The tyre of the future by Michelin.
Image deleted by owner
Image deleted by owner
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These tires are airless and are scheduled to be out on the market very soon.
The bad news for Police and other law enforcement is that stinger spikes will not work on these.
Just think of the impact on existing technology:
A. No more air valves.
B. No more air compressors at gas stations.
C. No more repair kits.
D. No more flat tires.
E. Less expensive and more money in the driver's pocket.
This was the tyre of the future even several years back when I first saw it!
quote:
Originally posted by carpmart
This was the tyre of the future even several years back when I first saw it!
That's been around for sometime, several years IIRC.
If (and it may well be for all I know) that's the way tyres go I can't see manufacturer's leaving them open like that. Too much
potential for stuff to get trapped in the "spokes" IMO.
Imagine having to clean sh1t out of all them gaps. Bloody hell!
yeah driving over gravel would collect stones to later hurl at following cars. That design is based on apollo prototype moon buggy wheels I have seen before
I thought the Twheel was intended to have side walls to keep debris out but was demoed without sidewalls so you could see what it was about.
quote:
Originally posted by smart51
I thought the Twheel was intended to have side walls to keep debris out but was demoed without sidewalls so you could see what it was about.
New? The Romans had them on their racing chariots.
Indeed, it was featured in "Eureka" magazine IIRC when I was an undergrad some 8ish years back?
quote:
Originally posted by Benzine
LCB - jan 05
looks kinda silly...way too much give in the sidewalls...
okay, they aint really sidewalls...but you know what i mean
[Edited on 21/3/11 by A1]
Michelin announced this new tyre wheel combo in 2005.
since then they realised the manufacturing of the wheels would cost billions and the end user would be paying over £1000 for a set off wheels.
second is that no government body had a way of testing these to be compliant as this is tested by strength of side wall and a few other things.
I really would have liked to see these on the market but the wheels will be costly so you would take 100,000 miles to be comparable to the cost of
normal tyres on your current wheels.
thought i would put my 2 penneth in as michelin are my customer and i asked them about it a few years back....
Lol - so old 
Hmmm - let's replace air pressure with squishy spokes. Well I can see advantages and disadvantages. I guess the disadvantages are greater or
I'd be rolling on Tweels right now. Good to see active innovative R&D though.
the sidewalls probably wouldn't deforme during cornering though, just over lumps so maybe there could be performance benefits too
quote:
Originally posted by RickRick
the sidewalls probably wouldn't deforme during cornering though, just over lumps so maybe there could be performance benefits too
The other problem i can see is what will happen to low profiles? There would be much less give so would be incridibly bumpy
Isn't that the case anyway? Low profile tyres tend to have stiffer sidewalls and much less to compress?