Flotation tires?

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TJK

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Anyone know if there's a difference between "Flotation" tires and regular All Terrain tires within the same brand/model?

Seems I can only get the sizes I need if they are flotation tires whereas most other sizes do not have this distinction...Seem to be more $$$ too...

For instance:

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Screen Shot 2021-10-05 at 9.53.22 PM.png


Screen Shot 2021-10-05 at 9.54.14 PM.png


Screen Shot 2021-10-05 at 9.54.32 PM.png
 
The last sentence explains it.
Flotation tires were created in 1960 by an Indiana tire dealer who sought to create a tire that would reduce rutting and soil compaction when used with agricultural equipment. Flotation tires not only affected the tire industry, but also gained popularity among farmers. While the design of these tires is unique, the tires have their own system of measurement, which can be difficult to understand for those who have not encountered flotation sizing before. The sizing is derived from an outdated numeric system which uses inches rather than metric measurements.

p.s. Tell @NashvilleTJ my account was hacked again. 🤫
 
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TheBoogieman said:
The last sentence explains it.
Flotation tires were created in 1960 by an Indiana tire dealer who sought to create a tire that would reduce rutting and soil compaction when used with agricultural equipment. Flotation tires not only affected the tire industry, but also gained popularity among farmers. While the design of these tires is unique, the tires have their own system of measurement, which can be difficult to understand for those who have not encountered flotation sizing before. The sizing is derived from an outdated numeric system which uses inches rather than metric measurements.

p.s. Tell @NashvilleTJ my account was hacked again. 🤫
Click to expand...
(ah yes, the long lost glyphs of the Imperial code, I've only ever seen it referred to in the ancient texts.....)

Aha ok so different tire then it looks like?...weird that I can't find the size at the typical tire shops. Doesn't even come up as sold out, says not available in this size.. any other Canadian's out there have this issue?

Ok so maybe I should look for a metric equivalent then?

Seems odd that sizing would just be flat out unavailable...
 
The distinction isn't that complicated.

If you look at the sizes of the OP's tire illustrations you will see metric sizes and sizes in inches (31x9.5, 33x10.5, 35x12.5, etc.). The second group are commonly known as "flotation" tires even though they don't "float" any better than a metric tire of similar dimensions.

The term "flotation tire" was actually coined by Dick Cepek sometime in 1965 when he began marketing DOT-rated Armstrong 11-15 ribbed farm implement tires to jeepers in SoCal who frequented sandy desert areas where getting stuck with the pizza cutter tires of the day was common.* My dad purchased a set for his new '65 Kaiser CJ-5 V-6 when Dick was still selling them from the one-car garage behind his home in South Gate and we used those tires to drive the length of Baja in the spring of 1966.




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* 11-15 meant 11" wide to fit a 15" diameter wheel. The diameter of the tire wasn't part of the size designation in those days. Typical tire widths were only 6-7" at that time, 8" at the most. Dick also sold 8" wide steel wheels for his 11-15 Armstrong tires and would proudly measure that they were actually 8" wide bead-to-bead rather than only 8" O.D. like his competition - his friends Brian Chuchua in Orange County and Pete Condos (Con-Ferr) in Burbank.
 
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Mr. Bills said:
My dad purchased a set for his new '65 Kaiser CJ-5 V-6 when Dick was still selling them from the one-car garage behind his home in South Gate and we used those tires to drive the length of Baja in the spring of 1966.
Click to expand...

Regardless of what the word floatation may, or may not, mean regarding tires today, I like reading that. /\
 
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