Established in 1972, Westlake Tire is a Chinese tire brand that is known for manufacturing budget-friendly, quality, and durable tires for light trucks, passenger vehicles, SUVs, and crossovers. Seamlessly blending quality, value, and performance, the manufacturer offers dependable tires with impressive performance at affordable prices. Currently, Westlake is one of the largest global tire manufacturers and has come up with a vast product lineup of different tire categories, including commercial, all-season, all-terrain, mud-terrain, commercial van, touring, and UHP.

The Westlake CM986 is a commercial tire designed for regional and urban high-scrub applications. These tires are used for the drive axle of semi-trucks, featuring a strong rubber compound that resists abrasion. While the CM986 has a durable retreadable casing and a special block design to boost traction, it also features a wide, open shoulder and dense sipes for better grip. The optimized tread design of the commercial tire promotes dry, wet, and winter traction, while the wide grooves mitigate the risk of hydroplaning by removing water and slush from the tread. It is known for its excellent durability while enduring load pressure in commercial vehicles.

So, is it worth going for? Let's try to answer this question in this Westlake CM986 tire review.

Features and Benefits

Commercial tires are designed for semi-trucks with maximum performance on each trailer axle. They are usually used in line haul, regional, urban, delivery, and pickup applications. Commercial semi-truck tires often offer low rolling resistance for enhanced fuel efficiency and have the option of retreadability, which leads to a longer service life.

• All-season performance: The CM986 provides consistent performance throughout the year, thanks to its optimized tread and detailed sipes that boost traction in dry, wet, and snow conditions. Its wide grooves keep the risk of hydroplaning at bay and offer improved traction in wet conditions. Its open shoulders produce enhanced traction on both dry and wet surfaces.
• Long durability: The robust internal structure of the Westlake tire enhances its load-bearing capacity. It prevents the tire from getting deformed, helping it maintain shape. The durable rubber compound is resistant to abrasion and protects the tire from chips, cuts, and damage. Since the tire is retreadable, drivers enjoy a longer service life.
• Better control: The tread's traction block design makes it easier to control your vehicle. While it boosts its performance and traction, the dense network of sipes bites the road surface to enhance grip and provide better control.

Pros and Cons

While the CM986 offers several benefits, it also has some drawbacks. Let’s review its pros and cons before we sum up this Westlake CM986 tire review.

PROS:

• Prevents hydroplaning on wet surfaces to maintain optimal traction
• Ideal for all-season use in different conditions, providing consistent performance
• Ensures well-controlled and stable rides with the traction block design of the tread
• Lasts long and offers a better service life with its strong internal structure
• Durable rubber compound for cuts, chips, and damage resistance

CONS:

• It is not backed by a mileage warranty

SimpleTire’s view on Westlake CM986 tires

To sum up, the Westlake CM986 (starts around $167) is a great commercial tire developed for the drive axle of semi-trucks. It offers a balanced mix of traction, control, stability, and durability. Built to perform year-round, it offers comfortable rides while resisting hydroplaning. Its abrasion-resistant rubber compound keeps accidental damage at bay while its sturdy construction maintains its shape under pressure. If you are looking for a dependable commercial tire, the Westlake CM986 will be a great choice.

It locks horns with the likes of Americus AP2000 (starts around $160), Advance GR-A1 (stars around $170), and Ironman Gen2 I-19A (stars around $159).

With a decent SimpleScore of 8 out of 10, the Westlake CM986 shares the spot with Advance and Ironman, as each of them scores an 8. The Americus AP2000 leads the pack with a great score of 8.2.

Vehicles: the Westlake CM986 is a good replacement tire for

The Westlake CM986 will be a good replacement tire for regional trucks and other commercial vehicles.