Trucking Cody
Elio Fan
Adding a wide tire increases rolling resistance. Thats the opposite of what you want to do on a high mpg car
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Anyone Know How Big Of Tire We Can Stuff Under The Back?
- Thread starter charchri4
- Start date
Is the elio going to have a custom tire?
In the Investor Inquiries video, at 9:59, it sounds like Paul Elio is saying Coopertire is doing a custom tire for Elio Motors.
This would go contrary to the idea of "nothing new".
http://www.eliomotors.com/investor-inquiries/
In the Investor Inquiries video, at 9:59, it sounds like Paul Elio is saying Coopertire is doing a custom tire for Elio Motors.
This would go contrary to the idea of "nothing new".
http://www.eliomotors.com/investor-inquiries/
The way I understand it the answer to the question; is this a custom tire?, is both yes and no. EM is apparently working with Cooper to produce a tire size which is available overseas but here in the USA is only used for 'donut' spares and specialty vehicle applications. So while the tire will be custom made in the USA for EM, and for retail replacement sale, it is not a new tire. The reasons for needing this tire size is that other car tires are simply too wide for such a lightweight vehicle which reduces MPG via increased friction and motorcycle tires are not designed for use on a vehicle like the Elio so they would not be a good alternative even if Elio correct sizes may be available.
The tire size which has been discussed by Elio is 135/(70 or 75)R15. We have several members knowledgeable in this matters who have interdependently done the calculations and have told us that even this size tire is wider than is necessary. This should result in better than average grip, at the expense of some MPG, for the Elio in stock form. The general consensus is that this is likely about as narrow as EM can go without getting into a truly custom tire and thus a resulting increase in price.
Interestingly there is a commonly available tire size, 145/65-R15, which is nearly identical in dimensions to 135/7XR15 however it is 0.4 inches wider. This is good because this widely available tire should serve as a good emergency replacement if the Elio size tire is not available locally as this could be an issue in the first year or two until enough Elio's and Elio tires are produced to make replacements in the Elio specific size widely available.
Lots of discussion over time on this issue here: http://www.elioowners.com/threads/wheels-tires.1683/
ScarecrowRepair
Elio Aficionado
The rear tire pretty much has to be a custom tire. Standard car tires have an inside and outside; Elio doesn't. Motorcycle tires have no inside or outside, but are rounded to allow leaning during turns; the Elio doesn't do that.
wheaters
Elio Addict
I think it's more correct to say that some car tires have an inside and outside (in other words they are directional). Those fitted to my BMW and Liege are, but not those of our Renault, Suzuki or Fiat.
Wheaters would be correct. Tires come in directional and unidirectional rotation as well as with symmetric, asymmetric, and unidirectional tread patterns. EM will simply use a unidirectional tire as these do not have an inside or an outside.
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ScarecrowRepair
Elio Aficionado
I was thinking more of the lettering and other cosmetic aspects, plus the valve stem. Aside from directionality, I don't know that there actually needs to be a difference, but if manufacturers know only one side needs lettering and the valve stem, I wouldn't be surprised if other design aspects are based on inside/outside. The cosmetic angle may matter to people more than they expect; from one side, you see white lettering, while the other side is relatively crude and unfinished simply because the manufacturer never expected anyone but mechanics to see it.
wheaters
Elio Addict
Sorry, but I don't understand what is meant by this. Every wheel/tire I can think of has the valve in the rim, not in the tire, and the valve is always on the same side as the wheel nuts. o_O
RUCRAYZE
Elio Addict
I got from it he wants the rear wheel to have the lettering on both sides.
CheeseheadEarl
Elio Addict
Didn't white letters go out of style in the 80s?
Edit: every tire I've ever seen is lettered on both sides.