Michelin tyres help restore classic trucks

Michelin has supplied five sets of 12.00 R20 Michelin XZY2 truck tyres to Co Down-based Mulgrew Haulage, for fitment to a fleet of classic vehicles being restored by the family-owned transport company.

The Northern Irish haulier initially ordered a single set from local Michelin Service Pro dealer A One Tyres, for its 1978 Scania 141 4×2 tractor unit. This was one of the first vehicles operated by the firm and has been painstakingly restored in-house by Martin and Declan McCrory in a project which lasted four years.

Paul Mulgrew, a Director of Mulgrew Haulage, says: “We’ve been running a Michelin policy across our fleet for 15 years, so naturally they were our first port of call when we were looking for new tyres for the Scania 141. Despite being a rare size today, they are still in production and A One Tyres arranged swift delivery.

“As a classic truck, you want to stay true to form, and the Michelin XZY2 is an evolution of the original Michelin XZY range which was a popular choice at the time.”

The Scania 141 made a big impression following its completion, winning the prize for Best Classic Working Truck at Truckfest Peterborough in August 2020.

“This was the icing on the cake, after a lot of man hours spent by the team bringing her back to original condition. It has really spurred us on to get working on the other trucks; once the remaining four sets of Michelin 12.00 R20 boots have been fitted, we’ll have an amazing heritage fleet to showcase at events across the country,” he adds.

The next truck to begin the restoration process is a 1979 Scania 111 which is expected to be completed within the next 18 months.

The Michelin 12.00 R20 XZY2 tyres are all-position radial fitments for on/off road truck applications, featuring a robust four-belt crown with extra wide plies to deliver exceptional casing life. Thick sidewalls also offer added protection to help prevent damage from impacts.

Rob Blurton, Michelin Customer Engineering Support Manager, explains: “We still manufacture a wide selection of tyres in sizes which are far less common today, but ideally suited to classic commercial vehicles.

“In many cases these are trucks which have operated on Michelin rubber since they rolled off the production line decades ago; and customers naturally want to maintain them in original condition.”

Michelin’s full truck tyre range, including the more unusual sizes often required for classic commercial vehicles, can be ordered from any Michelin Service Pro dealer in the UK and Ireland.