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I would think they might do some strange things if you ran them through a few inches of water, but I must admit I really like the idea, would love it if maintaining proper air pressure and the fear of a flat were things of the past, would be especially nice on vehicles like our slingshots where carrying a spare just isnt practical
Really hadn't thought about running them through water...
Let's put em on *your* sling... I'll stand by the side of the road & hold the camera! 
Wonder how they do in a tight turn or if you have to swerve...
No wonder they can’t hold air...they don’t have sidewalls
Can't wait to see what they come up with for keeping them clean.
Probably only cost a couple hunnert dollas...
and won't work on Georgia Clay.
Lunar Rover.
Gives a new meaning to the term wrinkle wall
Good for 12 miles and cost 6k each.
LC
Can't wait to see what they come up with for keeping them clean.
Probably only cost a couple hunnert dollas...
and won't work on Georgia Clay.
I have some of the same concerns. It wouldn't take much carry, dirt, mud, clay, snow, to throw them seriously off balance.
Then again, maybe the production models will have a regular sidewall, but then I think they would be far too heavy. With all that internal rubber, they have to be heavy to begin with.
Maybe if you're running an armored SUV, you don't worry about tire weight!
https://www.caranddriver.com/n…helin-airless-tire-uptis/
This Car & Driver article claims that the weight of the car actually *hangs* from the spokes on TOP of the tire.
Article claims that if you cut *all the spokes* at the bottom of the tire, nothing happens! They also say that the hanging structure means that the tire will not heat up due to compression & relaxation as the tire rolls along. I gotta call BS on that one - even if the weight does hang from the top, the top spokes would still compress and relax just as sidewalls do. No air inside to absorb that heat & change pressure, though.
it could be that it stays cooler because there is no trapped air to heat up. as point out above I wonder how they handle dirt and mud - I would hope that the design throws it out because it it stays between the fins/spokes balance issues would be huge
If you decide to hit the sand you can't lower the pressure and if your 600 lb nephew climbs in you'd have to add another tire on that side. Not a fan of no adjustability but this could lead to something useful...
If you decide to hit the sand you can't lower the pressure and if your 600 lb nephew climbs in you'd have to add another tire on that side. Not a fan of no adjustability but this could lead to something useful...
perhaps they could combine this design with a normal tire design, using something like this as an inner core that would provide airless support within a more traditional design that has side walls to keep dirt out and to also allow air to be used so that people have some degree of adjustability
perhaps they could combine this design with a normal tire design, using something like this as an inner core that would provide airless support within a more traditional design that has side walls to keep dirt out and to also allow air to be used so that people have some degree of adjustability
That would be going back toward standard tire technology. I was thinking about inflatable ribs that would adjust the stiffness but both of our ideas are reintroducing air pressure which is not an 'airless tire'.
That would be going back toward standard tire technology. I was thinking about inflatable ribs that would adjust the stiffness but both of our ideas are reintroducing air pressure which is not an 'airless tire'.
one way or the other, unless they want to make a specific tire for every application I would think they are going to have to come up with a way to adjust the the tire to accommodate the different vehicles that might use the same size tire. As we both know the optimal stiffness/tire preasure of tires is often very different from one use to the other even though its the same tire
They have been testing the tweels around here for several years, so we get to seem them pretty regularly on test cars since Michlein north american headquarters is here. The first set I saw locally was actually on a early 90's Miata, definitely a very unique look.
I have some of the same concerns. It wouldn't take much carry, dirt, mud, clay, snow, to throw them seriously off balance.
Then again, maybe the production models will have a regular sidewall, but then I think they would be far too heavy. With all that internal rubber, they have to be heavy to begin with.
Maybe if you're running an armored SUV, you don't worry about tire weight!
One of the first concerns that I thought of also, but from what I have been told, they actually evacuate the mud/dirt, etc. very well and it is not a problem. I have also heard that the production ones would have a standard looking sidewall to make them look a little more "normal". Kinda depends on who you talk to around here, but one thing I have not been able to get is what the wheel/tire combination actually weighs.
They have been testing the tweels around here for several years, so we get to seem them pretty regularly on test cars since Michlein north american headquarters is here. The first set I saw locally was actually on a early 90's Miata, definitely a very unique look.
One of the first concerns that I thought of also, but from what I have been told, they actually evacuate the mud/dirt, etc. very well and it is not a problem. I have also heard that the production ones would have a standard looking sidewall to make them look a little more "normal". Kinda depends on who you talk to around here, but one thing I have not been able to get is what the wheel/tire combination actually weighs.
and that brings up another question - is this both a wheel and tire as one unit or will they work on standard wheels? - - I cant imagine the Slingshot family liking these very much if they cant have the wheels they want
Like what Dave@DDMWorks said. They have been in development for over 20years. Hardest part will be getting the consumer to buy in. It's a no brainer for those people how just don't bother to even check thier tire pressure.
Boy, in my younger days I have many a memory of all of those tires, but as I, and technology, have aged, (I am sure going to jinx myself here and prolly should not be saying this), even though I am a real fanatic when it comes to checking / maintaining tire pressures, adding a pound or two here or there depending if wet, dry, sand, snow, weight etc. I literally cannot remember the last time I have had an emergency flat tire? I do not recall any of our current spare tires on our various vehicles having ever touched the ground??
Bill
and that brings up another question - is this both a wheel and tire as one unit or will they work on standard wheels? - - I cant imagine the Slingshot family liking these very much if they cant have the wheels they want
All the ones I have seen have been a tire and wheel combination, hence the name "tweel" - tire/wheel.
I don't think these are going to be marketed to the average Slingshot owner 
