A little tire info

[nismothunder]

So,some of you maybe wondering whats the diffrence between radial ply,Bias-ply and Bias-belt tires are.I'm sure a lot of you already know but this is for the young ones.While google will tell,why google it when you can learn about it on this site already.

 

Ok,first off,we have Radial-ply(commonly known as radials)

 

Radial casings are usally made with polyester and are great for highway use.They have extremly good directional stabililty,they aresmooth riding and they have very good flotaion properties.Plus,radials tend to last longer(at least in miles,but not necessarily in time).Radials ususally have steel belts,(steel belted radials)which hold the tread flat and are largely responsible for the above-mentioned good properties.That's very desirable for highway driving as well as driving on snow and ice.Drawbacks Include weaker side walls that are prone to impact breaks,and the steel belts hamper the radials ability to conform to trail obstacles.The radial plies act much like a tank track,meaning they only want to deflect in one plane,which also leads to harsher ride over bumps both on and off the highway.

 

Bias-Ply.

 

Ususally made with nylon,bias ply tire have the best casings for conformabiltly and strength.These tires are just as strong on the side walls as in the center of the tread(not counting the tread it self).While the side wall may not flex as readily as radials,the flex in the tread more then makes up for it,and the ride quality on the trail is superb.Also,for those who put more trail miles on there tires,time doesnt affect the tires much.Bias-ply tires are the original and still the best-- for trail use.On the highway its a diffrent story altogether.As bias-ply tires tend to have less then great road manner,wear faster,and dont exactly help fuel mialage any.

 

Bias-Belt.

 

Bias-belted tire are built as a bias-ply casing but with a circumferential(Look its spelt right!) fiberglass or steel belt,just like radial tires.This help the belted tire gt a little of the on-highway qualities of a radial,and it makes them very cut-resistant.It generally take a heavy vechile to make a bias-belted tire work well on the trail since the tread area can be quite stiff,at least with a steel belt.

 

Finding the Foundation.

 

Since most four-wheelers use there vehicals mainly on the street,a radial would logically be the best choice.For those who trailer there rigs to the trails and/or severely limit the street driving (less then 60 percent of milage on pavement),a bias-ply is probly the better choice.If you picked a radial or bias-belted casing,drive a relativly light vehicle,and trail performance is impertant,try to pick the best one.While radials and bias-belted tires work better on the trail when under a heavy four-by,not all belted tires are the same(radial or bias).Some are built stiffer,with an emphasis on weight control and milage,while others are more suitable for the trail.How can you tell?Easy,push on the center of the tread on a unmounted or completly deflated tire.The more flexible the tread area,the better the tire will work on the trail,since it conforms more readily.On the the down side,the highly comformable tire will wear faster,especially on a heavy vehical in around town use.A stiff casing on a light vehicle will last a long time,but perform poorly on the trail and ride harsly.Weather you decide to favor the qualities of a radial,bias-ply or bias-radial casing,which is likely the easist decision in the process of picking new tires,the tire does need an appropriate tread to work well.

Edited July 14, 2010 by nismothunder

[Precise1]

Bias-belted tire are built as a bias-ply casing but with a cicumferential(Look its spelt right!)

 

Actually... No.

 

B

[nismothunder]

Actually... No.

 

B

Lies!!!

[nismothunder]

Part 2...

 

Okay class,let get started with the lesson of the day...SIZE DOES MATTER.

 

What type of tread is best for you?It largly depends on the given vechical,tire size and vechical weight.Here the goal is to get the correct contact pressure(weight per squire inch),which is largely a function of tread void ratio.As the name implies,tread void ratio(or TVR) is the relative amount of open space between the tread block(or lugs),it doesnt matter if there are a few large(like TSL's) tread blocks or many small ones(like grabbers).A high void ratio will put more of the vheicals weight on a smaller amount of rubber,increasing the contact pressure.A larger tire with the same tread will decrease contact pressure,although the void ratio remains the same.Likewise,a lighter vehicle will have less contact pressure than a heavier one with the same tire.The two extremes would be a heavy vehicle on small,narrow tires with a high void ratio and a light 4-by on big fat tires with a lowvoid ratio.In one case,there too much contact pressure and in the other there is not enough for optimum traction.So how do you know when theres too much contact pressure and when theres not enough?Try going up a hill of decently packed dirt.If the tires start spinning but do not dig down,the contact pressure is likely too low.You'll want to try a smaller tire or one with a higher void ratio or else air up a bit.Should the tires try to trench more then go forward,chances are the tire contact pressure is too great.In that case try a larger tire or one with less void ratio,or air down more.

 

Conformability.

 

Driving up a flat hill is diffrent from driving over obstacles,such as rock,trees and other uneven suffaces,because now the tread has to conform to the terrain,as discussed earlier.Since all street-legal tires are designed with highway driving in mind,the load transitional characteristics( how the weight of the vehical moves from one tread block to the next) that help the tire last on pavement can work agaisnt you on the dirt.Large tread blocks cant flex very well,for obvious reasons.

This is why you see custom tuned(cut,sipped) tires on the trail these days,The drivers have encreased the tires conformability by cutting a large tread block into smaller ones.

 

Out on a limb(A swinging)

 

Most wheelers already know what type of tire works the best in specialized areas such as sand,mud and rocks,But I'll try to give you a general idea(Just in case).For sand,size is everything(contrarie to what mommy told to) size does matter,it is every thing in sand.The wider the tire,the better the floatation,and the idea is to stay on top.Little or no tread works fine in sand,and the wider the tire's shoulders,the better.Vehicals with a lot of power can run seriously aggressive tread,even paddles,since the sand gets propelled rearward accordingly.To some extent,mud running is similar in that the tire bite and power availability should be matched.Generally,though,the most agressive and self cleaning treads work best in mud.Light vehicles can benefit from wide tires,allowing them to float over the worse,while heavy rigs may be better off with skinny tires,allowing them to find traction on the bottom-if there is one.Ethier way,the taller the tire the better(if theres power to turn them),keeping the drivetrain out of the muck.

On rocks its a diffent story,you can run white wall car tires or tractor tires on rock,and they'll all work reasonably well.I suspect it more a issue of whats on top of them and whos driving then what tires they are.

 

The ending...

 

Now your on your own,no buddy can tell you what the best tire is,its up to you to pick.But atleast you've gained some insight as too what tire designs work where,and why,so you now have a better opportunity to buy tires based on your needs.

 

Now get out there and wear those old nubb's off and buy new ones,tell them Sal sent you!

Edited July 15, 2010 by nismothunder

[Kingman]

So where did you plagiarize this one from?

[nismothunder]

Your moms under wear...

[Kingman]

Oh, I'm sorry...

[nismothunder]

I was too,you should of seen the tread makes in them...