Earlier quoted context omitted.
A lot of heavy equipment drives around with water-filled tires, so it's already there. Definitely not what you meant though.
Hmm, why water filled? I can't think of any advantages, but can think of downsides such as a massive increase in unsprung weight.
Michelin Airless
101–110 of 316 posts
Re: Michelin Airless
#102Earlier quoted context omitted.
A lot of heavy equipment drives around with water-filled tires, so it's already there. Definitely not what you meant though.
Hmm, why water filled? I can't think of any advantages, but can think of downsides such as a massive increase in unsprung weight.
Re: Michelin Airless
#103Earlier quoted context omitted.
A lot of heavy equipment drives around with water-filled tires, so it's already there. Definitely not what you meant though.
Hmm, why water filled? I can't think of any advantages, but can think of downsides such as a massive increase in unsprung weight.
Beet juice is interesting! lol
Re: Michelin Airless
#104What does this mean for those 'severe tire damage' traffic control devices?
Re: Michelin Airless
#105Weren’t we trying to reduce plastic waste? This seems to need multiple times the amount of rubber that a normal tire needs. And for what? To prevent a fixable puncture that may or may not happen in a lifespan of a tire?
This is a tradeoff between environmental concerns and safety, as are most safety features on a car. We could make a car that gets insanely good milage and has little raw material, but it would be terribly unsafe.
Re: Michelin Airless
#106The magic of the pneumatic (air-filled) tire is that the entire air-filled space of the tire acts to absorb shock and vibration from the road surface. Airless tires give up this advantage, and only the tire structure between the wheel and contact patch are available to do the same work. The result is always a heavier tire that is a harsher ride. All the materials science in the world can't and won't find a solution t…
Re: Michelin Airless
#107I wonder if the rubber structural spokes could be shaped to pull air from the underside of the vehicle (tire rotation would be slightly more complicated) to increase stability at higher speeds.
Re: Michelin Airless
#108"Every year, 20%* of tires are discarded as scrap " Really? They cite a survey, but don't link to it.
Re: Michelin Airless
#109Wouldn't these be great for trailers? Trailer blowouts are common, and often unnoticed, or can heavily damage the trailer. I have no interest in these on a car, but for a trailer, sign me up!
But..... one of the most important aspects about trailer tires is cost and these may not quite be there yet. Michilin and other tire manufacturers don't really compete much in that space and leave it for the low end import brands to fight over.
Rental trailers and towed equipment (like towed light plants and air compressors) seems like the only obvious niche where both the cost and downsides are justifiable.
Re: Michelin Airless
#110"Every year, 20%* of tires are discarded as scrap " Really? They cite a survey, but don't link to it.