A heavy duty pneumatic tire 1 has provided in a buttress region 10 thereof a protrusion 11 extending in the tire circumferential direction. In a tire meridian cross-section, the maximum protrusion height h.sub.max of the protrusion 11 from an imaginary buttress surface J is 3.0 mm or greater and is in the range of 0.025-0.050 times a half tread width Wt. The cross-sectional area Sa of the protrusion 11 protruding from the imaginary buttress surface J is 20 mm.sup.2 or greater.

A tire 2 includes a tread 4, a pair of sidewalls 6, a pair of beads 10, a carcass 12, a belt 14, an inner liner 20, and a pair of insertion layers 22 disposed between the carcass 12 and the inner liner 20. Each insertion layer 22 is disposed between an end of the belt 14 and an end PB of the bead 10. Each insertion layer 22 has a volume resistivity of less than 10.sup.8 Ω.Math.cm. A complex elastic modulus of the insertion layer 22 is equivalent to or higher than a complex elastic modulus of the inner liner 20. A thickness of each sidewall 6 at a maximum width position PW is not greater than 5.0 mm.

In a tire 2, chafers 8 each extend from a position axially outward of a corresponding one of beads 10 to a position radially inward of the corresponding one of the beads 10. Sidewalls 6 extend to positions between the beads 10 and the chafers 8, respectively. The chafers 8 extend to positions outward of ends 38 of turned-up portions 44 of a carcass ply 40 in the radial direction. When a side surface 50 represents a portion, of an outer surface of each chafer 8, which contacts with a flange of a rim, an outline of the side surface 50 has an arc C that extends from a heel of the bead 10 portion and projects inward.

A pneumatic tire comprises a carcass which comprises a carcass ply composed of a main portion extending between bead portions and a pair of turned-up portions turned-up around respective bead cores. The bead portion is provided with: a primary bead apex rubber disposed between the carcass-ply main portion and the carcass-ply turned-up portion; an insulation rubber layer extending radially outwardly through between the carcass-ply main portion and the carcass-ply turned-up portion; and a subsidiary bead apex rubber layer disposed on the axially outside of the carcass-ply turned-up portion. The radially outer edge of the insulation rubber layer is located radially outside the radially outer edge of the subsidiary bead apex rubber layer. The complex elastic modulus of the insulation rubber layer is equal to or greater than the complex elastic modulus of the topping rubber of the carcass ply.

The present invention provides a pneumatic tire having excellent fuel efficiency, handling stability, and ride quality while maintaining a good balance between them. Provided is a pneumatic tire including a tire component formed from a rubber composition, the rubber composition having cured rubber properties satisfying predetermined values.

A method of laminating a vulcanized tire includes providing a vulcanized tire having a circumferential tread and a pair of sidewalls constructed of a base rubber. The method further includes cleaning the circumferential tread, providing a laminate, and forming a plurality of holes in the laminate. The method also includes applying the laminate to at least a portion of one of the circumferential tread and a sidewall of the vulcanized tire. The method further includes applying pressure to the laminate, thereby evacuating air between the laminate and the circumferential tread of the vulcanized tire and curing the laminate.

Provided is a tire structure technology with which, even in the case of a tire having an electronic component provided therein, damage and deformation of the electronic component caused by impact loads, etc., during road surface travel can be suppressed and sufficient reading performance can be maintained. A pneumatic tire in which an electronic component is provided at a position farther outward in a tire axial direction than a carcass, wherein, in a tire rubber member that has the greatest E*(50 C.) at 50 C. among tire rubber members positioned inward in the tire axial direction from the position where the electronic component is provided, E*(50 C.) at 50 and E*(150 C.) at 150 C. satisfy the following formula. E*(150 C.)/E*(50 C.)0.9

Provided is a tire structure technology with which sufficient reading performance can be maintained even when a tire having an electronic component provided therein is caused to drive under high speed and severe handling. A pneumatic tire in which an electronic component is provided farther outward in a tire axial direction than a carcass, and in which the tan(1).sub.50 C. and tan(1).sub.150 C. of a first rubber member, and the tan(2).sub.50 C. and tan(2).sub.150 C. of a second rubber member, satisfy the following formula, where the first rubber member is a tire rubber member that has the greatest E* at 50 C. among tire rubber members positioned outward from the electronic component in the tire axial direction, and the second rubber member is a tire rubber member that has the greatest E* at 50 C. among tire rubber members positioned inward from the electronic component in the tire axial direction.

(tan(1).sub.50 C.+tan (2).sub.50 C. )(tan(1).sub.150 C.tan(2).sub.150 C.)0.08

Provided is a technique for producing a tire which, even if an electronic component is included therein, can prevent damages or deformations of the electronic component caused by impact load during street-traveling, etc., and maintain sufficient reading performance. Provided is a pneumatic tire provided with an electronic component at a position located on the further outer side in the tire axis direction than a carcass, wherein, in a tire rubber member having a maximum value of E*(100 C.) at 100 C., among tire rubber members located toward the outer side in the tire axis direction from the position at which the electronic component is disposed, E*(1000 C.) at 100 C. and E*(150 C.) at 150 C. satisfy the following formula: E*(150 C.)/E*(100 C.)0.9.

In a tire 2 of the present invention, sidewalls 6 each include an outer layer 6a, and an inner layer 6b disposed inward of the outer layer 6a in the axial direction. The inner side end, in the radial direction, of the inner layer 6a extends to a region between a bead 10 and a chafer 8. When Po represents a contact point, on an outer surface of the tire 2, at which the outer layer 6a and the chafer 8 contact with each other, an inner side end, in the radial direction, of the outer layer 6a is equal to the contact point Po. In the radial direction, an outer side end 44 of the chafer 8 is disposed outward of the contact point Po. In the radial direction, an inner side end 46 of the inner layer 6b is disposed inward of the contact point Po.