Airless Tires not adjustable

[Hoppi]

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Since airless tires have no air, are they less useful on a CT if you are going off-roading or over-landing where tires are often softened by letting air out in order to get more grip on rocky surfaces?
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So for years I have liked the idea of airless tires and really wished some company would start mass producing them. But hey, I currently drive a Toyota Sienna and kept having to buy new tires because the run flats kept wearing out so quickly.

So I put my order in for a CT. And immediately thought it would be great to have airless tires. One less issue (flats) to deal with. And as I have been dreaming of ways to utilize my CT I've been dreaming of off-roading and over-landing. Not that I have any experience in that area but I am hoping to get started with my CT. At which point it dawned on me. In many of the videos and training sites I've seen for learning to safely drive off road, people are letting air out of their tires to soften them for more grip over large rocks. But if I have airless tires on the CT then this technique would be unavailable. So it seems like for a vehicle like the CT, airless tires would be less useful unless it was exclusively being used on paved roads.... Am I needing to give up on airless tires?

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[CyberMoose]

airless tires are a great idea, but unfortunately not for vehicles moving at high speeds right now. If you go for a drive on the highway and feel your tires after, you'll notice that they get pretty warm. The air in the tire actually helps to reduce the amount of heat that stays in the tire. There are companies that have been working towards airless tires for quite a while and it would be nice if they can make it work. The benefits of airless tires would be a step towards lowering the cost of owning a vehicle.

 

[MEDICALJMP]

If you go for a drive on the highway and feel your tires after, you'll notice that they get pretty warm. The air in the tire actually helps to reduce the amount of heat that stays in the tire....
The benefits of airless tires would be a step towards lowering the cost of owning a vehicle.

Isn’t that why nitrogen-filled tires are a thing?
Me? I’m a big airless tire fan. I believe high speed airless tires are around the corner, but like the Cybertruck, their unconventional appearance will be a hinder an end to wide scale acceptance.

 

[ldjessee]

Airless tires will only become a thing if they last longer, are more safe, or are easier to manufacture... probably needs 2 of those?

 

[Anchor]

Isn’t that why nitrogen-filled tires are a thing?
Me? I’m a big airless tire fan. I believe high speed airless tires are around the corner, but like the Cybertruck, their unconventional appearance will be a hinder an end to wide scale acceptance.

Nitrogen is used in tires because the nitrogen diffuses through the tire walls at a lower rate than oxygen, so you don't have to add air to your tires as often.

 

[Dan S Brown]

airless tires are a great idea, but unfortunately not for vehicles moving at high speeds right now. If you go for a drive on the highway and feel your tires after, you'll notice that they get pretty warm. The air in the tire actually helps to reduce the amount of heat that stays in the tire. There are companies that have been working towards airless tires for quite a while and it would be nice if they can make it work. The benefits of airless tires would be a step towards lowering the cost of owning a vehicle.

Hi, both Michelin and Brigestone are making airless tires. They are being tested on a fleet of longhaul trucks and are used at over 70 miles an hour.

 

[alan auerbach]

Isn’t that why nitrogen-filled tires are a thing?
Me? I’m a big airless tire fan. I believe high speed airless tires are around the corner, but like the Cybertruck, their unconventional appearance will be a hinder an end to wide scale acceptance.

Nitrogen molecules are relatively large, so air seepage would be reduced. But only 20% of the air you breath is nitrogen, so any benefit would be minor.

Question: When your tires need replacing, apparently you have to stick with original equipment. Why? If you drive easy, what would be the problem with low-cost replacements?

 

[JETMECH]

Isn’t that why nitrogen-filled tires are a thing?
Me? I’m a big airless tire fan. I believe high speed airless tires are around the corner, but like the Cybertruck, their unconventional appearance will be a hinder an end to wide scale acceptance.

Filling tires with nitrogen reduces expansion/contraction of the tire due extreme temperature changes. That why aircraft tires are filled and serviced with N1.

 

[Luke42]

But only 20% of the air you breath is nitrogen, so any benefit would be minor.

The air is 78ish% nitrogen.

See: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Earth

 

[kdn]

I have seen the airless tires. I need them to make a set for MS so we don't have to worry about flat tires on a road trip. I want airless tires for my CT also. I don't want to have to make room for a spare, Jack and 4 way lug wrench. I have not really looked. I have seem some articles on them. If they have airless tires for MS let me know and let me know if you have them on and how they are. Thanks

 

[Luke42]

I have seen the airless tires. I need them to make a set for MS so we don't have to worry about flat tires on a road trip. I want airless tires for my CT also. I don't want to have to make room for a spare, Jack and 4 way lug wrench. I have not really looked. I have seem some articles on them. If they have airless tires for MS let me know and let me know if you have them on and how they are. Thanks

Most pick up trucks keep the spare under the bed.

On a gas/diesel truck, there's plenty if room between the frame rails under the bed, so that's where the spare goes.

The CT may use this space for batteries. Or maybe they'll do it the same way pickup trucks have been doing this for decades. Either way, all y'all need to know the prior art here.

 

[ReddykwRun]

Nitrogen is used in tires because the nitrogen diffuses through the tire walls at a lower rate than oxygen, so you don't have to add air to your tires as often.

And what do you think our breathing atmosphere is composed mainly of?????? Air is 78 percent nitrogen and just under 21 percent oxygen, "Air" also has small amounts of other gases, too, such as carbon dioxide, neon, and hydrogen and cow farts.

Nitrogen filled tires are just a moneymaker for car shops for the general automotive market. Now if you are into drag racing or operate a jet that's a different tune.

From my aircraft maintenance career life we used Dry Nitrogen in our Falcon 20 Jet tires but good old compressed air in our HC-130 tires.

 

[CyberMoose]

I have seen the airless tires. I need them to make a set for MS so we don't have to worry about flat tires on a road trip. I want airless tires for my CT also. I don't want to have to make room for a spare, Jack and 4 way lug wrench. I have not really looked. I have seem some articles on them. If they have airless tires for MS let me know and let me know if you have them on and how they are. Thanks

Something i've done in the past when I had a flat, a spare, and no jack was use the air suspension which should be possible on the Cybertruck. I put my car up with air suspension, placed a block where you would place a jack, then lowered the suspension. I don't know if this would be possible on the Cybertruck, maybe it won't lower the suspention for that wheel if the wheel is about to lift off the ground.

 

[HaulingAss]

airless tires are a great idea, but unfortunately not for vehicles moving at high speeds right now. If you go for a drive on the highway and feel your tires after, you'll notice that they get pretty warm. The air in the tire actually helps to reduce the amount of heat that stays in the tire. There are companies that have been working towards airless tires for quite a while and it would be nice if they can make it work. The benefits of airless tires would be a step towards lowering the cost of owning a vehicle.

Ummm...because air costs so much?

 

[Newton]

Do we even have mass produces airless tires for bicycles yet? Iv been wondering since I was a child why I have to keep fixing flats, at one point I stuffed old cut up sheets, I think it was, in the tire trying to make them.

And it worked!

Just kidding, it was like riding on wet spaghetti