Airless Tires

[AugieTN]

The future will be airless tires. No more flats. No more spare tire.

https://michelinmedia.com/michelin-uptis/

 

[ocnbrze]

It's probably going to be like $2000 on up for each tire!!!!!

 

[AugieTN]

https://screenrant.com/michelin-uptis-airless-tires-sale-price-date/

 

[ozonetrooper]

Hope they are cheaper for real vehicles :

(1) Michelin X Tweel Turf Tire Assembly 24x12.00-12 Fits Zero Turn Mowers

$869.00

https://www.amazon.com/Michelin-Twe...keywords=airless+tires&qid=1675865923&sr=8-16

Michelin 85532 24X12N12 X-Tweel Turf Wheel

Price: $730.73

https://farmpartsstore.com/24x12n12-x-tweel-turf-4-85532/

 

[AugieTN]

I would think once the tires are in mass production the price would go down. I also saw an article that said airless tires would last 3 times as long compared to air filled tires, so maybe they'll last 100K. Who knows at this point.

The snake oil currently being pushed with regular tires is nitrogen and it's not cheap. Tires are not flattened out before nitrogen is added, so I would think 80% of the tire has regular air and you're getting maybe 20% nitrogen in your tires That's my guess.

 

[Unforgiven]

I would think once the tires are in mass production the price would go down. I also saw an article that said airless tires would last 3 times as long compared to air filled tires, so maybe they'll last 100K. Who knows at this point.

The snake oil currently being pushed with regular tires is nitrogen and it's not cheap. Tires are not flattened out before nitrogen is added, so I would think 80% of the tire has regular air and you're getting maybe 20% nitrogen in your tires That's my guess.

I'd like to see how these work when they are caked with snow and ice. The article linked said they tested it and overcame the obstacles, but didn't go into detail.

 

[olbriar]

I put a set of Tweels on one of my mowers. My observations:
The not so good...
They will form a flat spot if the mower sits without moving a few days.
They quickly turn back to be round after a few rotations but it makes for a bumpy ride for a little while.
They do cake up with mud and I only assume snow would be a problem as well.
The good....
I likely have 200 hours on the Tweels and they show little wear.
They do not leave tire marks on hard surfaces like rubber tires.
No flats!

My Tweels

 

[olbriar]

I should have added this information to the post above. Obviously, the Tweels I have are not the drive wheels, they are rear casters 13x6.5x6.
They do gather mud in the webbing when conditions exist. I would take a stick and dig out the mud, not an immense amount, out of the webbing. I later found that once the mud dries, it quickly breaks out of the webbing as the Tweel flexes. A google shows the current price of $238 per Tweel and I paid far less for my pair from a local dealer. I could have purchased foam filled casters at a less cost but I have found that they do not last that long.

I would not recommend Tweels for the homeowner mower. The expense to repair a pneumatic tire compared running Tweels is a no brainer. However, a commercial mower, the time lost due to a flat is lost revenue.

Would I buy Tweels again? I have three other commercial mowers and they do not have Tweels. A cheaper alternative is to have a spare tire and wheel ready to replace a flat and address the repair at my leisure. I would never consider putting them on my automobiles.

 

[The_Chief]

I thought "the future" was hover-conversions and flying around! (We're already almost a decade late with that, too)

 

[ozonetrooper]

Being a HVAC mechanic I use Nitrogen for braising copper line sets.

What is the value of putting it in a tire ?

 

[Unforgiven]

Being a HVAC mechanic I use Nitrogen for braising copper line sets.

What is the value of putting it in a tire ?

Supposedly because the nitrogen molecules are larger, there is less leakage in tires. It seems to be a thing with trailers and campers. Another factor is that nitrogen expands (when hot) and contracts (when cold) less than air. So, that whole thing Brady got suspended for in the AFC Championship game, perhaps the NFL should switch to nitrogen.

When I bought my camper new, the tires all had green caps, which indicate they were filled with nitrogen. After some research, and considering I bring a compressor with me, I'll use air. If I get a hole in my tire, it will go flat at the same rate whether nitrogen or air.

FWIW: https://www.aaa.com/autorepair/arti...cts-about-using-nitrogen-to-inflate-car-tires

 

[ozonetrooper]

One morning I had a flat on the work van and filled it up with Freon.

Refrigerant is definitely temperature/pressure sensitive and by the time I got to the shop the tire looked like a balloon ! ! !

lol

 

[Michael0999]

Well, it's rather logical. I don't understand your surprise.

 

[AugieTN]

Looks like GM may start using airless tires as early as 2024 on the Chevrolet Bolt EV
Michelin, GM Take the Air Out of Tires for Passenger Vehicles :: Michelin North America, Inc.

Michelin added some videos of the airless tires, ie, like if they are snow packed
MICHELIN Uptis :: Michelin North America, Inc.