Stiffness enhanced tread element

A method of forming a pneumatic radial tire comprising the steps of:

• (A) providing a radial green tire carcass comprising a crown region and pair of sidewalls;
• (B) forming a green tire tread by simultaneously extruding a tread cap formed of a first material and a single tread base formed of a second material having a stiffness of at least 1000 kPa more than the stiffness of the first material, and wherein the second material has a G′@10% which is within the range of 1,500 kPa to 8,000 kPa as measured at 100° C. and 1 Hz;
• wherein step (B) comprises the step of:
• providing the green tire tread with:
• (1) a first portion having a first strip of the second material extending from the tread base into the tread cap;
• and, (2) a second portion having a second strip of the second material extending from the tread base into the tread cap;
• (C) applying the green tire tread to the crown region of the radial green tire carcass to form a green tire;
• and,
• (D) vulcanizing the radial green tire to form a pneumatic radial cured tire that comprises a tread having:
• (1) a first shoulder tread element comprising the first strip extending from the tread base into the tread cap;
• and, (2) a second shoulder tread element comprising the second strip extending from the tread base into the tread cap, wherein the tread cap includes circumferential tread grooves and extends from a first shoulder of the tire to a second shoulder of the tire, wherein the circumferential tread grooves are encompassed within the tread cap, wherein the tread base extends from the first shoulder of the tire to the second shoulder of the tire, wherein the cured tire includes a first tread element having a first strip of the second material that extends from the tread base through the tread cap to an outer ground contacting surface of the tread, wherein the first tread element is located on the first shoulder of the tire;
• and wherein the first strip is not encompassed by any circumferential tread groove, and wherein the first strip is encompassed within the tread cap, wherein the cured tire includes a second tread element having a second strip of the second material that extends from the tread base through the tread cap to an outer ground contacting surface of the tread, wherein the second tread element is located on the second shoulder of the tire;
• wherein the second strip is not encompassed by any circumferential tread groove, and wherein the second strip is encompassed within the tread cap, wherein the only strips of the second material which extend from the tread base through the tread cap to the outer ground contacting surface of the tread are located on the first shoulder and the second shoulder of the tire, and wherein the tread is formed by simultaneously extruding the tread cap and the tread base to include the strips.