What are Flotation Tires? Latest and Greatest tires?

Flotation tires are a relatively new technology that is being used more and more frequently in the world of off-road vehicles. If you are not familiar with them, don’t worry! We are going to explain what are flotation tires and how they work in this blog post.

What are Flotation Tires?

Flotation tires are large off-roading tire, specifically designed to allow drivers to travel on softer surfaces, such as sand or mud without getting stuck.

How Do Flotation Tires Work?

Flotation tires work by providing a large amount of surface area in contact with the ground, which helps to spread the pressure and weight of the vehicle over a large area. Spreading the weight of a vehicle over a larger and wider tire helps to prevent a vehicle from sinking into softer surfaces, such as sand or mud.

Flotation tires also different from other large off-road tires as their tread is much more shallow. This is because they are designed to float on top of a surface rather than digging into it and using the tread for traction to push the vehicle forward.

Flotation tires can also have their tire pressure lowered to further increase their surface area in contact with the ground. This is often done when driving on extremely soft surfaces, such as sand dunes.

What Are the Benefits of Flotation Tires?

There are many benefits to using flotation tires. One benefit is that they offer additional grip over looser and softer surfaces. This has made flotation tires especially popular for use in farming and agricultural industries.

Not only are they superior over loose and soft surfaces, they are also favoured over other kinds of tires as flotation tires are able to minimise the amount that they disturb the surface.

Other comparable off-road tires are very likely to leave large ruts or tracks behind them, which can be unsightly and disruptive. Flotation tires on the other hand, thanks to their shallower tread and wider body, are much less likely to leave behind any noticeable marks.

Another benefit is that they provide a smoother ride on rough terrain. This is because thanks to their very large size, they are able to absorb and smooth out a lot of the shocks and bumps that would otherwise be transferred to the vehicle and the driver.

Additionally, flotation tires can help to improve traction and stability on icy and snow-covered roads. This is because the large surface area of the tire helps to prevent a vehicle from slipping and sliding around on icy roads.

Are There Any Downsides to Flotation Tires?

While there are many benefits to using flotation tires, there are also a few downsides that you should be aware of.

One downside is that flotation tires are much more expensive than your standard types of off-road tires. This is because they are a relatively new technology and the manufacturing process is still quite expensive.

Another downside is that they are not as effective on hard surfaces, such as rocks or pavement. This is because the tread on flotation tires is much shallower than other off-road tires and as such, they do not provide as much grip.

Flotation tires also have a very high rolling resistance due to their very large size and contact patch and their heavy weight. This means they are not suited for driving at high speeds and also makes them less fuel efficient and can put additional strain on your vehicle’s engine and drivetrain, especially the clutch.

And finally, flotation tires will limit the top speed of your vehicle. This is because the large surface area and weight of the tire will restrict its ability to reach high speeds as easily as smaller and lighter tires.

Conclusion

Flotation tires are a versatile and popular choice for many different industries and vehicles. Their many benefits make them a great choice for anyone looking for a tire that can provide superior grip and stability on a variety of soft surfaces.

Now that you know what are flotation tires, if you’re looking for a tire that can offer you superior grip and traction over a wide range of surfaces, then flotation tires are definitely worth considering.

We hope you enjoyed this article and found it informative. If you have any questions then please leave a comment below or get in touch via email or through social media and we will read and respond to every comment, email or question. Thanks for reading!