The Radial Ply Tyre. What’s the big deal? Why should you fork up the extra Ringgit for it?

Because it gives you extra mileage?
The rigid breaker in a radial tyre supports and stiffen the tread. So it cuts down on the amount of treat movement or “shuffle”. So the tread wears out slower. So the radial tyre lasts longer than a crossply tyre.

Because it provides better stability?
The radial tyre has supple sidewalls. Okay, this means they’re more easily damaged. And you’ll need to make more effort when parking. But supple sidewalls absorb minor road irregularities. Which means that when you’re driving on a straight road at high speed, you’ll need to do less steering to get a smoother, more stable ride.

Because it gives superior rides at high speeds?
The radial tyre’s rigid breaker tends to give you a harsher ride at speeds below 65km/h. But speed up, and you’ll get a ride like no crossply tyre can give you.

Because it saves fuel?
As we’ve seen earlier, the radial tyre encounter less tread shuffle than the crossply tyre. Less tread shuffle also means less energy loss which results in fuel savings of between 3 to 10%!

Because it makes driving safer in wet conditions?
The radial tyre’s flat tread profile and rigid breaker ensure that the tyre’s whole tread pattern remains in contact with the road surface. This means that there is more area of friction between the tyre and the road surface. So when the road is wet, you get better traction and you don’t skid so easily with the radial tyre.

If your radial tyre has a breaker made of steel cords instead of textile cords, the above properties will be further enhanced.