Advanced Tyre Technology

[Sprint'n'Go]

and if you put a bit more in them than you normally do. ie around 3-4psi, you will gain from a bit better fuel economy. dont know how much. but what you do is lose a small amount of road contact as you reduce the rolling resistance slightly, so unless you are really making an effort and pushing your tyres into the road, you may find, in cold and wetter conditions, that you lose traction a bit earlier.

I run my van tyres at around 80psi even though the max reccomended on the tyre wall is only 65psi. I do this purely to get even tread wear as any lower and the shoulders wear far faster than the tread centre even with motorway journeys (minimal dry steering wear). A knowledgable friend of mine and MOT tester says that although he doesn't condone this, Tyres do have an inbuilt pressure safety margin of something like 100%. I have done this for around half a million miles and have had no problems with tyre failiures.

To counteract the loss of traction and enable me to make the effort and really push my tyres into the road I have gained approximatly 2 stone as I reached my 30's.

 

[Blobcat]

I run my van tyres at around 80psi even though the max reccomended on the tyre wall is only 65psi. I do this purely to get even tread wear as any lower and the shoulders wear far faster than the tread centre even with motorway journeys (minimal dry steering wear). A knowledgable friend of mine and MOT tester says that although he doesn't condone this, Tyres do have an inbuilt pressure safety margin of something like 100%. I have done this for around half a million miles and have had no problems with tyre failiures.

To counteract the loss of traction and enable me to make the effort and really push my tyres into the road I have gained approximatly 2 stone as I reached my 30's.

Used to be the cheap option if you didn't have power steering, over inflating the tyres.

 

[homer dog]

clk55 and 28 to the gallon! what a waste of a car, never mind £10 a tyre for nothing. come on, get a life!

 

[SLinKyjoe]

Just to take this one step further, is it feasable to inflate tyres using hydrogen gas , therebye reducing unsprung weight ;as it's lighter than air as we all know. I know it's highly inflammable and got a lot of bad press from the R101 disaster, but we're driving about sitting on top of 16 gallons of highly explosive liquid anyway ,so why not?
Anybody got any rational or informed views on the subject or have I just made it plain to everyone just how insane I really am?
Geo.

yes it will work, but as is the same with helium, it will vent pretty quickly through the tyre wall. so its not practical. as everyone who has been in an airship will know, they carry big tanks of the stuff about, this keeps the boyancy tanks filled.

and both hydrogen and helium are suceptible to the variations in pressure from temperature, so you tyres will auto inflate and deflate as the day gets warmer and colder.

and the cost of both is huge, then you also have the risk of the explosive nature of hydrogen in the proximty of your cars igniton sources...not good.


The R101 crashed in bad weather. nothing to do with the gas in its bags.

the Hindenburg however.......you can still see the wreakage at lakehurst AFB in NJ. if you can get someone to show you round.

Petrol and diesel are clasified as Highly flammable and not explosive! Hydrogen is explosive. helium is inert.

 

[C220GJS]

SLinKyjoe,
Thank you for your very informative reply, i had an idea it was unfeasable for safety reasons at least, but just wanted to know the facts, and have been waiting for your reply.
Cheers, Geo.

 

[SLinKyjoe]

SLinKyjoe,
Thank you for your very informative reply, i had an idea it was unfeasable for safety reasons at least, but just wanted to know the facts, and have been waiting for your reply.
Cheers, Geo.

thanks.

had to do a bit of looking around the desk just to make sure tho.

10ltr cylinder of helium is £73. and hydrogen is quoted as £473 for the same, but you need a licence for that. doesn't Zink left in water give off Hydrogen?

nitrogen, by contrast is £14 for a refill of a 10ltr cylinder, but it costs for rent as well. air is about 20p down the local garage.

 

[Myros]

I'll let someone else do the maths/physics/chemistry

but 20p a pressurize, the local garage sounds like it's the most expensive of the lot. I think I paid £20 for my first 12v compressor 20 years ago, (still working), and about a tenner for my last one ( still working) , and they are with the car all the time, so no hunting for a garage on an underinflated tyre.
and I get to blow up the kid's football as well, and do the odd air mattress when we have more visitors than beds. And blow out fuel lines and brake lines and stuff.
Who says I'm a tightwad

 

[C220GJS]

and hydrogen is quoted as £473 for the same,

£47.30p/litre ,somehow I don't think we'll be driving hydrogen fuelled cars for a while yet , it makes petrol sound like a real bargain.
Geo.

 

[SLinKyjoe]

but 20p a pressurize, the local garage sounds like it's the most expensive of the lot.
Who says I'm a tightwad

agreed, but some people dont realise that if the garage charges, then the gauge requires calibrating so its accurate (trades description, weights and measure something or other act 19 etc). whereas if its free they dont have to so it could be a bit out.

and of course Mercs come with their own compressor which is even freererer.

 

[SLinKyjoe]

£47.30p/litre
Geo.

errrr, they are 10ltr cylinders charged to 230bar so it has 2300ltrs of hydrogen in it.

so its about £4.86 a ltr.

i wouldnt have it in my car, the tank needed to keep it safe is reinforced and insulated. not sure it make sense.

fuel cells seem to be the best bet i think.