otr tyres

Tyres seem like very simple things, don’t they? Many people assume that a tyre is just a basic round piece of rubber that is inflated by a tube. In the retail industry there are thousands of different variants of tyre depending on the manufacturer and the use that it will be put to. Off-the-road tyres or, OTR tyres, are built to take a massive amount of weight and roll through conditions that would stop most cars dead. They all share 2 common types of construction:

Bias – A Bias tyre means that it is of cross ply construction. It uses cords that stretch from bead to bead. A bead is a bunch of high tensile steel wire that ties the tyre to the rim. The cords are laid in layers at opposing angles of approximately 35 degrees to form a crisscross pattern. The tread is then adhered over that pattern. The primary advantage of a tyre with this construction is that it allows for the entire body of the tyre to flex. This flexibility allows for a comfortable and smooth ride even on uneven or rough terrain. The down side of bias tyres is that they have less traction and control at higher speeds.

Radial– A radial tyre is in some ways the opposite of a bias tyre and in others it is combination of Bias and Belted Bias. Radial utilizes cords that extend from the beads and across the tread but they are at right angles to the centerline of the tread. The cords are parallel to one another and stabilizer belts are put into place beneath the tread. All of those things come together to strengthen the tyre and provide a longer life for the tyre, better control at high speeds and lower rolling resistance as well. The disadvantages are that the ride is much rougher at lower speeds and OTR tyres will not see as much of a self-cleaning ability.