What Is a Radial Tire?

The introduction of radial tires forever changed the auto industry. In fact, radial tires are directly responsible for the advanced modern suspension systems found on today's vehicles.

History

Radial tires were developed by the Michelin company in 1946. The tires began to see widespread market adoption by U.S. automakers in the early 1960's.

Construction

Beneath the rubber, all tires are made up of a series of fabric layers called cords or plies. The first tires, known as bias ply tires, had cords that were laid across the tire at 45-degree angles. Radial tires have cord plies at a 90-degree angle to the direction of travel.

Types

The plies of the first radial tires were constructed of an interweaving of fabric and steel. This gave rise to the popular term "steel-belted radials". However, today most radial tires use higher-strength and lighter-weight materials such as Kevlar.

Benefits

A huge benefit of radial tires is increased vehicle traction and stability. The design of radial tires help to reduce tire flexing and allows the tire to maintain maximum contact with the road.

Service Life

Radial tires also have a long service life. Most radial tires will last a minimum of 40,000 miles.

Fun Fact

In 1965 Sears became the first major U.S. company to begin selling Michelin's radial tires. The first car sold in America with radials as standard equipment was the 1970 Lincoln Continental Mark III.