What are the Differences Between OTR Tires With Inner Tubes And Those Without Inner Tubes?

There are significant differences in structure, performance, and applicable scenarios between OTR tires with and without inner tubes:

1. Structural differences

The inner tube tire consists of three parts: outer tire, inner tube, and flap. The inner tube is the core of inflation, directly containing compressed air. The outer tire is used to protect the inner tube and withstand the load. The flap is placed between the inner tube and the wheel rim to prevent the inner tube from being worn by the wheel rim.

Tubeless tire: Without inner tubes and flaps, air is directly filled into the sealed cavity formed by the outer tire and wheel rim. The inner wall of the outer tire usually has a layer of airtight rubber, and the rim edge is also designed with a sealing structure to ensure that air does not leak.

2. Safety

Inner tube tires: If the inner tube is punctured, air will leak rapidly, which may cause an instant blowout, especially under heavy load or high-speed conditions, the risk is relatively high. Moreover, the friction between the inner tube and the outer tube may cause heat accumulation, increasing the risk of a blowout.

Tubeless tires: After being punctured, they leak air at a relatively slow rate and can maintain a certain tire pressure for a short time, which is convenient for the vehicle to stop slowly for maintenance. It has better heat dissipation (no inner tube friction), reducing malfunctions caused by high temperatures.

3. Weight and energy consumption

Inner tube tires: Due to the addition of inner tubes and pads, the overall weight is greater, which increases the vehicle's driving resistance and indirectly raises fuel/power consumption.

Tubeless tires: With a simpler structure and lighter weight, they help reduce energy consumption and are suitable for scenarios where range or power efficiency is required.

4. Maintain convenience

Inner tube tires: During maintenance, the outer tire needs to be removed and the inner tube taken out, which is a rather complicated process. Inner tubes are prone to re-damage due to improper installation (such as folding and wear), and the maintenance cost is relatively high.

Tubeless tires: When repairing a tire, there is no need to remove the outer tire. The damaged area can be directly repaired on the inner side of the outer tire, making the operation more convenient. Moreover, it reduces problems such as inner tube aging and wear, and has a relatively longer service life.

5. Applicable scenarios

Inner tube tires: They have a relatively low cost and strong tolerance to rough road surfaces. They are still used in traditional construction machinery (such as old-fashioned loaders and rollers) or in cost-sensitive scenarios.

Tubeless tires: They offer superior safety and durability, making them suitable for large-scale OTR  equipment that operates at high speed, under heavy loads, and for long periods of time (such as modern mining dump trucks and large excavators). They are particularly widely used in large-scale infrastructure or mining projects with high reliability requirements.

With the development of technology, tubeless tires have gradually increased their application proportion in the field of OTR tires due to their comprehensive performance advantages. However, tubeless tires still have irreplaceability in some specific scenarios thanks to their cost advantages.