Abstract: A tread for a unidirectional pneumatic tire has first and second circumferentially extending zones. The edges of the zones are parallel to the equatorial plane of the tire. Each zone has a width between 40% and 60% of the tread width. The first zone has substantially aligned lateral wide groove segments extending across the width of the first zone. The segments form an angle between 70 and 90 degrees with the equatorial plane. The net-to-gross ratio of the first zone is at least 3% more than that of the second zone. The leading edge of the blocks in the first zone are narrower than the trailing edge. The second zone has substantially aligned lateral wide groove segments extending across the width of the second zone. The segments form an angle between 10 and 45 degrees with the equatorial plane.

Abstract: An improved tire/vehicle system for an automotive vehicle has two pneumatic front tires and two pneumatic rear tires. The rear tire treads are wider than the front tire treads and are divided circumferentially into first and second portions. The first portion of each rear tire tread has a width between 50% and 90% of the rear tire's tread width and is arranged to longitudinally track at least a majority of one of the front tire treads. The second portion of the rear tire tread does not longitudinally track any portion of such front tire tread. Each rear tire tread has a tread groove pattern that is asymmetric in character, the respective net-to-gross ratios in each of the first portions of the rear tire treads being at least 27% different from the net-to-gross ratios of their second portions.

Abstract: A tread for a unidirectional pneumatic tire has first, second and third circumferentially extending zones. The edges of the zones are parallel to the equatorial plane of the tire. The width of the first zone is between 25% and 50% of the tread width, the width of the second zone is between 15% and 35%, and the width of the third zone is between 25% and 50%. The first zone has substantially aligned lateral wide groove segments extending across the width of the first zone. The segments form an angle between 70 and 90 degrees with a plane in the first zone parallel to the equatorial plane. The second zone has substantially aligned lateral wide groove segments extending across the width of the second zone. The segments form an angle between 10 and 45 degrees with a plane in the second zone parallel to the equatorial plane.

Abstract: The tread (28) of a tire (10) has a plurality of traction elements (34), each of which has a ground-engaging surface. The ground-engaging surfaces are convex in either an axial direction, a circumferential direction, or both directions. The convex paths followed by the ground-engaging surfaces vary between ground-engaging surfaces across the axial width of the tread in relationship to the unit tread pressure of the tire, and may also vary between ground-engaging surfaces that are axially aligned but located at different places around the circumference of the tire.

Abstract: A pneumatic vehicle tire (10) has a plurality of radial carcass plies (16,18). One of the carcass plies (16) has a high turn-up that ends under the belt reinforcing structure (42). The other carcass ply (18) has its lateral edges (34,36) located radially inwardly of the widest part of the tire (SD).