unpopable tires used on military vehicles!

I saw a thing on the history channel about cool and futuristic weapons. I noticed that they bring up a new type of tire designed for military wheeled vehicles like the Humvee. I would live to have a set of these for my ride.

Now they just need to make IED proof humvees!

reply to post by paranormal78



what is the honeycombed part of the tire made of?doesn't look like it would withstand typical road hazards let along the punishment of combat driving.

Am I the only one thinks it could be disabled simply by jamming a metal pipe into it?

reply to post by paranormal78


Looks like the next generation of run flats...

reply to post by yourmaker


I don't expect the honeycomb shape to be hollow all the way through(though I am just guessing) as it was the first thing I thought of when I saw the pic.

Looks like it would be a noisy & uncomfortable ride though.

It also makes me wonder how long the vehicle could run with them on before the vibration would loosen every bolt on the Humvee.

Welds would have to be stronger too as the added vibration would seriously test every welds integrity.

There are other puncture-proof tyres available nowadays.

Hardcore 4x4 shops sell them but most(maybe all) require bead-lockers.

reply to post by yourmaker

I think that version is just to show what it's made of. The final version is filled in with a foam and covered. They don't want dirt/mud/objects getting stuck in there!

This is called a "tweel" and was developed by Michelin in 2005 (I think). It's one of those great inventions that will probably never make into commercial production because it would eliminate the rubber industry and we couldn't have that! We've got to keep everyone dependent on petrol products!

Here's some info on the tweel: (scroll down on the page a bit)
Michelin's Tweel

Originally posted by paranormal78
I would live to have a set of these for my ride.

You say that now. But I doubt you'd say that after a test drive, you'd want to switch back yo riding on air ASAP.

Originally posted by OccamAssassin
Looks like it would be a noisy & uncomfortable ride though.

That's why you don't want them on a regular passenger car.

Obviously if you're driving through a battle zone you're willing to sacrifice comfort for reliability, so it makes sense on a humvee. But that's not a sacrifice you're likely to want to make for your daily commute to work.

Originally posted by Makuahine
This is called a "tweel" and was developed by Michelin in 2005 (I think).
Michelin's Tweel

That photo doesn't match the OP photo. So I'm not sure the OP photo is the Michelin Tweel.

But it's similar, thanks for the link.

Originally posted by Makuahine
This is called a "tweel" and was developed by Michelin in 2005 (I think). It's one of those great inventions that will probably never make into commercial production because it would eliminate the rubber industry and we couldn't have that! We've got to keep everyone dependent on petrol products!

Here's some info on the tweel: (scroll down on the page a bit)
Michelin's Tweel

That was my thought as well. I saw something similar to this a while back and thought that it would never see the light of day on regular production vehicles. Even if the ride could be made superb, the people that make them aren't going to put themselves out of business. Good find Makuahine.

Originally posted by DelMar
Even if the ride could be made superb, the people that make them aren't going to put themselves out of business. Good find Makuahine.

I have no idea what you're talking about "putting themselves out of business".

It's still got a rubber tread, right?

I don't throw out a tire that has tread left, if it gets a hole I just plug the hole. I don't see where it would affect the tire makers profits one way or another. They might actually make more because they might be able to charge more, if people actually wanted them. But I suspect people won't really want a tire that doesn't have a smooth ride.

Interesting innovation. It would really be a good sell among those who hate to get stuck on the road due to a flat tire. I wonder how race cars would fair with these unpopable tires.

Fancy gadget..

Does this mean it will withstand shellshock too..? Because 99% of damages done on disabled vehicles caused by the brutal shockwave!

This from a email from a mate of mine

These tyres are made in South Carolina, USA. SEE THROUGH TYRES?? A radical new tire design by Michelin. It is the next generation of tyres, and was on show at the Philadelphia car show.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/83046aac78c6.jpg[/atsimg]
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/123a047e1c0e.jpg[/atsimg]
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/7683c80575b9.jpg[/atsimg]
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/43ba699e98f8.jpg[/atsimg]

These tyres are airless and are scheduled to be out on the market very soon. The bad news for Police and other law enforcement is that stinger spikes will not work on these. Just think of the impact on existing technology: A. no more air valves... B. no more air compressors at Petrol stations.... C. no more repair kits... D. no more flat tires... E. Less expensive and more money in the drivers pocket? These are actual pictures taken in the South Carolina plant of Michelin.

reply to post by xmetalgear
It loks like the ones i talked about. It doesnt look as cool tho. makes the wheels look weird. It will be a long time before they catch on with consumers.

These tires are not Tweels, they are made by Resilient technologies
www.resilienttech.com...