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Airless Tires From Michelin

Michelin next generation Radical new tire design by Michelin. The next generation of tires. They had a pair at the Philadelphia car show. These tires are airless and are scheduled to be out on the market very soon. The bad news for law enforcement is that spike strips will not work on these tires. This is what great R&D will do, and just think of the impact on existing technology: 1... No more air valves 2... No more air compressors at gas stations 3... No more repair kits . The pictures below are actual pictures taken in the South Carolina plant of Michelin. It will be awhile before they are available to the automotive industry.

  • kaashifv
  • posted by kaashifv
  • Date 6/23/2006 8:01:31 AM
  • Views: 3923
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Airless Tires From Michelin

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15 Comments

Current View: 15 / Show all Comments

VegaObscura : LVL 34: VP 4.2: said:

VegaObscura

-6 votes NegativePositive

894 days 8 hours ago...

About time. Why can't they just make the entire thing solid and rubber? I'm sure since they havn't there IS a reason, just curious what it is.

Is that small pieces of rubber holding it up? Surely that is some other material, as thin pieces of rubber like that couldn't hold up a tire.

glagon1979 : LVL 23: VP 3.2: said:

glagon1979

3 votes NegativePositive

894 days 8 hours ago...

they can't make them solid rubber beacuse they would be to heavy. more weight = more gas consumption. not very economical.

im sure they are. rubber can be made in different densities.

djbear : LVL 21: VP 3: said:

djbear

3 votes NegativePositive

894 days 7 hours ago...

a little FYI. The only reason why the tires are not made yet because 1) they cost too much, 2) it makes too much noise, and 3) it will the the most uncomfortable ride.

browncow : LVL 22: VP 3.1: said:

browncow

-1 votes NegativePositive

894 days 7 hours ago...

I had tires like this on my bike as a child. I was wondering why they never made them for cars... and this was like 17 or 18 years ago.

s7a7s : LVL 12: VP 2.1: said:

s7a7s

2 votes NegativePositive

894 days 7 hours ago...

Like djbear said, if you were to actually drive with these airless tires, it would be one horrible ride. You'd feel every single bump and crack. Unbearable, I'd think.

rob1134 : LVL 40: VP 4.8: said:

rob1134

2 votes NegativePositive

894 days 7 hours ago...

lol if you had solid rubber tires, every single pebble you hit would send your car out of control. if you hit a pothole, youd be flying

tha_help : LVL 32: VP 4.1: said:

tha_help

-2 votes NegativePositive

894 days 7 hours ago...

another reason why they aren't out yet... you have to litterally press them onto a solid wheel. Most tyre shops do not have solid wheel presses, and it is virtually impossible to press the wheel into the tyre manually.
Who knows maybe they will make one with the traditional bead technology, but you need air to seat beads.

Fenix187 : LVL 20: VP 2.9: said:

Fenix187

0 votes NegativePositive

894 days 5 hours ago...

if you look at the bottom of the tire it looks like there some cushion, those things that fill in where theres suppose to be air. Im sure it wouldnt be that uncomfortable of a ride

slimshady8248 : LVL 17: VP 2.6: said:

slimshady8248

0 votes NegativePositive

894 days 1 hour ago...

i agree with fenix187...it wouldnt cause too much trouble if you hit a pothole...and no more trouble that it causes with air tires... plus thisll just have to make the companies develop better shocks

AviationHigh<-AC-> : LVL 16: VP 2.5: said:

AviationHigh<-AC->

2 votes NegativePositive

893 days 22 hours ago...

U guys are stupid. U give the engineers to little credit, or at least think they are stupid or something. Why would a company waste money to develop a airless tire in which u would feel every bump and make more noise than what we have now. These airless tires will have the benefits (maybe even more) of the tires we have now without the expense and maintence cost of the air tires. It takes alot of money to make our current tire; by the looks of it these airless tires seems alot less cheaper to produce and therefore cheaper for us to buy. So relax all u haters out there.

<=====

Just check this out and see for yourself
http://www.michelinman.com/difference/releases/pressrelease011020
05a.html

NoLsKi : LVL 32: VP 4.1: said:

NoLsKi

0 votes NegativePositive

893 days 21 hours ago...

im sure its just a prototype and im sure IF it was an uncomfortable ride they would fix it

i.e. change the way the inside walls line up perpendicularly, so it goes with the direction of the tyre, but it might affect cornering

who knows its not my job its theirs lol

spyderbite : LVL 16: VP 2.5: said:

spyderbite

0 votes NegativePositive

893 days 20 hours ago...

no, these are comfortable (sp) from what i have read, the little support rubbers act as shock absorbers (i kno i cant spell) but an all rubber tire would be a very bumpy and expencive tire and like glagon1979 said hevy=more $ for gas. i want these tires! lol

meatwad4900 : LVL 16: VP 2.5: said:

meatwad4900

0 votes NegativePositive

893 days 13 hours ago...

all rubber tires is not good. sence its like $2.50 a gallon now, i would rather find a way to make my car as efficentas possible and i dont think that all rubber tires would help

asshole : LVL 23: VP 3.2: said:

asshole

0 votes NegativePositive

893 days 13 hours ago...

traditional tyres wont go away. remeber air pressures? race cars use different air pressures for diff things. race tyres would need to be very very advanced made from this. LONG LIVE FLAT TYRES!!!!

Dougie : LVL 36: VP 4.4: said:

Dougie

0 votes NegativePositive

892 days 22 hours ago...

I highly doubt they would make the ride alot bumpier.

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