What is your experience with either?
I understand the Bias Ply runs cooler and less suspect to blow outs.
I hear the radials softer sidewalls can cause sway, but get better mileage.

Opinions??

 

I've heard that if you're going to be doing a lot of pavement, highway driving, the radials are the way to go.

If you are going to be doing a lot of off-road, construction-site, gravel-rocky-road driving, the bias ply tires may be the way to go.

Joe F.(Buffalo)

 

What do you see on Class 8 rigs? The all-steel-construction radial just about owns the over-the-road market. This tire lasts longer, gives better fuel mileage and generates less heat. It's what I use on my over-the-road 5th wheels (E-rated Michelin XPS Rib on the previous one; G-rated Goodyear G614 RST on the current one.)

Conversely, for off-road use, a bias ply might have some advantages. Other than being cheaper, I can't think what they might be, but it might have others.

Rusty

 

If you do any kind of highway driving ( which I'm sure you do ) radials are the only choice. Bias ply are horrible as far as handling and ride. The sidewalls are so soft and have no support. Radials are a hands down better tire.

Now if all you do is wheeling, then Bias ply have and advantage over radials with the soft sidewall.........the crawl and grip a lot better.

Plus when Bias ply are cold..............yeah they SUCK!!!!


~Nick

 

We've seen fewer blowouts with bias ply tires.

 

Do you thing that is due to the number of radials verses bias ply tires out there on the road? I know most if not all major RV manufactures are using radials OE.

 

A lot of the problem is that many (most) RV manufacturers are not using all-steel-construction trailer-rated radials. Rather, because of cost, they're using (for example) the polyester LT235/85R-16 E-rated Goodyear Wrangler HT instead of an all-steel radial like the E-rated LT235/85R-16 Michelin XPS Rib or the all-steel G-rated LT235/85R-16 Goodyear Unisteel G614 RST.

Therefore, blanket statements such as "radials are bad and bias plys are good for trailer service" (or vice versa) really don't work. It all depends on the radial (or bias ply) tire being used.

I switched from the Goodyear Wrangler HT to the Michelin XPS Rib on our previous 5th wheel. Our current 5th wheel came with the Goodyear Unisteel G614 RST all-steel radials.

Rusty

 

Most tires fail due to 2 reasons: 1. Overloaded 2. Underinflated.
This is true regardless of type.
By & large, the radials are the best choice. The really heavy duty ones should be all steel.
The bias ply has an advantage, perhaps, off -road, particulatly in the desert.
The bias ply tires, fully inflated, do not bulge their side wall, thus are less prone to cuts & punctures on rough roads. Thats about is for plus's there.
Stick with a good brand, check the inflation often. A blow out on a trailer can be a very expensive, time consuming process. Much easier to keep tires inlated to the MAX stated on the sidewall, in my opion. Better mileage, lesss chance of falure if you lose a few pounds.

 

There is no way that large radial truck tires can be compared with light truck tires.

There construction is entirely different.

A large radial truck tire shares more in common with a bias tire than it does with 16" type light truck tires.

Also, on big tri-axle dump trucks, milk trucks, etc., a bias tire will drive and handle much better.

 

One situation where bias tires are superior.

I have no idea why, but a radial tire will break down if on a vehicle that sees intermittent or seasonal use.

As long as it is kept out of the sun, a bias will last for years.

My family has been in the tire business for years and I have seen it all.

Under 90% of conditions, I recommend bias for trailers of all types except class 8.

I got fed up with the way radials lurched and swayed and wore unevenly on my truck.

I now have 10 ply bias on all six wheels.

Now,it drives like a truck should.

 

On the trailer in my gallery we use 6-westlake CR859 7.50-16 14-ply bias ply tire. They are cheap, only about $95, and whe I started using them three years ago was told they were junk. We run 100lbs. in them and have never had a blow-out even under extreme overloaded situations. Ran the first set about 80k miles and they were getting bald, slapped on another set and still going with no trouble.

 

Can anyone post a link to these tires.

I will start stocking/using them if I can find them.

 

Australian outfit, if what I've found is correct:

http://www.westlaketyre.com.au/


DBF

 

Check that CR859 number again.

According to the link just posted, that is a radial tire.

Read your sidewall and see if they are in fact bias ply.

If they say 7.50R-16, they are radial; bias will not have an R in the size.

Post back with what you find.

Man, I hope they are bias; you got me all excited thinking I found a source for affordable 14-ply bias tires.

Thanks for the link.

 

Well, I stand corrected. I went out and looked at them and it does say 7.50R16. I thought any tire that was marked liked that(i.e. 6.00-15, or 7.50-16) was bias ply, shows how much I know. Still they are inexpensive and have worked well for us. They are made in China, at least that is what all of mine are stamped. These are the second set on that trailer, I have six of em on our dump truck, and four of em on one of the horse trailers. So that is 22 in service and we overload them often and we have never had a blowout. Only reason I replaced the first set on the big trailer was that dad tends to drag em once in a while if his brakes are turned up to high and a couple of them were getting real bad flat spots.