Radial tires are a type of tire that can be installed on any vehicle. There is quite a difference between a radial and a regular tire. The radial tire features 90 degree cords, as opposed to cords that sit in the same direction the tire travels. The reason the plies are 90 degrees is because when they are not, as the tire wears and starts becoming more flexible, the cords start rubbing together, reducing the flat surface on the ground and thus reducing the tire’s friction – but the 90 degree plies prevent that, which allows the tire to maintain the same traction even as it wears out. Radial tires have more construction than just cords, and to add more durability to the cords, the tires are wrapped with belts from the inside. These belts can be made from various materials, like steel or polyester. The cords and belt are used to make the tire more rigid, but they also work as forms of suspension, which adds to the comfort of the entire ride.
There are quite a few advantages that radial tires offer as opposed to bias-ply tires. For one, the flexibility of radial tires allows for a much more comfortable ride, as well as a better fuel consumption. The reason fuel consumption is lower with radial tires is because the construction of the 90-degree cords allows the tires to reduce the rolling resistance. The overall construction of the radial tires is also more rugged than that of regular tires due to their steel support, which gives them a much longer lifespan while maintaining the highest traction throughout that life.
Radial tires are extremely popular in drag racing, mainly because of their tread life and, most importantly, their width and extreme traction. The flexibility of radial tires makes taking off with powerful vehicles at drag strips extremely efficient, simply because the tires reshape as needed to maintain traction while supporting the heavy weight being thrown at them.
Radial tires created a category of their own in drag racing, which is called Drag Radial. It’s a heads-up drag racing class for any type of car equipped with radial tires. The rules that qualify you to enter this class are having radial tires and a ladder bar, or four link suspensions instead of the ladder bar. Once you meet these basic rules, you can add numerous modifications that fit your preference, like NOS, turbocharger and various other performance-enhancing add-ons, all of which will allow you to get the best chance on the drag strip.
Though this type of tire is great for drag racing, as well as in other types of driving conditions, it does have some disadvantages. For instance, radial tires are very flexible so that their sway increases as the vehicle’s speed increases, which results in poor handling at higher speeds. Also, radial tires tend to bulge tremendously easily when inflated to more than the suggested pressure or under it. The last disadvantage is the cost, as radial tires can be pricier than bias-ply tires; however, this is debatable simply because radial tires last longer, which means it could possibly even out in cost.
If you are unsure whether to get radial tires or bias ply tires, you should definitely take some time to consider it. Radial tires can add a tremendous amount of comfort to your vehicle, as well as reduce your tire maintenance and some of your suspension maintenance, as radial tires assist in the suspension of your car. Finally, you will get more traction and better fuel consumption, which make radial tires well worth it on the long run.