Wheels and Tyres

1. Wheels..1 2. Tyres.....4 3. Required dimension in tyre..8 4. Function of tyre9 5. Raw material11 6. Bias tyre...12 7. Advantages and Disadvantages of bias tyre.14 8. Radial Ply tyre..15 9. Advantages and Disadvantages of Radial tyre.17 10. Difference between bias and radial tyre..18 11. Sidewall Information..19 12. Load Index chart.22 13. Wheels and Tyres suitable for MUCS.24

Wheels:
A wheel is a circular device that is capable of rotating on an axle through its centre, facilitating movement or transportation while supporting a load (mass), or performing labour in machines.

Bolt Pattern:
Pitch circle diameter or P.C.D. is the same term as bolt pattern; it can be measured in mm or inches. PCD can be found on any wheel by measuring from the center of the wheel to the center of the wheel hole and multiplying by two. Or, by measuring across two bolt holes from the center of the bolt hole to the center of the other bolt hole. If you were to see an advertisement for wheels that reads; 5 X 4.75 this would mean the following: The wheels had 5 - five studs or holes

Offset:
The offset of a wheel is the distance from its hub mounting surface to the centerline of the wheel. The offset can be one of three types (measured in millimeters).

Zero Offset:
The hub mounting surface is even with the centerline of the wheel.

Positive:
The hub mounting surface is toward the front or wheel side of the wheel. Positive offset wheels are generally found on front wheel drive cars and newer rear drive cars.

Negative:
The hub mounting surface is toward the back or brake side of the wheels centerline. "Deep dish" wheels are typically a negative offset.

Pitch Circle Diameter:

The Pitch Circle Diameter is the diameter of the circumference of the center line of the lug nut holes; this can be four, five or six lug. The easiest way of measuring four or six lug wheels is take the diagonal holes and measure from the outer edge of one hole to the inner edge of the second hole. With five lug wheels this is not possible as there are not diagonal holes, therefore the simplified way would be to measure the outer circumference and inner circumference of the holes. The difference should be divided by two and added onto the smaller circumference or deducted from the larger circumference. The BCD may be expressed in millimeters or inches, and is usually given with the number of bolts. For example, a 1974 MG B has a 4/4.5 inch (4/114.3 mm) wheel hub, meaning it has a 4-bolt pattern with a 4.5 inch (114.3 mm) bolt circle. The most common BCD values are 100 mm (3.94 inches) and 4.5 inches (114.3 mm).

Determining the bolt circle:

For a 4- or 6-bolt wheel, this measurement is merely the distance between the center of two diametrically opposite bolts. In the 4-bolt picture to the right, this would be the distance between holes #1 and #4. Some basic geometry is needed to find the center of a 5-bolt pattern. In practice, the BCD can be found by multiplying the center distance between any two adjacent holes by 1.701.

Generally, the BCD b can be calculated for any wheel from the number of bolts n and the center distance between two adjacent bolts d as:

Centre Bore:
The center bore is the location hole machined in the center of the wheel and this varies from one vehicle to another. It is essential the wheels purchased have the correct center bore for the vehicle they are to suit, otherwise you may experience balancing problems.

Tyre:
It is a ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheel rim to protect it and enable better vehicle performance by providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock while keeping the wheel in close contact with the ground.

The tire is an assembly of numerous components that are built up on a drum and then cured in a press under heat and pressure. Heat facilitates polymerization reactions that cross links rubber monomers to create long elastic molecules. These polymers create the elastic quality that permits the tire to be compressed in the area where the tire contacts the road surface and spring back to its original shape under high-frequency cycles. Typical components used in tire assembly are listed below.

Bead:
The part of the tyre, which is of such shape and structure as to fit the wheel rim and hold the tyre on it.

Carcass:

That part of the pneumatic tyre structure other than the tread and sidewall rubber, which, when inflated, bears the load.

Cord:
It means the strands or filaments of material forming the plies of the tyre structure.

Inner liner:
The layer of rubber forming the inside surface of a tubeless tyre that contains the inflating medium within the tyre.

Ply:
A layer of rubber-coated parallel cords.

Sidewall:
It means that portion of a tyre between the tread and the bead.

Tread:
It means that part of a tyre that comes into contact with the road.

Tread pattern:
The geometric arrangement of blocks, ribs and grooves of the tread.

Tread groove:
The space between two adjacent ribs or blocks in the tread pattern.

Principal grooves:
The wide grooves positioned in the central zone of the tyre tread, which, in the case of car tyres, have the tread, wear indicators located in the base.

Secondary grooves:
The supplementary grooves of the tread pattern, which may disappear in the course of the tyres life.

Regroovable:
A truck tyre designed with sufficient under tread material to allow regrooving of the original tread pattern at some stage during the service life of the tyre. Regrooving of car tyres and motorcycle tyres is prohibited.

Tread wear indicators (TWI):

The projections within the principal grooves designed to give a visual indication of the degree of wear of the tread.

Required Dimensions in tyre:

Section width:
The linear distance between the outsides of the sidewalls of an inflated pneumatic tyre, excluding elevations due to labeling (marking), decoration or protective bands or ribs;

Overall width:
The linear distance between the outsides of the sidewalls of an inflated pneumatic tyre, including labeling (marking), decoration and protective bands or ribs;

Section height:
A distance equal to half the difference between the outer diameter of the tyre and the nominal rim diameter;

Nominal aspect ratio (Ra):

The centuple of the number obtained by dividing the number expressing the section height by the number expressing the nominal section width;

Outer diameter:
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The overall diameter of an inflated new pneumatic tyre;

Function of tyre:
Drivers often forget that tyres are the only point of contact of a vehicle with the ground and, as a result, they must perform a certain number of functions such as steering, carrying a load, cushioning, rolling, transmitting drive, lasting a long time.

Steering:
Tyres should steer the vehicle with precision, irrespective of the state of the surface and/or weather conditions. The stability of a vehicles path depends on the tyre holding its course. A tyre must stand up to transversal forces without drifting from its path. In general, each vehicle has a particular inflation pressure for each axle. Respecting pressure variations between front and rear tyres ensures ideal directional stability.

Carrying:
Tyres support the vehicle not only when it is moving but also when it is standing still and must be able to resist considerable load transfers during acceleration and braking. A car tyre carries more than 50 times its own weight.

Cushioning:
Tyres absorb the shocks due to obstacles, and cushions the vehicle from other irregularities in the road, ensuring driver and passenger comfort as well as the long life of the vehicle. . The main characteristic of a tyre is its suppleness, particularly in a vertical direction. The significant elasticity of the air contained in the tyre enables it to take the impact of any deformations caused by obstacles and uneven surfaces. The right pressure gives high levels of comfort whilst retaining good steering capacity.

Rolling
A tyre rolls more evenly, more safely and with less resistance for better driving pleasure

Transmittingdrive:
Tyres transmit drive: the engines usable power, braking effort. The quality of these few square inches in contact with the ground dictates the level of transmission of drive.

Long-lasting:
The tyre lasts, or in other words, keeps its optimum performance level for millions of wheel revolutions. The tyres wear depends on its conditions of use (load, speed, condition of the road surface, state of the vehicle, style of driving, etc.) but above all the quality of its contact with the ground. Pressure therefore plays a major role.

Raw Material:
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Rubber is the main raw material used in manufacturing tires, and both natural and synthetic rubber is used. Natural rubber is found as a milky liquid in the bark of the rubber tree, Hevea Brasiliensis. To produce the raw rubber used in tire manufacturing, the liquid latex is mixed with acids that cause the rubber to solidify. Presses squeeze out excess water and form the rubber into sheets, and then the sheets are dried in tall smokehouses, pressed into enormous bales, and shipped to tire factories around the world. Synthetic rubber is produced from the polymers found in crude oil. The other primary ingredient in tire rubber is carbon black. Carbon black is a fine, soft powder created when crude oil or natural gas is burned with a limited amount of oxygen, causing incomplete combustion and creating a large amount of fine soot. So much carbon black is required for manufacturing tires that rail cars transport it and huge silos store the carbon black at the tire factory until it is needed. Sulfur and other chemicals are also used in tires. Specific chemicals, when mixed with rubber and then heated, produce specific tire characteristics such as high friction (but low mileage) for a racing tire or high mileage (but lower friction) for a passenger car tire. Some chemicals keep the rubber flexible while it is being shaped into a tire while other chemicals protect the rubber from the ultraviolet radiation in sunshine.

Types of Tyres:
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There are two basic types of tyre construction: Bias ply tyres Radial ply tyres

Bias Ply tyres:

Bias ply tires are constructed of overlapping crossed layers of cord material and are typically made with nylon, polyester, or other materials. The crossed plies run on a diagonal from tire bead to tire bead and comprise a generally stiff sidewall area. Sometimes, extra crossed plies or breakers are used under the tread area to further stiffen the crown area and provide better wear resistance or other performance parameters (such as puncture resistance, etc.).

Performance and Purpose of a Bias Ply:

Bias ply tires have a limited purpose in life and are only used for specific purposes or jobs. The reason for this is because of its performance characteristics. However for some jobs the bias ply tire is an idea tire for the purpose such as for the tires of a towed trailer, farm equipment tires, some purpose built tires like extreme terrain tires and some forms of racing still use bias ply tires. The reasons for this limited use are:

The bias-ply tire casing is constructed to form one working unit. When the sidewalls deflect or bend under load, the tread squeezes in and distorts. The distortion affects the tires footprint and can decrease traction and increases wear depending on the terrain. The tread distortion also causes abrasion from the ground surface, which reduces the life of the tire. These factors are why bias ply tires are not idea for passenger car tires or as tires that my see highway use unless used as tires for a towed trailer. Bias Ply Strength - The way to increase the strength of bias-ply tires is by increasing the number of plies and bead wires. More plies means more mass which, increasing heat retention and reducing tire life. Because of the bias ply inherent construction, sidewall strength is less than that of a radial tire's construction and cornering is significantly less effective. This is probably one of the main reasons bias ply tires are not used for passenger cars and trucks. However because of the bias ply construction and inherent strength of a properly inflated tire, the bias ply is idea for straight line towing

Bias ply advantages:

Strong sidewalls, tough casing Good lateral stability (hill side work) Good in rough terrain - generally used in mining Good puncture resistance Easily repaired Easy to set up and maintain (pressure) No power delivery problems Lower purchase price

Bias ply disadvantages:

Poor life expectancy (50% of radial) Lack of flexibility in casing reduces traction Can't run at low pressures Profile of tyre increases soil compaction and reduces traction

Radial Ply Tyres:

Radial ply tires are made with the cord material running in a radial or direct line from bead (at 90 degrees to the centerline of the tire), and are typically made with one steel body ply or multiple body plies of other materials. Under the tread area, the radial tire usually has three or four Crossed plies or belts made of steel cord to stabilize the crown area and offer better puncture resistance. The radial sidewall area is generally less stiff than the bias ply sidewall, though the tread area is normally much stiffer.

Performance and Purpose of a Radial Ply:

The construction of the radial tire makes it puncture-resistant. It also gives a smoother ride and is quieter than other types of tires. The dual construction of the radial plies and the belt plies allows the sidewall of the tire to flex when under a load or when cornering, but still have the tread remain flat on the road surface. This gives radials better traction and better handling as well as longer life than non-radial tires. The radial construction allows heat to dissipate, so radial tires run cooler and are less susceptible to blowouts on the highway. The advantages of radial tires make them a preferred choice for passenger cars, but other vehicles can benefit from their characteristics as well. Farm vehicles, off-road vehicles, trailers and aircraft can all benefit from the traction, handling and heat dissipation afforded by radial tires.

Radial ply advantages:

Good high speed capacity Low heat build-up Low rolling resistance Large contact area Good grip, 40% greater than bias ply Good availability of sizes. Proliferation of sizes in the last 10 years has mostly been in radial (eg. 70, 65, 60, 55 series)

Radial ply disadvantages:

More prone to puncturing

More difficult to repair Greater knowledge required for proper set-up and maintenance

Difference between Bias Ply and Radial Ply Tyres:

Bias/Cross ply Vehicle Steadiness Cut Resistance: Tread Cut Resistance: Sidewall Repair ability Self-Cleaning Traction Heat Resistance Wear Resistance Floatation Fuel Economy Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No No No No

Radial No Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Tyre Sidewall Information:

1. BIAS: 5.90 INFLATED SECTION WIDTH (INCHES) 2. Radial: P 215 65 R 15 89 H Speed Rating 15 NOMINAL BEAD DIA (INCHES)

Passenger Section Car width

Aspect Rim Load Radial Ratio Diameter Index

"P" means this is a passenger car tyre (as opposed to a tyre made for a truck or other vehicle). P- metric is the U.S. version of a metric tyre-sizing system. "215" Section Width: The width of the tyre in millimeters from sidewall to sidewall. This measurement varies depending on the width of the rim to which the tyre is fitted: larger on a wider rim, smaller on a narrow rim. The number on the side of tyre indicates the width measured with the tyre fitted to the recommended rim width. "65" Aspect Ratio: The ratio of height to width; this tyre's height is 65% of its width. R" Construction: How the plies are constructed in the tyre carcass. "R" means radial. "B" in place of the "R" means the tyre is belted bias construction. "D" in place of the "R" means diagonal bias construction. 15" Rim Diameter: The diameter of the wheel in inches.
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"89" Load Index: This tyre has an industry-standard maximum load of 580 kilogram. Different numbers correspond to different maximum loads. The maximum load is shown in lbs. (pounds) and in kg (kilograms), and maximum pressure in PSI (pounds per square inch) and in kPa (kilopascals). Kilograms and kilopascals are metric units of measurement. "H" Speed Rating: This tyre has an industry-standard maximum service speed of 210 km per hour. tyres using an older European system carry the speed rating in the size description: 215/65HR15. Different letters correspond to different maximum service speeds.

Calculation formula for tyre:

Example size: 225/45R17 The first three numbers in a typical size (225/45R17) are the tire's indicated section width in millimeters, measured from sidewall to sidewall. If you are familiar with measurements in inches, the section width in millimeters can be converted into inches by dividing it by 25.4. For example: 225mm / 25.4 = 8.86" The second pair of numbers (225/45R17) is the tire's aspect ratio or profile. This is a ratio of sidewall height to section width. The section height's measurement can be calculated by multiplying the section width by the aspect ratio. The answer will be the height of one sidewall. For example:

225mmx0.45=101.3mm 8.86" x 0.45 = 3.99" The last number (225/45R17) is the diameter of the wheel in inches. If you are familiar with measurements in the metric system, the wheel diameter can be converted into millimeters by multiplying it by 25.4. For example: 17" x 25.4 = 431.8mm To calculate the overall diameter of a tire, the sidewall height must be multiplied by 2 (remembering that the tire diameter is made up of 2 sidewalls, the one above the wheel and the one below the wheel touching the ground) and add the diameter of the wheel. 101.3mm + 101.3mm + 431.8mm = 634.4mm

3.99" + 3.99" + 17" = 24.98"

http://www.kouki.co.uk/utilities/visual-tyre-size-calculator http://www.gtsparkplugs.com/TireCalculator.html

Load Capacity Index chart:

Load capacity index: means a number associated to the reference mass a tyre can carry when operated in conformity with requirements governing utilization specified by the manufacturer. A=Loadcapacity index, B=Corresponding mass of the vehicle which is to be carried.

A 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27

B 45 46.2 47.5 48.7 50 51.5 53 54.5 56 58 60 61.5 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 77.5 80 82.5 85 87.5 90 92.5 95 97

A 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68

B 145 150 155 160 165 170 175 180 185 190 195 200 206 212 218 224 230 236 243 250 257 265 272 280 290 300 307 315

A 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109

B 475 487 500 515 530 545 560 580 600 615 630 650 670 690 710 730 750 775 800 825 850 875 900 925 950 975 1000 1030

A 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150

B 1550 1600 1650 1700 1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 2060 2120 2180 2240 2300 2360 2430 2500 2575 2650 2725 2800 2900 3000 3075 3150 3250 3350

A 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191

B 5000 5150 5300 5450 5600 5800 6000 6150 6300 6500 6700 6900 7100 7300 7500 7750 8000 8250 8500 8750 9000 9250 9500 9750 10000 10300 10600 10900

28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

100 103 106 109 112 115 118 121 125 128 132 136 140

69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81

325 335 345 355 365 375 387 400 412 425 437 450 462

110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122

1060 1090 1120 1150 1180 1215 1250 1285 1320 1360 1400 1450 1500

151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163

3450 3550 3650 3750 3875 4000 4125 4250 4375 4500 4625 4750 4875

192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200

11200 11500 11800 12150 12500 12850 13200 13600 14000

Speed Ratings:
Speed symbol F G J K L M N P Q R S T U H V W Y Corresponding speed Km/h 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 210 240 270 300

Wheel and Tyre:

Radial Tyre: Front & Rear: 155/70R13 Bias Tyre: Front & Rear: 4.50-10,8PR

Tyre Suitable for MUCS:

Maruthi Suzuki Omni Maruthi eeco Bajaj CG max Tata ace Reva NXR

Price of Tyres:
Radial Tyre: Bridgestone: Rs.3200 Goodyear: Rs.2800

Bias Tyre:
TVS Tyres: Rs.2000