Wheels & Tires

[Craig]

Welcome to the best source of information about the Elio. As Craig said, be sure to use the search function to reduce your stress and rapidly increase your knowledge. Enjoy the experience with us.

Where else online can you read just under 92 thousand reply's,
on just over 3 thousand subjects,
on a car that technically does not exist.

 

[Joshua Caldwell]

Welcome jambe

 

[ecdriver711]

Speaking of tires and two and three-wheel motorcycles, what happens when you are in Snake's Navel, Nevada and you have a flat, and it is 200 miles to a tire store. I assume the Elio will not have a spare. Fixing a flat rear might not be an easy task.<g>

Oh, yes. My first post!

I'm thinking, "screwed". And next time carry two cans of flat fix.....

 

[Music Man]

I believe a run-flat on the pothole wheel would be advisable. JMO

Looked into that early on. Sounded like a great idea to me, rather than carrying a couple of cans of "fix-a-flat." But then found out that the weight of a run-flat tire is detrimental to the fuel economy that they are trying to achieve.

I have been a cross country bicycle rider for many years, riding the lightest carbon fiber bike that Trek builds. (Slightly more than 14 pounds, I think) The wheels on these high performance, light weight bikes are the lightest rims possible. Why? Because rotating wheels become the heaviest part of the bike, ( next to the rider,) The faster they spin.

For that reason, the weight of a "run-flat tire" quickly becomes a liability.

Don't like the aerosol cans of "fix-flat," but give em to me.

 

[rmcelroy]

Looked into that early on. Sounded like a great idea to me, rather than carrying a couple of cans of "fix-a-flat." But then found out that the weight of a run-flat tire is detrimental to the fuel economy that they are trying to achieve.

I have been a cross country bicycle rider for many years, riding the lightest carbon fiber bike that Trek builds. (Slightly more than 14 pounds, I think) The wheels on these high performance, light weight bikes are the lightest rims possible. Why? Because rotating wheels become the heaviest part of the bike, ( next to the rider,) The faster they spin.

For that reason, the weight of a "run-flat tire" quickly becomes a liability.

Don't like the aerosol cans of "fix-flat," but give em to me.

Wouldn't the acceleration of the rear section of the tire (upward) be offset by the acceleration (down) of the front half, just a question.
I thought wheel mass was only relevant during acceleration, lord knows I have been wrong before, just ask my X.

 

[Snick]

Wouldn't the acceleration of the rear section of the tire (upward) be offset by the acceleration (down) of the front half, just a question.
I thought wheel mass was only relevant during acceleration, lord knows I have been wrong before, just ask my X.

The moment of angular inertia gets higher with heavier wheel/tire combinations, and as mass goes out more toward the rim as often happens with heavier tires and wheels (less hub material relative to rim), there is a shape factor too.

Here's the math: kinetic energy KE required to spin a wheel at angular velocity omega is:

KE = k*mass*omega^2

disc shape has k = 1/2; for reference, sphere has k =1/3 and toroid has k =3/4 if I remember these ones correctly.

so, KE when k is larger and mass is larger grows in direct proportion to their product (mass times k-constant).

This is just the analysis of KE required to spin the wheel/tire. Now, also consider that the wheel/tire/hub has to rotate around a point if using torsion beam suspension, or has to travel up and down linearly if using McPherson strut or similar. So, of course it's apparent that heavier wheel/tire/hub combinations have greater inertia and are harder to get them to change direction.

 

[CrimsonEclipse]

As an avid bicyclists, I am familiar with the problem of weight.

Bigger tires have 3 problems:
Aerodynamics (more drag)
Overall weight
Rotational weight.

Aerodynamics are the primary problem and have the most detriment to efficiency.
Overall weight is a secondary problem.
Rotational weight will harm acceleration. This is a problem with road bikes since the power plant is biological.
It is less of a problem with an internal combustion engine. It will not notably decrease overall efficiency in bicycles or cars at speed.

The tires chosen will be wide enough to make the Elio perform like a normal car for its weight.

It's really a compromise. You are looking at road grip, rolling resistance, aerodynamics, price, availability and durability.
Increasing pressure decreases rolling resistance but decreases road grip. Lower profile tires are stiffer but more expensive and rougher riding requiring better suspension at more cost.

An additional consideration is a wider tire would need less pressure due to the lower weight.

Considering that this is a simple efficient vehicle, a skinny tire 135-155 with a tire height to width of about 60-70.
I would say a rim size of 13, but it will likely be 15 for looks.

I'm also a former tire tech so feel free to ask questions.

 

[Ty]

My motorcycle weighs.just a touch under 800 lbs empty and gets along pretty well with two relatively skinny tires. I think as long as the Elio tires are high enough profile to prevent bending rims on potholes (I'm looking at you, rear tire in the middle), yet wide enough for grip, and stuff enough for efficiency, everything will be okay. Oh, and make the rear one strong enough to be able.to tow Z's camper.

 

[Buddy Hatfield]

Has any body seen what tire size is on the front and rear tire size is??
They said Cooper tires but never the size??
Does any one know ??
I guess the rims will be steel and not aluminum
Ok I also saw a post about the P5 not going on tour?

 

[ecdriver711]

I don't know about the rims. When I saw the P4 in Nashville, Jerome said it had 14" wheels, but that the production model will be 15".