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from the do-they-still-work-as-kid's-swings? dept.
Now, Hankook has completed initial testing on its fifth-generation airless tire, dubbed the iFlex. The tires do not require any air pressure, instead relying on a new type of eco-friendly material (Hancook demurs when asked for details). Geometric shapes built into the material provide the bounce and springiness normally provided by air pressure. But, unlike the previous iFlex, this version's designed to mount onto a traditional rim, making it compatible with current vehicles.
Hankook ran the iFlex through a battery of tests to compare it to more conventional rubber, measuring durability, hardness, stability, slalom and speed, at up to 80 mph. The company says the tires matched conventional tires in terms of performance.
Anyone who got a flat from the epidemic of potholes this Spring or who is plagued by nails and other road debris that cause slow leaks will welcome this development. Naturally, the real question is whether it's spelled, "tire" or "tyre."
Original Submission
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 15 2015, @11:39AM
Makes me wonder if these are also (more) resistant to aquaplaning, since they contain no air.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 15 2015, @12:14PM
Where's a "moron" mod option when you need one?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 15 2015, @09:18PM
Makes me wonder if these are also (more) resistant to aquaplaning, since they contain no air.
Where's a "moron" mod option when you need one?
Do not throw the arrow which will return against you...
Are you sure this isn't a legitimate question? My current thought process is:
-The tires/tyres have no air. Maybe they are more dense
-More dense means they are less "floaty" on water
-So theoretically, if there was a tire/tyre made of lead versus one made of wood, I could imagine it being less likely to aquaplane
So in my mind, this could entirely be a legitimate question... and for that matter, would a tire/tyre more dense be less susceptible to hydroplaning for any given tread pattern?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 18 2015, @11:24AM
For hydroplaning you have to consider the entire weight of the car. The weight of the tyres is is only a small contribution to the weight of the car, so these tyres wouldn't have a significant impact on hydroplaning if you disregard the effect of different tread patterns. Other factors that will affect hydroplaning are speed and surface area of the tyre contacting the road.
A lead tyre may indeed have an effect on hydroplaning, but mostly because it is very fucking heavy and consequently would have a significant contribution towards the weight of the car. However being very heavy would be just one reason why a tyre made of lead would a bad idea.
Sometime the old adage "Better to be silent and be thought a fool, than open you mouth and remove all doubt" is worth paying heed to. It isn't necessarily bad to ask questions when you don't know something, but in this case you can easily look up how hydroplaning works.
(Score: 1) by strength_of_10_men on Wednesday July 15 2015, @02:37PM