What is a Nylon Radial tire ??

[Gordon Gould]

I purchased on-line a pair of front tires for my old 2007 Polaris Sportsman 500 4-wheeler. There wasn't much selection for the size I needed. They came in today. They were marked as 23X8R-12 6 ply nylon tubeless radials. The nylon surprised me. What is the significance of them being nylon ? My biggest question is can they be repaired with a standard tire plug or do I need something special ? I am just an old guy putting around in my woods so durability and handling are not a big concern. Thanks.

gg

 

[flyerdan]

Nylon just refers to the material in the belting, aka steel-belted radial. That was a less expensive alternative in the early days of radial tire development, I think it may have been pretty much done away with by the dominance of steel belting, but hopefully some tire guys can chime in with more info. Check the date codes, those could be NOS from the early days.

 

[Eagle1]

You use your standard plugs, just the cords are nylon.
Radial vs. Nylon Tires: What's the Difference?

 

[Peter 315]

I like tire patches better then plugs but plugs are faster to install...just my 2 cents. You can get a plug/patch combo also.

 

[ericm979]

It's likely a nylon bias ply tire, which is pretty typical for UTV tires. Yea I know it says radial on the side. But the company's literature doesn't mention radial while they do for other models. Most UTV tires are nylon bias ply.

Either way you can plug or patch it like normal.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Thank you all for the info. Amazing, I've been buying tires for over 60 years and still don't know much.

gg

 

[ultrarunner]

Nylon tires were known to be tough and cost effective

One issue if I remember right is they can get a flat spot from prolonged sitting in one spot...

The flat spot goes away as the tire warms up by driving.

I have some at least 50 year old nylon tires still in very good shape.

 

[RayIN]

Nylon tires were known to be tough and cost effective

One issue if I remember right is they can get a flat spot from prolonged sitting in one spot...

The flat spot goes away as the tire warms up by driving.

I have some at least 50 year old nylon tires still in very good shape.

I agree; punch a hole in a steel belted tire, water enters and begins the rusting process, which cannot be reversed.
Nylon will not rust or corrode, but not as durable if neither is punctured, IMO.
I bought a set of new Masterforce tires for my pickup, not realizing they have steel belts and nylon casing plies. When cold they flat-spot and it takes about 5 miles of driving this winter for them to get round again.