Tire with rubber tread composed of a primary and at least one lateral tread portion containing a dispersion of short carbon fibers

A tire having a rubber tread of a cap/base construction comprised of an outer rubber tread cap layer containing an outer running surface and an underlying internal rubber tread base layer, wherein said tread cap layer is comprised of a plurality of circumferential, longitudinal rubber tread cap zones, wherein said tread cap zones individually extend from said tread cap running surface radially inward to said tread base layer:

• wherein said tread cap zones are comprised of a primary, inboard, tread cap zone, and two spaced apart lateral tread cap zones, wherein each lateral tread cap zone is individually respectively positioned axially adjacent to each side of said primary tread cap zone;
• wherein said primary, inboard, tread cap zone spans from about 60 to about 90 percent of the axial width of the total running surface of said tire tread cap layer, and
• wherein said lateral tread cap zones span the remaining axial width of the total running surface of said tire tread cap layer;
• wherein said primary, inboard, tread cap zone is of a rubber composition, which does not contain a dispersion of adhesive coated carbon fibers, comprised of:
• (1) at least one conjugated diene-based elastomer, and
• (2) about 30 to about 130 phr of reinforcing filler consisting of about 10 to about 120 phr of precipitated silica and up to about 120 phr of rubber reinforcing carbon black, and coupling agent for said precipitated silica having a moiety reactive with hydroxyl groups contained on the surface of said silica and another different moiety interactive with said diene-based elastomer;
• and
• wherein said lateral cap zones are of the same or different rubber compositions comprised of:
• (3) at least one conjugated diene-based elastomer,
• (4) about 1 to about 5 phr of a dispersion therein of adhesive coated short carbon fibers,
• (5) about 20 to about 100 phr of reinforcing filler consisting of rubber reinforcing carbon black,
• wherein said short carbon fibers have an average length within a range of from about 1 to about 10 millimeters and an average diameter within a range of from about 2 to about 15 microns;
• and
• wherein said carbon fibers are significantly aligned with each other in the direction substantially perpendicular of the flow of the rubber composition by extrusion of the rubber composition through a die,
• wherein said carbon fibers have an RFL adhesive coating thereon comprised of a resorcinol-formaldehyde resin and polymeric binder,
• wherein said polymeric binder is comprised of vinylpyridine/styrene/butadiene terpolymer and acrylonitrile/butadiene copolymer, and optionally urea.