A heavy duty pneumatic tire in which occurrence of uneven wear is inhibited is provided. In the tire, each shoulder land portion includes a groove wall portion forming a wall of a shoulder circumferential groove, and a cap portion located outward of the groove wall portion in an axial direction. A wear resistance index of the groove wall portion is lower than a wear resistance index of the cap portion. A ratio of a distance in the axial direction from an outer edge of the shoulder circumferential groove to a boundary between the groove wall portion and the cap portion on an outer surface of the shoulder land portion, to a width in the axial direction of the shoulder land portion, is not less than 20% and not greater than 30%.

The present technology provides a pneumatic tire. In a tire meridian cross-sectional view, a profile line (PL1) of a center land portion (X) defined by two center main grooves (14a, 14b) protrudes outward in a tire radial direction further than a standard profile line (PL0). Profile lines (PL2, PL3) of sub-center land portions (Y1, Y2) and shoulder land portions (Z1, Z2) defined outward of the two center main grooves (14a, 14b) in the tire width direction protrude outward in the tire radial direction further than the standard profile line (PL0), the shoulder land portions (Z1, Z2) being defined further outward than the sub-center land portions (Y1, Y2). A pitch count (Po) of a vehicle mounting outer side region and a pitch count (Pi) of a vehicle mounting inner side region satisfy the relationship Po<Pi.

A pneumatic vehicle tire with a tread comprising circumferential grooves (2) and at least one profile rib (1), which runs around in the circumferential direction and formed in which there are grooves (4) which at a groove flank (5) of a circumferential groove (2) that delimits the profile rib (1) open into it, wherein the groove flanks (5) of the circumferential groove (2) run at an angle () of 12 to 17 to the radial direction, thereby widening the circumferential groove (2) in the direction of the periphery of the tread.

The grooves (4) run at an angle () of 4520 to the axial direction, end within the profile rib (1), have a maximum depth (t.sub.2) of 3.5 mm and open in each case into a local indentation (7), which is formed at the groove flank (5), reaches up to the periphery of the tread, is concavely rounded along the groove flank (5) and has a bottom (7a) that runs in particular parallel to the periphery of the tread and is at a distance (c), determined in the radial direction, of 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm from the deepest point of the groove (6) of the circumferential groove (2).

A pneumatic tire includes a tread portion including a contact patch which occurs when the tire is mounted on a standard wheel rim with a standard pressure and loaded with a certain tire load at zero camber angle. The contact patch, on a respective tire load, defines a ratio Lc/Ls of a crown contact circumferential length Lc at an axial center of the contact patch to a shoulder contact circumferential length Ls at an axial location of 80% of an axial maximum width of the contact patch. The ratio Lc/Ls upon being loaded with 40%, of a standard tire load is equal to or less than 125% of the ratio Lc/Ls upon being loaded with 70% of the standard tire load.

A pneumatic tire includes a mounting direction indicator, an inner shoulder and center main grooves, inner shoulder and second lands, and a center land. The inner shoulder and center main grooves are formed inward in a vehicle width direction and extend in a circumferential direction. The inner shoulder and second lands and the center land are defined by the inner shoulder and center main grooves. The inner shoulder land includes a circumferential narrow groove, an inner shoulder lug groove, and an inner shoulder sipe. The circumferential narrow groove extends in the circumferential direction. The inner shoulder lug groove extends from a ground contact edge in a lateral direction, intersects with the circumferential narrow groove, and terminates in the inner shoulder land. The inner shoulder sipe extends from the inner shoulder main groove in the lateral direction, intersects with the circumferential narrow groove, and terminates in the inner shoulder land.

A tire tread is provided with a crown main groove, and outboard and inboard shoulder main grooves to divide the tread portion into an outboard crown land portion, an inboard crown land portion, an outboard shoulder land portion and an inboard shoulder land portion. The inboard shoulder land portion is provided with inboard shoulder lateral grooves connecting an inboard tread edge and the inboard shoulder main groove. The outboard shoulder land portion is provided with outboard shoulder lateral grooves extending axially inwardly from an outboard tread edge and terminating within the outboard shoulder land portion. The inboard crown land portion is provided with inboard crown lateral grooves extending from the inboard shoulder main groove and terminating within the inboard crown land portion. The outboard crown land portion is provided with outboard crown lateral grooves extending from the crown main groove and terminating within the outboard crown land portion.

A pneumatic tire includes: a rib defined by a circumferential main groove; circumferential sipes formed in the rib at intervals in the circumferential direction; rib edge sipes formed in the rib aligning in the circumferential direction, each of the rib edge sipes terminating in the rib opening to the circumferential main groove; and first and second narrow grooves extending in the circumferential direction, each of the first and second narrow grooves having a groove depth shallower than depths of the circumferential sipes and the rib edge sipes, the first narrow grooves having ends connected to one of the circumferential sipes adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction and the second narrow grooves each including an inner connecting portion connected to one of the first narrow shallow grooves and including an outer connecting portion connected to one of the rib edge sipes.

A shoulder lateral groove 5 comprises an inner lateral groove portion 7 intersecting a shoulder main groove 3S, an outer lateral groove portion 8 intersecting a tread edge (Te), and a sipe portion 9 connecting between the inner lateral groove portion 7 and the outer lateral groove portion 8. The outer lateral groove portion 8 has a bent portion 10 and extends so as to connect between the tread edge (Te) and the sipe portion 9.

The tread pattern of the pneumatic tire includes an outer main groove, shoulder lug grooves, and vertical sipes. The outer main groove extends in the tire circumferential direction on an outer side of the tire centerline in the tire width direction. The shoulder lug grooves are spaced apart in the tire circumferential direction and provided in the shoulder land portion regions on an outer side of the outer main groove in the tire width direction, extend from the outer side in the tire width direction toward the outer main groove, are closed in a shoulder land portion region. Each of the vertical sipes has a narrower width than each of the shoulder lug grooves, crosses each of the shoulder lug grooves and extends in the tire circumferential direction. Each of the vertical sipes has a depth greater than a groove depth of each of the shoulder lug grooves.

A tire includes a tread portion including at least one land portion having axially spaced first and second ends. The at least one land portion is provided with lateral grooves extending from the first end to terminal ends terminating within the at least one land portion, first sipes each extending along a tire circumferential direction to connect a pair of lateral grooves arranged adjacently in the tire circumferential direction, second sipes extending from the first end toward the first sipes, and third sipes extending from the second end toward the first sipes. The second sipes and the third sipes are arranged without intersecting the lateral grooves.