By using an intricate resin spoke system, Bridgestone’s new airless tyre provides the same level of shock absorption as an inflated tyre, without you having to worry about monitoring air pressure or changing a flat ever again.
The idea is similar to Michelin’s Tweel which first appeared back in 2006, and even the wheels used on the Lunar Rover that NASA developed during the Apollo era. But Bridgestone appears to have improved on both designs with the use of thermoplastic resin spokes that radiate out from the inner hub to the outer rim at a 45-degree angle. When combined with a second set of spokes on the opposite side that radiate out in the other direction, it results in added strength, stability and flexibility.
Besides letting you drive through broken glass and even spike strips with impunity, Bridgestone’s take on the airless tyre is also made from recycled rubber and plastics, meaning that once the tread has become worn, you can just toss them in your recycling bin for pickup. Unfortunately if they’re ever put into production with widespread adoption, the days of the quaint tyre swing hanging in your front yard are numbered. [Tech-On!]
Ollie
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 10:20 AMThe po-po gonna need something to replace their stingers then.
Theophilus
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 10:59 AMJust a big stick through the spokes will do it Ollie.
Scott
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 11:32 AMYou realise the sides will be sealed, right?
mastafool
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 11:55 AMyou realise he was joking right?
Jester
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 10:21 AMAlso gone are the days of low profile tyres!
Scott
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 11:33 AMWhat about a type being low profile will preclude it from this tech? Not a lot… because they can make the spokes… *dramatic sting* … SHORTER!
Osiris Fox
Monday, December 5, 2011 at 4:15 PMI am not so sure they can make the spokes that much shorter and still retain the shock absorption and load bearing capacity of the resin (which is not the best in low profiles anyways)… yet.
Regardless, you could just create “faux” low profiles where you slide the tire over the back of the rim and there is an extended alloy lip on the outside that simply covers more of the spokes than this version.
Roland
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 10:23 AMIf they can implement these new types of tires on racecars then I’ll sign up for them on my pride and joy.
Until then I’ll stick with my current favs :)
Blake
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 10:25 AMThey won’t release them until they’re forced to.
They make money off every punctured tyre, and (assuming they’ve taken out all appropriate patents) they have like 20 years where nobody else can take the idea to market.
Barry
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 10:39 AMI’m guessing that they will release them one day. You will have to replace these airless wheels because of ware and tear just like normal tyres now so in the end the companies will continue doing what they do now.
With the Stingers, they will just modify them to get pulled up into the car, wrap around teh wheels and lock them up. It will do the same thing in the end.
Maniacal
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 10:49 AMwho care’s about puntures when everytime you need a new tyre you have to buy the wheel as well. this is an all in one job, sure no puntures, but I bet ‘delamination’ will occasionally occur, forcing you to buy a whole wheel.
Osiris Fox
Monday, December 5, 2011 at 4:23 PMI’m with you, judging by the green on the actual tread, these will definitely come as a single unit that gets replaced in it’s entirety when damage occurs.
Drive over a fist sized rock… no problem, despite the initial contact, your car doesn’t loose too much grip and you manage to stay on the road safely, err… except for the incessant DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA that your now damaged, and unbalanced tyre, though truthfully largely intact, seems to be making.
Deb
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 11:14 AMWhat happens if one of the little spokes breaks? do you have to replace the whole tyre? How will you even know if it’s broken? I imagine the spokes will be encased in something not just open air. Not saying it’s not a good idea, just wondering how it will work.
Tim
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 11:57 AMThe amount of flats my and my gf seem to get that i cant even explain, even at twice the price it probably save money.
Ive been waiting for the spoked tyres to come into production for years, as well as the bose electromagnetic suspension.
Osiris Fox
Monday, December 5, 2011 at 4:25 PMMan, I feel for you! My ex managed to get all four tyres of my Brand new car replaced within a year of me owning it, and not due to wear and tear either.
Timmahh
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 2:18 PMThey’ve had rubber compounds that can last for decades out for ages. They don’t use it because they lose money from replacements. If they make these with the same compound, given that they will pretty much wear consistently even, unlike air tyres that lose pressure, the tyres (will they still be called tyres?) will last for literally decades. No doubt very exy though!
Mmmmm
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 9:17 PMThey will only wear even with regular tyre rotation and wheel alignment.
Maniacal
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 10:54 AMpartly you are right. rotating the wheels helps, but your tyres are wearing unevenly, you swap them around so they wear unevenly in the areas where they didn’t wear evenly. capische?
Maniacal
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 10:52 AMtyre wear is dependant on how your suspension is setup, how you drive and what surface you drive on. no rubber developed today will wear even when you run 2 degrees of negative camber.
dam
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 5:42 PMwhy a business would create a product that put them out of business ?
FSM
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 12:18 AMWhy do people always say “that will put them out of business”, when that is obviously simply not going to happen, it may cut their profit by huge amounts, but they won’t go out of business…
But they make them and patent them so that if someone else brings something similar to market they don’t go out of business, some profits > bankruptcy.
Maniacal
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 10:59 AMthis product will make them more money. this wheel and tyre are all in ones. when the tyre wears out/deteriorates and it’s replacement time, the whiole shebang has got to be replaced. tyre sellers traditionally do retreads and punture repairs as well and i don’t see this aspect as being helpful to any tyre manufacturers.
Breathe
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 10:34 AMCalm down everyone, breathe. They’re not coming to a car near you anytime soon.
There’s still a couple of minor little issues to work out. Like making them wide enough to get nice levels of grip out of them. Or more importantly, would you still like to have brakes on your car? Yeah, try fitting modern braking systems in a wheel that small.
Matt
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 3:42 PMGood point about the brakes