When it comes to cars, the standard tyre size is typically fifteen to seventeen inches, with some sports cars taking larger sizes. The Aston Martin DB9, for example, goes as large as twenty-two inches as standard. Whilst these may well look huge when parked next to an average car, they are far from the biggest in the world. So just what are the biggest tyres in the world? Let’s take a closer look.
1. Titan Tyre 63-inch off-road
In 2008, American tyre manufacturer Titan Tire shipped the first of its giant 63-inch tyres to a mining location in Canada – along with their very own custom wheel assemblies. Although the mining and quarrying industry has long been famous for their huge machines with incredibly large wheels, this was something completely new.
The colossal tyres stand at over 4 metres tall and weigh in at a staggering 5.6 metric tonnes – that’s the equivalent of 5 Ford Fiestas! To date, it is believed to be the largest production tyre available in the world.
2. Bridgestone 59/80R63
Before the Titan took the spotlight, the largest production tyre was the Bridgestone 59/80R63 V-Steel E-Lug S tyre. The 59/80R63 measures 1.47 meters across, and has a nominal load rating of 101 metric tons, standing at 4.02 metres tall – just 11 centimetres less that the Titan.
Designed for use on Caterpillar heavy machinery, in particular, the CAT 797 dump truck, the tyres are still in common usage today and cost a mere £30,000 (34,000 euros) each! So how much rubber goes into each one of these monster tyres? Enough to make 600 standard car tyres!
3. The Uniroyal Giant Tyre
Although the previous two monster tyres can stand tall in the limelight as the world’s biggest production tyres, they are not the biggest ever tyres in the world. That special claim to fame goes to the Uniroyal Giant Tyre, which was created by the Uniroyal Tire Company for the 1964 New York World’s Fair, where it functioned as a Ferris wheel.
If you fancy a tyre-inspired tour of America, it remains to this day as a static display in Allen Park, Michigan, alongside Interstate 94, between the Southfield Freeway interchange and Outer Drive overpass.
The exact height of this incredible tyre is disputed but is believed to be between 24 – 26 metres. It weighs just under 11 metric tonnes. The exterior tire tread is 15 cm deep, with an interior volume of 3,414.3 m3. It is not made of rubber, but of a Uniroyal-developed polyester resin reinforced with glass fibre, which makes it flame resistant. It is the largest non-production tire scale model ever built, and can also boast the claim of being one of the world’s largest roadside attractions.
In 1990, the Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Company was acquired by the world-renowned Michelin company – including ownership of the giant tyre.
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Here at Tyreland in Dublin, we stock a wide range of tyres at unbeatable prices, as well as offering unrivalled customer service. With fitting and balancing included and a free wheel alignment check also available, you can be sure to drive away with confidence no matter what your budget. Get in touch.
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