How Monster Jam Tires Are Made
For the past decade, the Indian tire company BKT has been supplying tires for the Monster Jam bigfoot show and, together with the competition organizers from Feld Motor Sports, has been developing the most durable and efficient tires for automotive acrobatics, which attracts viewers of all ages in different countries around the world. Not so long ago, in its blog, BKT told about how it improved tires for monster trucks, starting from its entry into Monster Jam and ending with the development of the BKT FL354 model - the fourth generation of tires created specifically to withstand the most extreme loads when performing tricks.
Now, monster trucks in the show are equipped with tires that are almost two meters high and weigh over 200 kg, which, as the company emphasizes, have become the result of continuous work to improve their parameters and cooperation with participants and organizers. The tires are used at a pressure of 1.6 atm, as this level provides the best balance between vehicle stability and sidewall elasticity, allowing the tires to handle loads when landing after jumps, skidding, centrifugal forces, etc.
Over the 10 years, many parameters of the tires have changed, and, for example, their width has been reduced by approximately 60 mm to prevent contact with vehicle parts and reduce the load on shock absorbers when hitting the ground. The initial diameter has been preserved, but the tire shape has become "more rounded", which improved the smoothness of the ride, while the tread depth in the central section has been increased to improve traction and increase the resource of the tires, and in the shoulder zones, the height of the lugs has been reduced so that the tires do not dig into the ground as much, especially when cornering.
The current generation of tires is equipped with additional blocks in the upper part of the sidewalls, which were added to maintain a high level of grip even when the vehicle lands on one or two wheels, and the composition of the rubber mixture has been constantly improved, including to improve resistance to wear and impact, since the tires must allow overcoming any obstacles. During competitions, monster trucks drive over various objects or land on them, and puncture resistance is of paramount importance, since there can be, for example, a car under the wheels. And since the compound makes the tires more durable and longer-lasting, they need to be replaced less often, which, among other things, also reduces the load on the environment.
The tread pattern has been improved by engineers using countless real-world tests and computer modeling technologies, and the main task is to ensure reliable grip when performing the most dizzying tricks. The tires must guarantee confident grip on any surfaces, from sand to asphalt, so that the pilot in any situation knows that they will maintain full control over the vehicle, and this ultimately leads to the show becoming more spectacular.
No less important is the strength of the design, and all tires are designed to maintain their shape and functionality even in the most extreme situations, for example, when landing from a great height and performing high-speed maneuvers. Before getting on the arena, each tire undergoes a series of tests in accordance with strict requirements, so that participants are fully confident in their reliability.
The pilots themselves also participate in the development of tires, BKT says that feedback from their side is crucial, and the feedback and continuous process of improving various characteristics of tires guarantee that the necessary level of safety will be ensured during the show.
Participation in Monster Jam is primarily aimed at improving the recognition of the BKT brand, but there is also another benefit, since technologies developed, for example, to increase the strength of tires for monster trucks can later be adapted for use in the production of serial tires for agriculture, mining, etc. Thanks to this, as BKT says, even more reliable and durable tires come to the market, requiring less maintenance and reducing buyers' expenses.