Like the tread, it protects the cord body from abrasion, cuts, bruises, and moisture. The beads are multiple strands of high-tensile strength steel wire imbedded in robber and wrapped in strips of open weave fabric. The beads hold the tire firmly on the rims and serve as an anchor for the fabric plies that are turned up around the bead wires. The chafing strips are one or more plies of rubber-impregnated woven fabric wrapped around the outside of the beads. They provide additional rigidity to the bead and prevent the metal wheel rim from chafing the tire.
Tubeless tires have an additional ply of rubber over the chafing strips to function as an air seal.
The breakers are one or more plies of cord or woven fabric impregnated with rubber. They are used between the tread rubber and the cord body to provide extra reinforcement to prevent bruise damage to the tire. Breakers are not part of the cord body. Integrated Publishing's Official Web Page Click here for a current index of everything on this web site. All Rights Reserved.