Tyres, tyres, tyres, I love tyres, especially tyres that have had some serious thought devoted to their construction.
Steve Burke, Toyo’s master man when it comes to tyre advice, and I recently had a chinwag about what you might find if you were to dissect a tyre and analyse its innards. The learning was revealing. Keep in mind we a talking about SUV tyres here.
This story needs a starting point within the tyre and that is the inner liner, a close-to impermeable rubber membrane upon which the first of the plies are laid down and they’re constructed from polyester. SUV tyres will have 2 or 3 carcass plies.
Sitting atop of the carcass plies are usually two steel belts to afford some tread face rigidity and puncture resistance, the woven steel belt plies afford great penetration strength for those moments when you’re belting down a road that’s far from perfect.
Next in line are the cap plies and depending on the style of tyre you’re running you might find either one or two cap plies and made from that wonder material of the modern world, nylon.
I shouldn’t forget either, that the inner circumference of the tyre, needs a reinforced wire bundle (or bead) to keep the tyre in positive connect with the wheel with a goodly amount of inflation pressure behind it to locate it securely.
Depending on what you might be driving will determine whether you go down the path of a (P) Passenger car tyre (usually fitted as original equipment on most 4WD utes and wagons), or a (LT) Light Truck and that will influence the carcass construction.
If you’ve heard me before, I’ve consistently messaged that if your want is to carry decent loads, drive down roads that are consistently inconsistent and littered with rubble, then it’s a no-brainer that a Light Truck tyre is the go.
But not everyone places the same demands on their vehicles that I do, so in their case using a Passenger construction tyre might be the go, eking out some extra fuel mileage and enjoying the comfier ride that the alternative construction offers.
That comfier ride comes about in a couple of ways, firstly via the filler, a wedge of rubber installed above the bead block where the tread plies wrap around the bead. A thinner wedge affords greater flexibility for around town, whilst a thicker and more robust wedge does a better job of supporting a load and is more resistant to staking, but, offers a slightly firmer ride.
Because the Light Truck tyre will be supporting extra kilograms and likely copping a greater percentage of earthly impacts, it will have a heavier package of belts for added protection.
A Light Truck also offers a greater retention of ground clearance when aired down, at the same pressure, Light Truck versus Passenger. A softer Passenger sidewall will bulge more than a comparable Light Truck, meaning you’ll compromise some ground clearance when on the trails
A chunkier Light Truck will be heavier and with that weight comes a couple of negatives, the previously mentioned loss of some fuel efficiency and greater unsprung mass (the weight that the suspension must lift and control) which will impact on ride quality, most noticeable on repeated corrugations.
What’s Steve’s advice on the best all-rounder?
He reckons a 2-ply Light Truck will do most things for most people, something like the Toyo he affectionately refers to as the “tradies tyre”, Toyo’s impressive 2-ply Open Country R/T (Made in Japan) in its lighter form, a mix of ruggedly good looks and a carcass well-suited to the occasional 4WDriver. Most Open Country A/T III sizes are light truck construction with a 2-ply carcass.
There’ll be readers amongst you who are happy with what you’ve got, and with no desire to go bush, so the passenger car spec Toyo Open Country U/T will retain all the qualities of low rolling resistance and enhanced fuel economy with a comfortable ride, and optimum tarmac wet grip
And then there are the 4WDrivers who are regularly in the bush and exploring the secrets of the Outback and demanding a tyre with no-compromises, a sturdy 3-ply construction in Light Truck with incredible puncture resistance and the toughest of the tough is Toyo’s M55F. The 3-ply Open Country R/T (Made in USA) and Open Country M/T also have 3-ply carcass construction for maximum puncture resistance.
Whatever your tyre desire might be, Toyo Australia has a product to suit, and you’ll find them at your local Toyo dealer.
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