Huge loader: huge tire

Tire technology retains a direct controlling influence over wheeled machine mass and application requirements.

The introduction at MINExpo in 2000 of LeTourneau's L-2350 loader-dubbed by the company confidently “the world's largest” front end loader-was one in a series of mining-class machines built by the company that grew in volumetric capacity, following closely developments in ultra-class haul trucks with payloads that now reach 362 t (400 ton). The announcement of that huge machine was accompanied by yet another first: the loader would be supported on four of the world's largest tires, and Bridgestone Firestone Off Road Tire Co. (BFOR) would be the exclusive supplier.

Upon first viewing of the machine its specifications appeared very much as predicted, including an up-rated Cummins QSK60 engine and additional new features befitting of a machine that size. However, it became apparent there was one, or, to be precise, four, things missing. The all-new Bridgestone Firestone “super tires,” designed specifically for the L-2350 and described by BFOR a year earlier as a prerequisite for the cost-effective operation of any larger LeTourneau machine, were nowhere to be seen.