Airless Tires Are One Step Closer To Production

Megalith

Megalith

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Flats could very well be something of the past. Hankook's non-pneumatic tires have recently passed a series of tests that suggest airless tires may soon be ready for public availability.

As you might have guessed from the name, non-pneumatic tires don't require any air. Instead, Hankook's iFlex eschews conventional construction for a material that the company says is energy-efficient to manufacture and easy to recycle.
 
What took them so long? This is an improvement that's way overdue,ask anyone who had to change a tire on a cold dark night!
 
watch they get banned in US because spike strips wont work
 
arr4ws said:
Already exist. We have some on our caterpillar bobcat.
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No such thing as a Catepillar Bobcat...Bobcat is a manufacturer. Skid steer is the correct terminology. Also foam-filled and/or full rubber tires with relief holes != automotive grade tires rated for 100 mph.
 
Get back to me when we know more about the final product. There is practically no useful info in the article. Nothing about MPG differences between these and standard tires. How do they handle different temperature extremes? Do they become brutally rigid and give a crappy ride once the temps drop below 40 degrees?

I'd love an airless tire, but I'm skeptical on them until I know more.
 
Elios said:
watch they get banned in US because spike strips wont work
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That would not surprise me one bit.....They have had hard rubber or those odd rubber solid pillow like tires one can see in some episodes of mythbusters, but these "air-less" tires are essentially new from the way they are made as solid ones have very little to no flex at all (some heavy equipment have and do use them in dumps and mining sites and have for a long time) whereas these can be made to actually have some flex and such.

The thing I can picture is more expensive to start off with using the excuse that they last longer then conventional tires, I can also see them smacking a higher "eco fee" on them here in Canada, but the ride comfort and maybe an ability of sorts to be able to "modify" the actual flex, ability to shed waste/debris/water/snow and absolutely proper compound for hot or cold use are going to be key factors in their use.

Interesting stuff for sure, though it will be awhile yet before we see them mass marketed, I suppose the benefit is the actual "grip" surface might be more easily modifiable at much less fancy production stages to be more durable or more flexible for comfort etc then standard tires, though the problem with "blow outs" is not THAT large an issue in the hundreds of millions of miles put on the road per day with conventional tires daily/

where I can picture this more then anything else is the heavy equipment or long distance cartage (transports etc) sectors where a blow out prevention/durability/cost by far is even more drastic a measure of importance, let alone the possibility of a huge improvement on actual in-field use as standard tires on something like mining sites where regular air-filled tires can and do get shredded, if they can make something more durable and able to deal with that level of extra weight etc they will have a winner for sure as the cost for these massive air filled tires is a huge for mining/industrial applications by aiding in the reduction of emissions and fabrication will be a major boon to the industry if it is used.
 
Not holding my breath on that one either. This has been in the pipe, in one form or another, for ages.
Still hasn't panned out for widespread use.
 
also ROFLMAO at caterpillar bobcat going 100MPH, I would hate to be the driver of any decently heavy equipment doing say 40MPH let alone 100 it would rattle your teeth out of your head and for a bobcat OMG would that be insanely dangerous.

I can picture maybe 20mph avg for nearly all equipment and possibly 40 tops but no one is working at those speeds and only a tool/fool would drive one this fast(even if it was able to) seeing as nearly all equipment has nothing for suspension imagine slamming the brakes in a bobcat style doing 100mph(160kmh) dude you would so flip head over heels washing machine style for miles before someone found you milkshaked to death.

JCB-GT is current fastest last time I checked at 72.59MPH which is crazy fast for modern non military "off the shelf" equipment
 
We have an old 630 Case tractor with triple range transmission. It will do about 45mph and it is the scariest thing ever.
 
Construction equipment already has non-pneumatic tires. They can either be solid rubber with ports for cooling, called aperture tires, or regular pneumatic tires filled with polyurethane elastomer. The reason for the equipment speed limits is for safety, and also high speeds cause high heat buildup in the tire which causes it to breakdown very quickly. Overloading the equipment beyond the tire spec is also very common which causes elastomer breakdown or flat spots to develop if the equipment sits too long in one place. When the tires cost tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars each, you try to make them last.
 
I'm interested in seeing where this goes. I think I'd pay a premium for tires that don't puncture. I've had 2 punctures in the last 2 years and no I don't drive off-road.
 
I don't think airless tires are going to take off for consumer automobiles at least they wont be the thing you find taking over pneumatic tires, simply because they are probably always going to be more expensive than inflated tires because it takes more rubber to make them no matter how good you are able to manufacture them or how many different problems you solve. Are inflated tires really that difficult to make? They might be a popular expensive upsell for people who want to deck out a car, or go offroading etc.... But the main stream is most likely to just keep using inflatable tires they are cheap and they work probably lighter as well making them more gas efficient. And the issue with popping them is a problem for the consumer. It has been my experience that tires just wear out more often than they are punctured. And AFAIK nothing about a tweel indicates the rubbers used to make them are going to last significantly longer.

Another thing I will point out is that rotating weight is bad for efficiency on cars and I would assume these increase that. This is why really efficient vehicles always have dorky looking tiny light wheels like a prius.
 
all in the engineering, I can picture high speed and possibly summer/winter grades being far more mandatory of course then standard pneumatic, however as far as weight is concerned, maybe they will weigh just as much as (or possibly less depending on how they are made) standard cause don't forget with the extra plies as well as steel belted or extra reinforced fibre regular tire compounds weight quite a bit and they have to, especially to ensure that the air stays where you want it, to deal with extra heat or cold temperature differentials etc.

If the tire in question just has the "hub" part and the rest of it is just some fancier rubber/composite materials then it could end up being far more durable and not need the excessive weight that regular tire design requires.

Solid rubber does weigh a lot don't get me wrong, but if one takes solid rubber front loader tires and compares them with the equivalent say 12-14 ply belted type "standard pneumatic" tire the weight difference by going solid rubber with the small "comfort holes" removed is significant in comparison so that is by itself a drastic improvement, however, air does give, well "give" for comfort, now if these are sturdy enough but still give that extra cushioning effect without requiring that excessive over-engineering in regards to the weight via ply/steel etc, win win.

Rolling resistance and centred weight matter a great deal, not just the weight itself, so, if they accomplish the task at hand and POSSIBLY have less rolling resistance and sheer weight while still being mechanically sound for at MINIMUM as long as quality tires (avg seems +50k miles on 10 ply) and less pricey (less raw material needed according to what they are all saying i.e easier to produce and FAR easier to recycle back to base components) perfect.

I can picture poor ride quality comfort or handling especially in inclement weather, but I suppose all depends on the engineering of them and their true cost full stop.
 
I would buy a set just to be different! Then again watch a set cost over $1,000 at launch because it is new.
 
00PS said:
No such thing as a Catepillar Bobcat...Bobcat is a manufacturer. Skid steer is the correct terminology. Also foam-filled and/or full rubber tires with relief holes != automotive grade tires rated for 100 mph.
Click to expand...

So I said bobcat and you understood what i meant. Im all done here.
 
companies have been researching it since at least the 90s, I recall seeing a early Michelin prototype back on Beyond 2000 around 1995. The problem with all of the later ones have been fuel economy and noise. If Hankook took care of those issues it would be a major step forward.
 
Those open honeycomb sidewalls... envisioning so much fun driving under 10MPH or pulling over and trying to ream snow/mud/ice/gravel out of those thousand cavities to get the wheel in balance again.
 
michael.pa2 said:
What took them so long? This is an improvement that's way overdue,ask anyone who had to change a tire on a cold dark night!
Click to expand...

First, weight, as you have to have material to support the load, rather than compressed gas. Also, because it is material, you are going to have a MUCH stiffer tire, ever ridden on high end or race tires? You feel everything because of how stiff the sidewall is for better turn-in. You also have cost to think about etc etc, the list really goes on with tires like this.
 
I read the article.

They are only good up to 81mph before they get damaged.

That right there is going to make then not viable for consumer road use.

And as mentioned, the cavities getting filled up with junk is also going to make them not a good idea.

And weight would be another problem.

Now for tractors, riding mowers, and other equipment they would probably work pretty well.

I have a solid rubber tire on my wheelbarrow and love it. Haven't had a flat tire in years.
 
cyclone3d said:
I read the article.

They are only good up to 81mph before they get damaged.

That right there is going to make then not viable for consumer road use.

And as mentioned, the cavities getting filled up with junk is also going to make them not a good idea.

And weight would be another problem.

Now for tractors, riding mowers, and other equipment they would probably work pretty well.

I have a solid rubber tire on my wheelbarrow and love it. Haven't had a flat tire in years.
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I feel like a mesh type covering that allows air but not junk to get in there would solve that. Now the 81 mph max speed, kind of a huge drawback lol.
 
test them on ice or snow and see what happens. Also try standing water. I bet they turn into ski's. I also want to see them on the drag strip. The best thing about them is the color variety.
 
cageymaru said:
I would buy a set just to be different! Then again watch a set cost over $1,000 at launch because it is new.
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My pneumatic tire set costs 1k, 20" rims, on a Venza. I'd expect the non-pneumatics to be significantly more expensive.
 
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