Stiffness enhanced tread

摘要

A tire (10) comprising a tread base comprising a first material and a tread cap (32) comprising a second material is disclosed. The tread cap is disposed radially outward of at least a part of the tread base and is configured for operationally coming into contact with a ground surface. A plurality of tread plugs (44, 48) comprising a third material is disposed at least partially within at least one of the tread base and the tread cap. The plurality of tread plugs (44, 48) may yield a tread stiffness in a first direction greater than a tread stiffness in at least one other direction. The second and third material may have a different modulus than the first material. Also, a method of manufacturing such a tire (10) is disclosed.