Thread: The use of mud tyres

Originally Posted by Slunnie

I........This trait is apparently something that all/most bias ply tyres do.

That is an interesting comment - I have used bias ply tyres on and off for over fifty years and have very rarely encountered this effect (for example, I have only changed from crossplies on the 2a two years ago, and never saw this effect on it). In my experience it is dependent more on the rubber composition than the tyre construction (and your remark may well apply to many of the relatively rare bias ply tyres sold today) and temperature. I seem to remember reading many years ago that the effect first appeared with wartime use of almost pure synthetic rubber in cold climates, and disappeared when better rubber compositions became available again after the war.

John

Originally Posted by JDNSW

That is an interesting comment - I have used bias ply tyres on and off for over fifty years and have very rarely encountered this effect (for example, I have only changed from crossplies on the 2a two years ago, and never saw this effect on it). In my experience it is dependent more on the rubber composition than the tyre construction (and your remark may well apply to many of the relatively rare bias ply tyres sold today) and temperature. I seem to remember reading many years ago that the effect first appeared with wartime use of almost pure synthetic rubber in cold climates, and disappeared when better rubber compositions became available again after the war.

John

Maybe the temperature makes a difference.
I ran crossply retreads on the Series III for 23 years and often noticed the flat spot when I first drove off.

I think it happened more in the winter. I was living in Yass at the time- same temperatures as Canberra. I also think it needed a couple of days for the effect to be really noticeable.