bias ply vs. radial, whats the difference?

i dont truly understand what the difference of bias ply vs.radial tires are. what are the pros and cons of each? can anyone help?



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Silver Ice Xterra Xe
4x4 auto 3pk

This may help: http://www.howstuffworks.com/tire1.htm



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Cheers!,
-john aka areuin
Silver Ice, '00 XE, 3-pk, 32" BFGs, bad morning hair

Remember how years ago you would see a lot of blown up tires by the side of the highway? Ever wondered what happened to those cars? These were not radials. Radial tires are MUCH safer in case of flats and catastrophic damage. If your non-radial blows up on the highway, you're toast. Fine off-road, bad idea on pavement at higher speeds.

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Superblack 01 XE
5 Speed

Speaking of blownout tires, you ever been riding next to a 16-wheeler when one of its tires decides to explode? That happened to me a couple months ago and I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Worse was that I had my window down and gravel and rubber hit me on the side of the face. That'll wake you up in a hurry.

jeff

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I was following a semi through downtown Atlanta several years ago in my Altima when a tire blew off and hit my hood. You could see the tread marks on my hood (was actually kinda humorous), and it broke one of my headlights, bent my front bumper, and dented my front quarter panel. $1600 worth of damage.

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Mindie
2001 Silver Ice
4x4 Automatic SE

The difference between a radial and a bias ply is how the polyester belts are laid in. In a bias ply the poly belts are laid in at a bias to each other. The first layer goes in like this ////////. The second layer on top of the first goes the opposite way \\\\\\\\. In a radial tire the poly belts radiate from the sides, the layers run parallel,====== side to side. Radial ply contruction has a lower rolling resistance and is much stonger than bias ply. When you add steel belts on top you have created what 99% of the passenger vehicles ride on today. However, in some special applications bias is still the way to go. Race tires, ag tires, off-road and airplane to name a few. If you want more detailed information about how tires are put together just e-mail me.

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"You are talking about the non-sensical ravings of a lunatic mind."

thanks for the info.

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Silver Ice Xterra Xe
4x4 auto 3pk