What is the difference between bias and radial tires?

Tires are important to the performance and safety of your car. Before buying any tire, make sure that you purchase tires from someone who is reputable and who has a large variety of tire selections to choose from. Unfortunately, there are tire companies that are unscrupulous and in business only to make money and not to satisfy and give the customer tires that are needed for a safe and secure drive.

Radial tires and bias tires are different in several ways but the main difference between the two is the direction of how the layers or plies are put on and also the center line of the tread. The piles on a bias-ply tire are about 45 degrees to the center of the tread, changing in direction with each layer. In contrast, the plies on a radial tire are about 90 degrees to the center line of the tire but in this case, the plies overlap in contrast to crisscrossing.

Another physical difference between the two is that radials are often lower than the bias tires. Bias tires are often thinner and higher. Both tires are considered to be safe for driving however, radials are considered to be technologically stronger and are designed for more effective and safer driving.

In addition, with the Bias-ply tire there is some friction with the ground, the tire wears rapidly; there is reduced traction and a higher fuel consumption. In contrast, the Radial tire has better traction because of a flat stable crown and larger footprint, has reduced fuel consumption, a longer tread life and has more comfort and handling on the road.