Other Technologies That Will Need To Adapt

[ecdriver711]

Traction in the center probably won't be much of an issue. That rear tire is mostly along for the ride. I know it'll have to have enough traction to track correctly but that shouldn't take very much. I wonder how much more grip is in the center of the lane because of this one thing I've noticed... Most tailpipes are off center. I know there are cars with dripping oil pans and whatnot that could oil up the center a bit but I wonder how that compares with oil that exits via the exhaust... Probably not very much anymore in either case.

AH, and don't back in to a parking spot where the previous vehicle was leaking oil.

 

[Brian1362]

Funny, I ride a Harley so have to watch out for those all the time.

 

[Lil4X]

Those tires are currently going into production for ATVs and other off-road applications, but they still are facing a long development period for highway use. They don't suffer from punctures, which would make them extremely useful out here in mesquite country where the big shrubs with their stiff, thick, needle-sharp spines make off-roading an adventure in tire-changing (yes, they can circumvent steel belts by puncturing the sidewall). On a paved road, right now they're no real improvement on the pneumatic tire. As far as the recycling potential of non-pneumatic tires is concerned, well, the air in my tires is directly recyclable - the only problem is that it seems to recycle itself at the most inopportune moments.

 

[Brainmatter]

They don't suffer from punctures, which would make them extremely useful out here in mesquite country where the big shrubs with their stiff, thick, needle-sharp spines make off-roading an adventure in tire-changing (yes, they can circumvent steel belts by puncturing the sidewall).

I believe that. Under the right conditions almost anything can go through a tire sidewall. I've pulled a heel from a womans shoe and a old brass garden hose spigot out of a tire back in the day.
Not both out of the same tire mind you.
o_O

 

[LonePine]

Oil change service center without hydraulic jacklas have an opening in the floor to service from below, I can imagine a worker pulling forward too much and the back wheel falls in the opening.

Pulling too far forward ? Yeah, that would require a high-tech answer to the problem, like hanging a tennis ball on a string over the bay.

 

[LonePine]

I wonder how many people will forget about the outrigger front wheels and accidentally clip off part of their suspension on a protective barrier at the gas station . Hope they are easy to see from the drivers seat and not too out-of-sight, out-of-mind.

Hey, those barriers are there for a reason Already. I've seen people drive into them with good 'ol standard 4 wheeled cars because their sense of spacial relationship was less important than their sense of their relationship with their boyfriend.(Sexist ? Get over it). I doubt if it'll be problem.

 

[JNR]

Pulling too far forward ? Yeah, that would require a high-tech answer to the problem, like hanging a tennis ball on a string over the bay.

Until that one time the new guy says "hey what's this ball dragging on my windshield for.." Bump "Doh!" Crash!

 

[Joshua Caldwell]

Until that one time the new guy says "hey what's this ball dragging on my windshield for.." Bump "Doh!" Crash!

I have to be careful about that at my grandfather's house. If the ball isn't touching the windshield the garage door would close on the car, if you don't stop the instant it touches you hit the wall. There is 1" clearance behind the bumper and 2" clearance ahead of the other bumper when properly parked.

 

[DWR]

I wonder how many people will forget about the outrigger front wheels and accidentally clip off part of their suspension on a protective barrier at the gas station . Hope they are easy to see from the drivers seat and not too out-of-sight, out-of-mind.

Another poster took this picture from the driver's seat. It looks like they will be very visible.

 

[Lil4X]

Just a guess here, but it looks like Cooper manufactures "entry level" tires for a 15" wheel with a minimum rim width of 5" (P205/70R15). Surely nothing smaller than that would be used up front. Rear tire might well be a 6" - 7.5" rim width (P225/70R15), but probably not much more. These are tires in the "economy" "Trendsetter" line, and are probably about a cheap as you can buy from a domestic manufacturer. (Incidentally, Cooper is carried by Pep Boys.)