Following on from a recent post about Continental redefining the disc brake system, they have also announced a new evolution in tyres. Whilst a lot of research has gone into materials, compounds and structure of a radial tyre, Continental has used ever shrinking technology to combine sensors into the tyres. Many high-end cars have tyre monitoring systems (TPMS) fitted that … [Read more...]
Rolling Resistance
Cars - in fact all vehicles - have many different forces put on them and manufacturers have many teams all researching and developing new ideas to improve the performance and economy of a vehicle. In many cases this means working with third party providers such as oil companies, electronics, software and even tyre manufacturers to find ways to make these improvements. Tyres … [Read more...]
Run-Flat Tyres
Over the years many companies have sold the consumer on the benefit of having a run-flat tyre. In fact for a while, they were standard fit on many Austin and Morris Metro cars in the UK during the 1980s. There are advantages and disadvantages of having these types of tyres fitted - the clear benefit is that should the tyre be punctured, the driver can still continue their … [Read more...]
Airless Tyres
The next evolution of the humble vehicle tyre is on it’s way! Tyres have come a long way since the start of their life when they were solid and wrapped around a steel or wooden rim. In fact the earliest known “tires” were made of leather or steel and held the wheel components together. It was during the late 19th century that Robert Thompson and John Dunlop separately … [Read more...]
Wheel & Tyre Combinations
In this article I am going to discuss the concept of wheel and tyre combinations such that you can see how to resize a wheel and tyre and still keep within the same rolling diameter. Remember, the odometer in your dashboard is calibrated to a specific wheel and tyre, so if you go over or undersize it will affect the speed reading – which could become costly if you think you are … [Read more...]