In another of Car Articles ongoing commitment to engendering more knowledge amongst the car enthusiast around the web, here I consider run flat tyres.
Around ten years ago a tyre was introduced that was designed to be able to continue to be driven on should a loss of tyre pressure occur. An example might be if a shard of glass is ran over and the tyre is punctured.
The run-flat tyre will cope with a journey for some miles (I’ve heard stories of over 100 miles completed) in order to get you home safely without having to replace the tyre.
So how do they work? Run-flat tyres are designed with a greater amount of rubber in the sidewall, achieved through more thickness of rubber and a harder compound. This makes the tyre much stiffer and able to ‘stand’ even when not at full pressure.
So what about the disadvantages? Well, run-flats are heavier than standard rubber and they can also adversely affect the ride quality of a car. Nonetheless, they are a good fit for the modern age when some drivers don’t even know how to change a tyre!
show-plates says
May 31, 2011 at 12:23 pmI imagine another major disadvantage been the price of the tyres , whats the cost of 4 of those ?!