You may have heard someone referencing the tire bead or tire bead gap and thought to yourself..."WTF is that?" No worries, we're here to help explain what a tire bead is, why the tire bead gap on your wheel matters, and offer some suggestions on how to choose the correct wheel and tire combos.
The Basics
If you've never actually mounted a tire to a wheel (bike, car, utv, etc.), it's easy to assume you simply fill the tire with air and it magically stays on the wheel. What makes the magic happen is a combined effort between your favorite wheel and tire companies. There are many safety measures that both wheel and tire manufacturers take to ensure each product properly beads, has adequate strength for side impact, and stays in place.
What you need to consider is that if you alter the recipe of this process (lowering air pressure below the suggested psi, or going speeds not recommended for either wheel or tire), you're going to test the limits of these safety measures, and you'll be putting yourself and your passengers in harm's way.
Let's address each part and piece that make a successful tire-and-wheel combo.
UTV Tire Bead
The tire bead is the edge of a tire where the rubber makes direct contact with the wheel. The tire bead is a super-stiff loop of coated steel wires, tightly wound to exert pressure on the tire's outer lining. The function of a tire’s bead is to firmly adhere the tire to the outer surface of the wheel. It uses pressure from the wires to mold the rubber to the wheel’s frame. The bead forms an airtight seal against the wheel, enabling more efficient transfer of forces as the vehicle moves. The rubber compound surrounding the tire bead reduces the flexibility of the wires and deflects damaging forces, especially during rock crawling or hard turns at high speeds.
Tire Bead Gap
