Patent ID: 6872772

Claim:
A radial medium truck tire having a tread component comprising a vulcanizable rubber composition comprising, based on 100 parts by weight of elastomer (phr), (A) from about 5 to about 30 phr of high trans random SBR having a trans 1,4 butadiene content in the polybutadiene segments of the SBR of greater than 60 percent by weight, wherein said high trans random SBR is produced by a process that comprises copolymerizing styrene and 1,3-butadiene in an organic solvent in the presence of a catalyst system that is comprised of (i) an organolithium compound, (ii) a group IIa metal salt selected from the group consisting of group IIa metal salts of amino glycols and group IIa metal salts of glycol ethers, and (iii) an organometallic compound selected from the group consisting of organoaluminum compounds and organomagnesium compounds; (B) from about 70 to about 95 phr of a combination of high cis-1,4-polybutadiene rubber (BR) and cis 1,4-polyisoprene natural rubber (IR) in a IR/BR weight ratio of from about 1 to about 3; (C) from about 20 to about 40 phr of carbon black; and (D) from about 15 to about 35 phr of precipitated silica.