Run Flat Technology

Pirelli Zero Tires are designed to run, even after a flat tire has occurred. Pirelli’s run-flat system builds extra strength into the sidewalls, allowing for extended trips on no air. The run-flat system is made possible due to the low-profile nature of their tires coupled with strengthening materials applied to the side walls.

With Pirelli’s Run Flat Technology, you can drive up to 50mph for 50 miles with no air at all. These numbers are only promised by the company, though, I’ve personally seen customers drive a week without getting a repair, since they didn’t notice any difference in drivability.

The Run Flat Technology can be a life saver, depending on how you contract a flat. You aren’t subject to being stranded after your TPMS light comes on, and can drive safely to your home, or to your nearest shop.

The technology affords you ample time to fix the issue, rather than being on the side of a highway calling triple-A, waiting for hours, and risking yourself to high speed traffic. Another side effect feature of the PIrelli Run Flat technology is the fact you do not need to lug around a spare tire. This leads to improved fuel economy and extra cargo space, leaving you with a lighter ride and more room.

This feature is important to car engineers, since they don’t have to design cargo space just for the spare tire. Instead, they just install Pirelli Zero Run-Flats, and that saves them extra material, time, and calculations. Pirelli Run Flat technology is engineered by humans, but constructed by computers using MIRS software, so defects are rare.

Seal Inside

Seal Inside is a Perelli Trademarked technology that promises full functionality of a tire even after a tire has been punctured. The technology protects the tire from 85% of common tire puncture issues, such as nails in the tread.

The self sealing inner tire liner mutates after a puncture to the tire incurs.

The benefit of this performance versus other tires, is that if the nail is removed, the tire will self seal, allowing you to continue driving. Traditionally, once you remove a nail, the tire starts leaking air and becomes flat immediately. The tire does not need TPMS or special rims to operate. As long as the tires fit on the rim, the seal inside technology will take care of the rest.

Seal Inside is part of Pirelli’s “Continued Mobility” campaign, which is aimed at keeping drivers on the road, even after tire issues arise. Seal Inside, matched with run flat technology will ensure you’re never stranded on the side of the road.

The cost you pay for Pirelli tires is for high quality materials and construction, but also for the added peace of mind that there’s almost no chance of your tire becoming flat.

Because the Seal Inside technology is so effective, most drivers are unaware any puncture ever happened because the puncture is dealt with immediately by the Seal Inside.

If you do happen to remove the nail, the sealing material follows through, and self plugs the tire. As far as sport truck tires go, you can be rest assured that plugging tires will not be on your checklist. Your trucking won’t be hindered by time consuming things like flats.

You’ll enjoy the racing technology that Pirelli Tires provide along with hiqh quality driveability.

Pro’s Vs Cons

Purchasing Pirelli Zero’s for your sport truck may seem like an overwhelming decision. And with the Pirelli price tag, it’s no wonder. For a set of Pirelli Zeros, you’re looking at a bill of over $1000. Being expensive, it’s natural to make a pro/con list of the Zeros to decide if they are for you.

Pirelli Technology

Each Pirelli Tire is made with the highest technology available. The process is engineered by top tier scientists and the manufacturing process is guided by computers. With each tire, you get all the technologies outlined above; Seal Inside, Run Flat, and Pirelli Noise Cancelling System.

These technologies are a culmination of decades worth of experience troubleshooting issues on the track, and for the average customer.  Your street tuned sport truck will love riding on the Pirellis, since they are engineers to maximize comfort and performance. Sport trucks can face all sorts of environments such as asphalt, mud, snow, and rain.

Due to Pirelli technologies, your tire will offer you continued use even if an injury to the tire occurs. The manufacturing of Pirelli tires is considered top secret, so the full process isn’t known.

But the rubber they use is a high quality synthetic blend produced by an Italian Chemical Manufacturer, Versalis. The Guayule-based rubber they make is tested for high performance and is considered the best rubber for tire production.

Manufacturer Warranties

Manufacturer warranties on Pirelli Zero’s last one year from the time of purchase. If, for any reason, the tire becomes unserviceable due to poor workmanship, you can expect a full refund.

Pirelli Zero’s also come with a 30 day money back guarantee. If you purchase the tires, and just don’t like them, you can return to the shop that installed them within 30 days, and get a brand new set of Pirelli’s.

If you don’t like any of the Pirelli’s offered as a replacement, you can get a full refund. The Zero sport truck tires are estimated to get 55,000 miles worth of tread life as well, which is also backed by a manufacturer guarantee.

The Zero’s also come with road hazard warranties, free of charge, for one year after the original purchase. If any issues that organically arise causing injury to the tire, Pirelli will send you a brand new tire, free of charge.

The Zero’s warranties are top tier deals, when compared to other manufacturer warranties.

Cost

The main con of purchasing Pirelli Zeros is the cost. They are among the priciest tires on the US market. You are looking at an average of over $1000 for a set of four. High quality demands a high price, and with Pirelli, you can be sure you’re getting high quality.

Though the cost is restrictive, it shouldn’t deter those with Sport Trucks from exploring different options when trying to purchase the tires. The tires last 5 years, come with run flat technology, and offer road hazard warranty for up to a year.

So the cost you pay upfront will offset itself, with the self plugging Inside Seal and high quality treads. Of all the tires I’ve serviced for repairs myself, I’ve only seen Pirelli’s come in a handful of times.

This is far less than any other brand out there. While a nail in the tread will stop most tires, you might not even realize it with a Pirelli Zero.

Driveability

Some customer’s report driveability concerns, but this is when they are mounted on vehicles that track often. Customers will complain about tread life, when they take the tires out to the track every weekend.

Which is a fair point, seeing as how the tires are promised to reach 55,000 miles. But the extreme conditions on the track, when experienced consistently, are too much to handle for the tire.

You may get better use of the tire if you track once per month, and take consistent care of them. (ie, air pressure, tire rotations).

The noise does increase as the tires age, and when they are driven at the track, they age quicker than average. And the closer the date of deterioration starts compared to the original purchase date, the more likely you are to have complaints.

Most of the driveability complaints, while somewhat valid, can be traced back to using the tires under extreme conditions, like weekly tracks.

Weighing Other Options

While Pirelli’s are top of their class, there are some notable competitors to look at before finalizing the Pirelli Zero purchase. With any sizable purchase, it’s always smart to read reviews and weigh your options.

While pretty much all the tires that aren’t Pirelli’s stack up noticeably less than Pirelli’s, it’s still good to check out other offers, to see if a specific use case can be met by other brands.

These other brands perform well enough, and are priced well enough to be considered solid replacements for Pirelli Zeros. They do not perform as well, but it’s still worth taking a look.

Toyo Proxes

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Toyo Tire Proxes are a reliable tire with the same low profile performance and feel for ¼ of the cost. The mileage warranty covers issues up to 40,000 miles and Toyo Tires offers a 500 mile or 45 day trial period to where you can return the tires.

Proxes are highly reviewed mainly due to their price. They also offer great traction in snow and rain, and can be counted on in all types of weather. But the lack of quality compared to Pirelli is very noticeable.

One customer who had the Toyo Proxes mounted on a Tesla SUV complained of horrible driveability and loud noise. Toyo Tire Proxes are considered loud by lot’s of customers, and offer horrible off road traction.

When you first mount the tires, for about 5 months, the sound is low. But after that time, the tires become increasingly loud, causing customers to start looking elsewhere for new tires.

But if you don’t plan on bringing the truck off road, and have a loud radio to drown out the noise, Toyo Proxes will do just fine.

BF Goodrich G Force Sport

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These directional tires cost $500 for a set of 4, and offer high performance capabilities. These tires have been chosen by Ford Racing High Performance Driving School at Miller Motorsports Park and Skip Barber Racing to be mounted on their vehicles.

This signals that the tires are safe enough to be operated by amateurs on the race track. So stability and responsiveness is key with these tires. The directional tires are injected with Silica, meant to improve sharp cornering and quick maneuvers.

The tires will keep a nice grip when cornering at high speeds. While Goodrich claims these wonderful feats, customers complain that the traction isn’t always the best. As well, customers complain that the tread wears quickly and the ride can become choppy due to uneven tire wear.

Potenza RE71R

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This tire is the lowest priced sport truck tire on the market. It offers loads of control and traction paired with a simple tread design. The simple tread design promises to minimize issues when driven in wet conditions by dispersing water evenly and efficiently.

Each tire is covered by a manufacturer warranty, and can be used either in a track setting or as a daily driver set. The tires have been reported to be mounted on vehicles with 600hp, and performed just fine.

Another reported feature of the Potenza RE71R is their ability to deliver a comfortable ride in the winter. The main drawback about these tires is the noise level.

They are some of the loudest tires you can purchase, due to the efficient tread design delivering road vibrations to an evenly distributed area. These tires offer no cushion and are considered loud and uncomfortable to drive on.

Performance

The Pirelli Zeros come installed from the factory on a lot of new cars, so the amount of online reviews is large. The product reviews range from OK to great, and the average user can really get a good sense of whether or not they will work well on a sport truck.

There are a couple main categories to gauge performance of a tire. With consistent scores across all fields, the P-Zeros are by far the best performing tire money can buy.

Dry Performance

Pirelli Zero’s offer stable traction under the most extreme cornering maneuvers. Pirelli Zero’s promise consistent performance in all areas, but a dry road is where Pirelli’s really shine.  

Reportedly, P-Zero’s have been cornered on sport trucks with 600hp at over 50mph and have performed great. The sidewall is stiff, so the cornering of vehicles is stabilized.

Wet Performance

The amazing thing about Pirelli Zero’s is their ability to perform equally on dry and wet surfaces. Due to advanced tread patterns, these tires deal with water greatly.

The inner tread design accompanied by silica injections are what causes such high performance in the rain.

Sport Performance

The P-Zero’s perform well on the track. They are not only daily driver tires, they are also built to withstand the track, and track like conditions.

You will mainly get around 4-5 days of consistent track use, so use sparingly.

While there is tread left on them, they perform just as well as any track tire currently on the market.

Comfort Performance

The stiff sidewalls that allow the tire to corner so well, also offer a great ride. Depending on the vehicle, you will ride comfortably with Pirelli Zeros. The technology Pirelli offers with the Zero’s takes noise, comfort, and considered driving into account. So rest assured, you’ll be driving cool.

Mileage Performance

Pirelli Warranties guarantee 50,000 miles out of these tires, considering average driving conditions. For a performance tire, this mileage is acceptable since extreme conditions are expected. That allows for hard cornering, quick accelerations, and high speeds.

All while getting consistent, predictable reactions. 55,000 miles is a great number for these Pirelli Zeros.

All around, Pirelli Zero’s are the best tires you can mount on your sports truck. They offer great performance, long life, and quality ride experience. If you are putting them on a daily driver, you gain the added benefit of continued traveling, even in the case of a tire injury.

And you can even take your sports truck to the track, (conservatively), and still expect the full life of the tires. The chance of you being disappointed in your purchase is offset by Pirelli’s 30 day money back guarantee.

So if you think they are too loud, or don’t perform to your liking, you can return them for a full refund, or a new set of Pirelli Tires.

These tires are great for those who are casual sports trucks enthusiasts and those who tune their trucks to get the most horsepower.

The consistent design promises high performance in all conditions, and allows you peace of mind when it comes to stopping, starting, and cornering. Putting Pirelli’s on your truck is something to think about considerably, since the price tag is so high.

But once you make the decision, drive on the tires, and see how well they perform, it’s hard to see yourself ever using another tire. I’ve seen Pirelli’s on all cars from coupes to cargo vans, and they add noticeable performance increases to the drivability.

The tire company as a whole is top tier, and should always be considered when choosing a tire brand for your sport truck.