Tractor tire tread

A pneumatic tire comprising a directional type tread extending circumferentially about an axis of rotation of said tire, said tread comprising:

• (a) a continuous center rib extending circumferentially about said tread with about one-half of the center rib disposed on each side of a mid-circumferential plane of the tire, said center rib having an arc width that is in the range of 15% to 35% of the arc width of said tread, said center rib presenting on each side of the mid-circumferential plane a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart substantially axially oriented leading edges that are oriented substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said tire, said leading edges of the center rib each having an arc width in the range of 2% to 5% of the arc width of said tread;
• and (b) first and second sets of circumferentially spaced apart traction lugs, each lug of said first set of traction lugs beginning at a first axial edge of the tread and extending to an axially inner end that is axially spaced apart from said center rib, the axially inner end of each said traction lug being located between 20% to 40% of the arc width of said tread from said first axial edge of said tread, each traction lug having a leading edge with a portion of said leading edge being oriented at an angle in the range of 20.degree. to 60.degree. with respect to the mid-circumferential plane ofthe tire and a lateral portion of each said leading edge being oriented substantially perpendicular to the mid-circumferential plane of said tire, said lateral portion of the leading edge of each traction lug being located on the axially innermost portion of each traction lug and having an arc width in the range of 5% to 12% of the arc width of said tread, each lug of the second set of traction lugs being similar to the lugs of the first set of traction lugs but opposite in hand and having a beginning at a second axial edge of the tread that is offset circumferentially of said tire with respect to the beginnings of the lugs of said first set of traction lugs;
• an axially oriented arc of said tread having a radius such that a footprint of the tire has a maximum axial width that is in the range of 40% to 80% of the arc width of said tread, and said center rib and traction lugs all have radially outer surfaces that will contact a hard ground surface in a footprint of the tire.