The Three Types of Tire Structural Compositions That You Should Know About
Being a former employee of a large tire store, I’ve accumulated a pretty vast knowledge on vehicle tires. So, I would like to share some of my knowledge with readers and visitors of this site. The subject I wish to specifically cover in this article pertains to the structural composition of a tire. Sounds boring, isn’t it?
COME ON guys, give this subject a chance! Besides, I’m sure some people are interested in reading up on the subject of tire structural composition. I believe it’s a subject that’s worth looking into, particularly if you own a car. It can’t hurt to know a bit about the structural composition of one of the most vital parts of a car. Listen, I am going to start off this article with the following question:
On what component or structure is a car tire mounted on?
The answer is…a wheel, right? It is mounted on a wheel. That’s an easy question I know, but believe it or not guys, I actually pose this question to a few people and they got the answer wrong! Yes, a tire is mounted on circular-shaped structure known as the wheel. When put together, we call this combination “wheel and tire assembly.” Most folks however, prefer not to use such a mouthful term. Instead, it is easier on the tongue to regard the combination simply as “the wheel.”
On what component or structure is a car tire mounted on?
The answer is…a wheel, right? It is mounted on a wheel. That’s an easy question I know, but believe it or not guys, I actually pose this question to a few people and they got the answer wrong! Yes, a tire is mounted on circular-shaped structure known as the wheel. When put together, we call this combination “wheel and tire assembly.” Most folks however, prefer not to use such a mouthful term. Instead, it is easier on the tongue to regard the combination simply as “the wheel.”
The Structural Composition of a Tire
Tire manufacturers set out to produce their tires with one objective in mind: To ensure each tire is imbued with elements such as high durability, excellent level of comfort and solid traction. Granted, some tires on the market fall short when it comes to exhibiting such impressive combination of elements, still, that is the objective of renowned tire makers such as Goodyear, Yokohama, Bridgestone, etc – to produce top-quality tires.
In order to create a tire, a number of key materials are utilized and the primary one is rubber of course, followed by strands reinforced by either steel or synthetic, and fabric. When it comes to putting together the tire, the process basically involves putting together multiple layers consisting of fabric and rubber. Yes, that’s all there is to it. And those layers by the way, are called plies. During the tire-making process, fabric gets woven in such a manner that its strands move in a specific direction. We call this “grain.” This process is important because it gives the fabric a high level of stability and also makes it a lot stronger. Basically, one can expect positive characteristics such as durability, flexibility and great performance from a tire forged with layers comprising of rubber and fabric in the manner described earlier.
Types of Tire Structural Compositions
When it comes to types of tire structural compositions, you should know that there are merely 3 basic ones. Yes, only 3 – irrespective of the brand and size. Those 3 basic types are “Bias-Ply,” “Bias Belted,” and finally, “Radial-Ply.” Please check out the images below to get a clearer picture on these 3 types of tire structural compositions.
Radial-Ply Tire
A radial tire has plies that stretch around it. The plies actually stretch from one bead to another. What bead am I referring to? See, the tire has this molded edge and it goes right into the rim of the wheel, right? Well, that molded edge is actually the bead itself. The radial formation on the tire produces a flexible sidewall which has the ability to stretch, thus preventing the tire tread from slipping off the surface of the road.
Right below the tire’s tread section, tire makers would install extra reinforcing components that are either woven or belted. The extra reinforcing components are crucial as they aid in further strengthening the overall performance of the tire. The components are called tread-reinforcing belts. They are woven using very durable materials such as fiber glass, synthetic fibers that are highly robust or even strands composed of steel.
It’s good to know that radial tires are the norm, thus an overwhelming majority of modern passenger cars have them installed. You can expect a pretty firm riding experience driving a car that’s equipped with radial tires. Yes, the firm ride lacks a bit of joy, however you do get to enjoy other benefits such the tire having a longer lifespan, and the traction is so much better.
Additional benefit comes in the form of better fuel mileage, though not all vehicles get to experience this benefit. It depends on the vehicle model, but in general, most vehicles with radial tires have good mileage – definitely better than other types of tires. Radial tire is capable of reducing rolling resistance and that’s a key factor in fuel mileage improvement.
Bias-Ply Tire
Right below the tire’s tread section, tire makers would install extra reinforcing components that are either woven or belted. The extra reinforcing components are crucial as they aid in further strengthening the overall performance of the tire. The components are called tread-reinforcing belts. They are woven using very durable materials such as fiber glass, synthetic fibers that are highly robust or even strands composed of steel.
It’s good to know that radial tires are the norm, thus an overwhelming majority of modern passenger cars have them installed. You can expect a pretty firm riding experience driving a car that’s equipped with radial tires. Yes, the firm ride lacks a bit of joy, however you do get to enjoy other benefits such the tire having a longer lifespan, and the traction is so much better.
Additional benefit comes in the form of better fuel mileage, though not all vehicles get to experience this benefit. It depends on the vehicle model, but in general, most vehicles with radial tires have good mileage – definitely better than other types of tires. Radial tire is capable of reducing rolling resistance and that’s a key factor in fuel mileage improvement.
Bias-Ply Tire
Unlike radial tire, which has plies that simply stretch from one bead to the next, the bias-ply tire has plies that also go from one bead to another, but they are arranged in a criss-cross pattern. The tread section is stiff to some extent, and this is made possible due to the stiffness of the sidewall. If the sidewall isn’t sufficiently stiff, then the tread section can never be stiff as well. If you’re driving a car that’s installed with bias-ply tires, you might notice that traction is a little off when performing a hard cornering. That’s because the stiff sidewall is prone to tilting together with the weight of the car. Tilting causes the weight of the car to move from the tread section to the tire’s outer edge section, therefore affecting the traction.
Bias-Belted Tire
Bias-Belted Tire
The plies within a bias-belted tire also criss-cross from one bead to the next, but the difference here is that it does so at an angle. The sidewall is very flexible and to achieve this, tire manufacturers do not use too many bias plies. In order to get the tire tread stiffen, belts are put to use – a method utilized in a radial-ply tire. The bias-belted is basically a structural composition that combines elements from both radial- and bias-ply tire. Modern meets the old.
Performance-wise, I would say bias-belted tires are heads above the bias-ply ones. But overall, I would pick radial-ply tires over those two. Anyway, safety is paramount so when you replace your car tires, make sure you install the same type. Never mix up all three types of tires as it may lead to vehicle instability during driving and you might get into a nasty accident as a result.
Performance-wise, I would say bias-belted tires are heads above the bias-ply ones. But overall, I would pick radial-ply tires over those two. Anyway, safety is paramount so when you replace your car tires, make sure you install the same type. Never mix up all three types of tires as it may lead to vehicle instability during driving and you might get into a nasty accident as a result.