Bias truck tires

[Patrick62]

Thanks Nathan
I had read about those trucks in a four wheeler write up once. Amazing... Floatation and power. And that bar on the front is vital. You are driving on 300 feet of ice covered in snow.

Yep. My old Pontiac would not win against a Ford. Sure was fun tho taking 10 mph hairpins at 30 on ice.... Darn radials hung onto the road like glue. Of coarse the car helped by being low, wide. did that every day. And when snowing like crazy I would lead the pack across Hoosier pass (look it up) with 100W amber fog lights in a blizzard.

 

[cmsmoke]

Everyone knows Iowa has worse conditions than Iceland! Come on you know you will have to do better than that!

 

[Patrick62]

Hang a winch on that Ford and head to California. The mud in the "Tank Trap" might be a tad deeper than expected in Iowa.
http://www.fourwheeler.com/top-truck-challenge/

 

[les-or-more]

Would love to see 750 15" or 16" bias bring loads out, that honey wagon has 10.00x 20's on it, the bottom is hard, but its a long ways down!

 

[Steve NW WI]

Y'all go easy on Spidey. Besides radial tires and EPA stoves, he's still bitter about losing the pull tabs on his Budweisers, and the fact that it's impossible to find corduroy jeans anymore. Makes for a crabby guy, I tell ya.

He'll be along to refute this just as soon as he can get that TRS-80 of his rebooted, and the 8" floppy drive's been acting up a little lately.

 

[Whitespider]

Y'all go easy on Spidey. ...he's still bitter about losing the pull tabs on his Budweisers...

Now that one really did pizz-me-off‼
I really hate those "new-fangled" pop-tops.

Speaking of that... so now Miller Lite has a "Punch Top Can"??
Never figured I'd see a beer can come ready-configured for "Shotgun-Beer Races"... L-O-L
*

 

[AIM]

I couldn't help myself but to do a little research on this. My conclusion ended up being that if I was rock climbing or strictly offroad 4 wheeling with a vehicle that I trailered to the trails then bias would likely be my choice. For any other vehicle I'll stick with radials.
The bias tires that I remember from MANY eons ago were bouncy, caught every groove in the road and rode like crap.
As for the self cleaning capabilities what I read pretty much boils down to tread design. Bias vs radial didn't seem to factor in to this.

 

[Whitespider]

Nothin' like puttin' all the BS to rest AIM,
You're 100% correct... if your truck spends a lot of time on dry paved roads the bias ply would not be the best choice. Really, my truck probably spends over 90% of its time off-road or on snow-covered roads during most of the year. Your post is exactly the reason I have "summer" radial tires on aluminum rims so I can easily swap them after the spring mud dries up, and again before fall/winter weather. Actually, my truck often sits for weeks without being driven... and then it's for off-road use or getting to town in a snowstorm. Once in a while it's used for haulin' a piece of furniture, a trip to the lumber yard, or some such. My wife has her own driver (van), and my place of work provides me with one... the pickup and car are just "extras".

The stigma attached to bias ply (bouncy, caught every groove in the road and rode like crap... don't forget noisy) isn't near what it was back-in-the-day... mostly because bias ply have become more "special purpose" rather than the "standard"... but, no argument, they don't ride and drive like radials on the road. The self cleaning lug design may be possible with radials designed strictly for off-road use, but I've never seen a radial A/T type tire that could make it work... most M/T type only work half-azz.
For example...

 

[greendohn]

I LOVE BACON!!
Look at all the old Army Jeeps and deuce and a halfs,,"pizza cutters". Ya' gotta' find the bottom to hook up, in most circumstances.
Did I mention how much I like Bacon?

 

[A.S.Woodchucker]

probably running nitrogen instead compressed air makes all the difference! J/K what a waste of money!

 

[nathon918]

Nothin' like puttin' all the BS to rest AIM,
You're 100% correct... if your truck spends a lot of time on dry paved roads the bias ply would not be the best choice. Really, my truck probably spends over 90% of its time off-road or on snow-covered roads during most of the year. Your post is exactly the reason I have "summer" radial tires on aluminum rims so I can easily swap them after the spring mud dries up, and again before fall/winter weather. Actually, my truck often sits for weeks without being driven... and then it's for off-road use or getting to town in a snowstorm. Once in a while it's used for haulin' a piece of furniture, a trip to the lumber yard, or some such. My wife has her own driver (van), and my place of work provides me with one... the pickup and car are just "extras".

The stigma attached to bias ply (bouncy, caught every groove in the road and rode like crap... don't forget noisy) isn't near what it was back-in-the-day... mostly because bias ply have become more "special purpose" rather than the "standard"... but, no argument, they don't ride and drive like radials on the road. The self cleaning lug design may be possible with radials designed strictly for off-road use, but I've never seen a radial A/T type tire that could make it work... most M/T type only work half-azz.
For example...

just so ya know them aint radials...
this was for narrow vs. wide tires.

 

[les-or-more]

Nothin' like puttin' all the BS to rest AIM,
You're 100% correct... if your truck spends a lot of time on dry paved roads the bias ply would not be the best choice. Really, my truck probably spends over 90% of its time off-road or on snow-covered roads during most of the year. Your post is exactly the reason I have "summer" radial tires on aluminum rims so I can easily swap them after the spring mud dries up, and again before fall/winter weather. Actually, my truck often sits for weeks without being driven... and then it's for off-road use or getting to town in a snowstorm. Once in a while it's used for haulin' a piece of furniture, a trip to the lumber yard, or some such. My wife has her own driver (van), and my place of work provides me with one... the pickup and car are just "extras".

The stigma attached to bias ply (bouncy, caught every groove in the road and rode like crap... don't forget noisy) isn't near what it was back-in-the-day... mostly because bias ply have become more "special purpose" rather than the "standard"... but, no argument, they don't ride and drive like radials on the road. The self cleaning lug design may be possible with radials designed strictly for off-road use, but I've never seen a radial A/T type tire that could make it work... most M/T type only work half-azz.
For example...

Spidey, I will agree on bias being better on trailers though, when I built my flatbed I put the radial tires we installed on everything we built on it. A few miles down the road there is a set of s curves that will cause significant pucker factor when the trailer loaded with 5 ton starts walking over the tires at 50-60 mph. I switched to bias ply tires and problem solved. Now if the bias tire didn't get flat spots after sitting for a few days, that would shake the balls of a brass monkey for the first few miles I would be golden.

 

[4seasons]

I can't believe people are still having this argument about wide vs narrow tires. This has been around since the invention of 4 wheel drive. Let me sum this up clearly. A narrow tire works best if the snow/mud is not very deep and the vehicle is heavy enough to push to the hard surface under the slop. But if the mud/snow is deep enough or your truck isn't heavy enough to reach the bottom you are stuck. A wide tire is much easier to hydroplane. If the mud/snow is just too deep to reach bottom and your truck is light enough to stay afloat you can drive like a snowmobile by gliding over the surface and never digging in. This is the only way to get somewhere when the snow is measured in feet rather than inches. But how often do any of us really see that kind of driving? Most of our roads are plowed and we only have to deal with the most recent fallen snow to get where we have to go. Wide tires are for our toys that we use to play in the deep mud. You can not get better traction with a wider tire in sloppy conditions. The wider tire may very well keep you up on top of the snow where it is easier to spin and harder to control but don't confuse floatation with traction.

Now as for bias ply vs radial, it has already been said that radial is better on the road and bias ply is better off road. The real question becomes when does snow on the road become off-roading? I think you have to decide what exactly off-roading is. To me off-roading is when you no longer have enough traction to keep all 4 tires engaged to the road you have crossed into an off road situation in which your driving must be adjusted to maintain the maximum traction and giving you the best control. So if you have a truck that you only drive off road or when the weather is bad, by all means set it up with bias ply tires in a tread pattern that suits your environment best. Or if you can buy a second set of tires and wheels and only put them on when the need arises again the bias ply would be a good choice. But if you only have one truck and you drive it everywhere all the time the bias ply is probably not for you.

One other option that has only been briefly mentioned. If you are driving in ice no tire will have ample traction. Some tread patterns might be able to slightly crack the ice enough to bite the edge of the crack but if the ice is bad enough there is only one way to go. Chains will break the ice and leave a ridge to give you traction. Studded tires will only poke a small hole in the ice where a chain or cable will make a line of traction. Of course you have to have the tire clearance to run them any you are limited to a slow pace, and you will wear them out in a hurry (as well as jar you teeth loose) on dry pavement so they may not work best in every situation but they are cheaper than a second set of snow tires and rims and you can carry them all winter long until you need them. There are even style that can be put on once you are already stuck to help you get out of a jam. In my opinion they are the best option for both worlds. They provide the best traction when on, and no drawback when off.

 

[nathon918]

Not being made anymore? That's because you are the only one who will buy them. Lol. When we discuss rock crawling, we are referring to letting almost all the air out of them bias ply tires to get a grip. "Nerfing," or turning the tires into nerf is what we call it. It give the tire more surface area. This discussion is retarded.

opcorn:

think im going to start a chevy vs. ford thread since i like where this one is going...
really though you cant compare a bias ply tire with a certain tread to a radial with a COMPLETLY DIFFERENT tread and expect the same results

 

[les-or-more]

think im going to start a chevy vs. ford thread since i like where this one is going...
really though you can compare a bias ply tire with a certain tread to a radial with a COMPLETLY DIFFERENT tread and expect the same results

That is true, The only tires I have seen where the tread was the same is on tractors and the radials are better in that off road environment too, they are just stupid expensive.

 

[les-or-more]

Why would you go to town in a snowstorm.

Somebody has to pull all the prius's out so they can get the roads plowed!

 

[Whitespider]

When we discuss rock crawling, we are referring to letting almost all the air out of them bias ply tires to get a grip.

I know that... I wasn't comparing my tires to those used for rock climbing... but I do run them around 15-20 lbs for off-road use. I was simply responding to a "radials are (always) better off-road" post.

 

[Whitespider]

Why would you go to town in a snowstorm.

Well... to get necessities of course... like, beer and pretzels for the football game
Hey man, we drive in snowstorms 'round here... businesses don't close for snow, ya' still haf'ta get to work, your dentist appointment, tax appointment, auto service appointment, check in on the mother-in-law, etc. and whatnot.
If'n ya' don't get there, it may be weeks, maybe months before you can get another appointment.
Heck, even when they start closing roads the businesses stay open... life goes on.
*

 

[Preston]

I can't believe people are still having this argument about wide vs narrow tires. This has been around since the invention of 4 wheel drive. Let me sum this up clearly. A narrow tire works best if the snow/mud is not very deep and the vehicle is heavy enough to push to the hard surface under the slop. But if the mud/snow is deep enough or your truck isn't heavy enough to reach the bottom you are stuck. A wide tire is much easier to hydroplane. If the mud/snow is just too deep to reach bottom and your truck is light enough to stay afloat you can drive like a snowmobile by gliding over the surface and never digging in. This is the only way to get somewhere when the snow is measured in feet rather than inches. But how often do any of us really see that kind of driving? Most of our roads are plowed and we only have to deal with the most recent fallen snow to get where we have to go. Wide tires are for our toys that we use to play in the deep mud. You can not get better traction with a wider tire in sloppy conditions. The wider tire may very well keep you up on top of the snow where it is easier to spin and harder to control but don't confuse floatation with traction.

Now as for bias ply vs radial, it has already been said that radial is better on the road and bias ply is better off road. The real question becomes when does snow on the road become off-roading? I think you have to decide what exactly off-roading is. To me off-roading is when you no longer have enough traction to keep all 4 tires engaged to the road you have crossed into an off road situation in which your driving must be adjusted to maintain the maximum traction and giving you the best control. So if you have a truck that you only drive off road or when the weather is bad, by all means set it up with bias ply tires in a tread pattern that suits your environment best. Or if you can buy a second set of tires and wheels and only put them on when the need arises again the bias ply would be a good choice. But if you only have one truck and you drive it everywhere all the time the bias ply is probably not for you.

One other option that has only been briefly mentioned. If you are driving in ice no tire will have ample traction. Some tread patterns might be able to slightly crack the ice enough to bite the edge of the crack but if the ice is bad enough there is only one way to go. Chains will break the ice and leave a ridge to give you traction. Studded tires will only poke a small hole in the ice where a chain or cable will make a line of traction. Of course you have to have the tire clearance to run them any you are limited to a slow pace, and you will wear them out in a hurry (as well as jar you teeth loose) on dry pavement so they may not work best in every situation but they are cheaper than a second set of snow tires and rims and you can carry them all winter long until you need them. There are even style that can be put on once you are already stuck to help you get out of a jam. In my opinion they are the best option for both worlds. They provide the best traction when on, and no drawback when off.

Why not. Folks are still folks. It only takes two to get it started and anyway, nobody hardly ever changes their minds, on anything. Plus, a regurgitated subject ain't that bad.

 

[zogger]

heres something for ya View attachment 328006 those are 44's on a 15x16 rim, this is in iceland and is the norm for trucks... i actually know the son of the owner at Arctic Trucks in Icland who are the pioneers of these types of trucks, id like to see youre narrow tires (at a comparable height of course) go the places these these can go.

I saw videos of these before, here is one...yep decent snow rides for sure