Bias Ply Garden Equipment Tire Models

Imagine this scenario: You have purchased a tire for your lawn mower, but when the tire arrived it was as flat as a pancake. Did the retailer try to scam you or have they sent you a damaged product? In case of bias ply tires, it is most likely neither.

Smaller bias tires, such as lawn mower or wheelbarrow sizes, tend to fold and look deformed before inflation, which is a regular occurrence in such tires. Smaller bias ply tires do not feature reinforced constructions like trailer tires do, which is why things like the above-mentioned situation can easily happen.

Let us take a look at why these tires look damaged before they are properly inflated.

What Does “Bias Ply” Mean?

Tires are constructed with internal plies that determine their performing capabilities. The two main ply construction that exists among tires are radial or bias ply and the difference between them is the angle that these tires are laid down.

Bias tire feature diagonally places plies that are angled at a 30 to 40 degree to the tire’s center line. These plies criss-cross over one another and reinforce the tire during its performance. This ply placement creates a thicker internal layer which maintains the ideal tire shape, if the tire is inflated, it effectively prevents damage and punctures from shortening the tire’s lifetime. Bias tires are capable of handling heavier loads with ease. However, since they are prone to overheating, these models are not meant to be used during high speed performance.

Smaller Bias Ply Tires

Their durability and damage resistance make these tires perfect for smaller off-road vehicles, such as ATVs, golf carts, lawn mowers and garden equipment. They ensure that the vehicle and equipment are capable of securely performing on various conditions. Such tires provide good load durability and an overall safer, damage free performance.

However, precisely because of the bias ply construction, these tires may seem deformed when they are not inflated properly. This is only an issue with smaller bias tires. As these tires do not have any additional reinforcement in their construction, there is nothing preventing the bias plies from folding.

The diagonal ply placement is unable to maintain the tire in its ideal tire shape if it is not inflated. This causes the center tread area to fold inward in a V-shape. As a result, the tire looks as if it has been deformed and damaged, or sometimes flat as a pancake. The smaller the tire size, the more prone the bias ply tire is to deform in its deflated or incorrectly inflated state. This is completely normal with such tires, as these need an inner tube to properly function.

How to Fix the Issue

By purchasing an inner tube and inflating the tire in that manner, you ensure that the inner tube controls the bias ply tire’s structure. Small bias ply tires, as a result, can be correctly mounted on the intended vehicle or equipment.

This combination, of a tire and a tube, was the original manner that tires were used. Before radial tire production became the norm in the 1970s, bias tires were manufactured for all vehicles, including passenger cars. These tires needed inner tubes to properly function and to ensure the vehicle’s performing ability and driving safety. The switch to radial tires made inner tubes redundant for passenger vehicles. However, since bias tires are still constructed today, some vehicles may still require them to function properly.

As we have stated before, smaller bias tires, which are made for wheel barrows, lawn mowers and golf carts, are still manufactured. Since these tires do not feature reinforced steel belts in their construction, the tire needs to have the proper PSI to turn the structure back to its ideal shape. Some tires can simply be inflated and they will perform properly, but some need an inner tube is needed to ensure the tire’s proper inflation and performing capability.

To conclude, bias tires that are in a smaller size are not damaged when they are deflated. The weaker construction – compared to bigger size bias ply tires – is just unable to support the ideal tire shape without the proper PSI.