Why Radials are still the best Choice for Drivers
Most passenger vehicles on the road today use radial tires; why? The reason is simple; radial tires are far superior to the alternatives.
Radial tires...
...take longer to wear (approx. 100,000 miles versus 30,000 miles for bias-ply tires).
...provide a more cushioned ride.
...have a shorter stopping distance.
...provide for better gas mileage.
...provide superior steering and handling of the vehicle at higher speeds.
Back when the first practical vehicles were invented in the late 1800s tires were solid rubber. They provided for a very rough ride, destroyed the roads they drove on, and if they broke were a nightmare to change. In 1895 the Michelin brothers, André and Édouard, introduced the use of air-filled or pneumatic tires on cars. These tires were air-filled rubber and flats were all too common but, around this same time, solid rubber tires were banned in many places due to the havoc they reeked on the roads. A solution was needed to keep the tires from puncturing and vehicles on the road, thus, out of necessity, the first modern tire was born.
In general there are two different types of tires today; radial tires, also known as radial-ply tires, and bias or cross-ply tires. Both kinds of tire are constructed with a series of plies or bands used to strengthen the tire and reduce puncture risks. In both instances these bands are manufactured today using steel, polyester, Kevlar, Twaron, or another strong material. So, what sets them apart? The primary difference between radial-ply and bias-ply tires is the angle of the bands in relation to the direction of travel.
Bias-ply tires lay their layers of plies in a cross-hatched pattern similar to a bandage wrapping. In fact, the earliest cross-ply tires used cotton or silk for the plies. Steel plies weren't widely used until 1970. These layers lay at plus and minus 60 degrees to the road. This creates an extremely sturdy tire which, not surprising is still preferred for off-road driving. However, cross-ply tires wear quickly and create poor handling at high speeds.
The first US patent for radial tires was granted to businessman and inventor Arthur W. Savage in 1915, but did not see commercial production until Michelin, the company founded by the brothers who introduced the world to the pneumatic tire, adopted the structure in 1946. The plies in radial tires lay at a 90 degree angle to the road which allows more of the tire to lay flat on the road surface, providing for better traction.
From the 1920's until the 1960's cross-ply tires were the standard tire for most vehicles, by the 1970's radial tires eclipsed them. Until something better comes along, radial tires are the best option for the average driver. Looking at the products in line to replace radial tires the airless Tweel may be the next revolution. This new product was introduced by Michelin in 2005, who else?
