The development of Michelin's airless tires has been going on for more than a decade without anything affecting production. He is said to be finalizing the development of airless tires for use on the next generation Chevy Bolt. But why wait when you can create your own. Yes, this video and others show how the DIY works to build your own airless tires. Although we do not recommend it, individuals seem to be having success with their efforts.
Making your own airless tires isn't as difficult or expensive as you think
Using fairly basic materials and tools, Driven Media in the UK made four airless tires for just a few hundred dollars and a little time. It all started with four 14-inch steel rims and tires, 15 lengths of fresh water hose, a smaller plastic pipe used as a vibration damper, and a few hundred nuts and bolts. And regular tire treads were wrapped around the airless wheels and glued.
The instructions and actual construction of an airless tire are pretty rudimentary, but where the excitement comes is during testing. Obviously, there were no lab or simulated tests. It was the seat of the pants in the real world, drive it and find out. Fortunately, the Caterham Seven is a fairly light vehicle at just 1,750 pounds with passengers. This means there is approximately 450 lbs of load per corner when static.
Of course, side loads and weight changes mean these tires handle more than a few hundred pounds in real-world use. At least the roll cage would help with any rollovers, as long as it didn't fold into a bundle. And visually, there's something compelling about the DIY tires that the Michelin versions don't have.
100 mph and drift were the ultimate goals for airless tires
The first tests took place at low speed. But the intention was to hit 100 mph and also be able to drift. Talk about side loads. And Driven Media also designed a bed of nails to see how the tires performed for what they were actually intended for; piercing.
Although the tires performed well in their first tests, there was one big downside. They were loud. The tires slammed like a wagon pulled by 50 horses. Maybe using a cut rubber garden hose for the shocks might help to some extent.
To see how much noise was being generated, the crew used a sound level meter to check the decibels. They put the stock tires back on and measured. What they found was that airless tires were twice as loud as conventional tires. Not so good.
There were a few issues
The next issue was when we got to normal speeds a few of the bolts pulled out of the assembly. But that didn't seem like a problem, because once back they behaved as you would expect. Driving around town, hitting potholes and sliding over speed bumps didn't seem to affect the tires. And testers reported that the ride felt like riding on traditional tires. Apart from the noise.
When it comes to drifting, we'll leave you hanging. Suffice it to say, it's amazing that MacGivering airless tires have been able to achieve this kind of success. And in some ways, that suggests that creating airless tires, as seen here, should lead to more immediate solutions to tire production.
So, you entrepreneurs, here is your next goal; make your own airless tires. It might not be as sexy as rapid blood tests as Theranos claimed, its practical applications could unlock billions of dollars worth of products every vehicle needs.