To provide a pneumatic heavy duty bias tire which enables the installation of a reinforcing layer in the peripheral direction in a bias tire and can improve the durability of a belt with a load grounded, and to provide a method for producing the tire.

In the method for producing the pneumatic bias tire, carcass plies are set on a tire molding drum to mold a carcass 1, and on the peripheral side of the middle of the carcass 1, the belt comprising at least one belt layer is molded. A green tire produced by arranging tread rubber on the peripheral side of the belt is deformed toroidally on the drum, vulcanization-molded. Between the carcass and the belt, at least one peripheral direction reinforcing layer 2 is molded by extending cords approximately in the peripheral direction. During the molding of the green tire, the tension in the peripheral direction of the reinforcing layer 2 is made to be lower in the middle region 3 than that in both side regions 4.