It's important to familiarize yourself with the basic anatomy of agricultural tires including each of the tire’s components to understand how tire construction impacts tire performance. Using this information, you can have a better understanding of the role each tire component plays in ensuring your farm’s tires are achieving top performance when you head into the field for soil prep, planting, spraying and harvest.
Keep reading for what you need to know when it comes to the anatomy of your tires.
Let’s take a closer look
1. BEAD – Beads Anchor the tire to the rim and allow the tire to stay "seated" on the wheel.
2. BEAD FILLER – Bead Fillers stabilize the lower sidewall by enveloping the bead and extending up tin the sidewall to maximize stability, steering response, and case durability.
3. INNERLINER – Liners protect the cord body by insulating the tubes from the cords. Liners are essential for resisting air and moisture permeation.
4. BELTS – Belts determine the shape, or footprint, of the tire. Belts work in conjunction with the cords to add stability and strength.
5. TREAD DESIGN – Treads serve to interact with the soil or paved surface and provide traction. Tread design varies between tires to maximize traction and resist wear and tear.
6. SIDEWALL – Sidewalls are made of flexible rubber and provide lateral stability. The sidewalls keep the body plies and inner liner of the tire protected from stubble and debris. Sidewall flex is a big factor in deciding what tire is right for what job and what piece of equipment.
7. LUG BUTTRESS – Lug depth is important for traction. together with the lug buttress, this component provides tread stability.
8. BODY PLIES – Cords run radially from bead to bead and determine the strength of the tire, determine its load capacity and provide lateral stability.
Bias ply tires engineered with multiple plies of rubber crisscrossed over one another. Thus, the sidewall and tread are connected. Conversely, radial tires are made of two separate parts. The body plies run perpendicular to the bead and the undertread hugs the tires circumference with steel belts. This way, sidewall movement isn't transferred into the tread, so radials offer reduced soil compaction.
To sum up the debate, bias tires are great for forestry, or non-tillage equipment and they cost less than radials. Radials have a larger footprint for better traction and reduced soil compaction. Plus, they're more fuel efficient. A certified Firestone Ag Dealer can help to determine the correct type of tire for your needs.
Bias tires are perfect for smaller, lightweight production equipment that requires extra stability for non-tillage work.
Stiff sidewalls are ideal for forestry and avoiding cuts and punctures
Crisscross body plies create internal friction that create stability but run hot
Cost effective options for older or lightweight equipment
Best for environments where sidewall punctures are common
Not for everyday tillage/production
Increased traction helps with fuel economy and allows you to cover more ground. Radial tires can last up to 30% longer than bias tires. Radial tires with AD2 technology allow you to carry more load at lower inflation pressure.
Shows an advantage of 6% to 14% in traction, fuel economy and reduced wheel slippage over bias tires.
Bigger footprint, longer tread wear and a smoother ride
More resistant to tread cuts and punctures
Typically easier to repair
Runs cooler
Ideal for larger equipment
AD2 tires have a larger footprint that can help improve the productivity of today's heavier equipment with less time in the field and reduced fuel consumption.
Carry the same loads at lower pressure
Reduce soil compaction
Improved traction
When choosing the right tire size for your tractor and your farm’s traction needs, you will be looking at a set of numbers on the sidewall of your tire for guidance.
Tire width
Aspect ratio
Radial (if applicable)
Tire diameter
For additional help understanding each of these measurements and choosing your tires you can read our How to Read a Tire Guide
R-1 – Regular Agriculture
Aggressive patters that deliver traction in most common soil conditions – it’s also the standard tread for dry-land farming.
R-1W – Premium Tread Agriculture
Designed for wet or sticky soils. R-1W lugs are 20-20% deeper than an R-1 tire.
R-2 – Wet Farming Applications
Made for super wet conditions, with treads that are twice as deep as an R-1 and more space between lugs for wet or flooded fields. Typical applications are rice, sugar cane and high-value vegetable crops.
R-3 – Shallow Industrial
R-3 is a non-aggressive pattern for minimal ground disturbance sites like airports, gold courses, cemeteries or roadside maintenance. Its relatively closed tread pattern is designed to evenly distribute the load on maintenance trailers and grain carts.
R-4 – Construction & Light Industrial
R-4 tires are intended to be operated on hard surfaces with backhoes and small loaders, with a tread depth approximately 70% of the R1 tread.