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Centrifugal-center Tire

The center ridge of the tread rises at high speed.
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A series of small weights are molded into the tire, along the center of the tread, well below the surface. At high speed, centrifugal force causes the center of the tire face to expand and rise. This increases the diameter of the tire, decreases the contact patch, reduces friction, reduces carcass squirm and increases gas mileage.

When the speed is reduced, the rubber of the tire (and perhaps an elastic band) pulls the weights back into line with the rest of the tread. Full contact is then restored, and good handling and braking are as with normal tires.

These tires are only for use in accomplishing high gas mileage. They are not for use in race cars or for rough roads.

baconbrain, May 20 2006

Low_20Friction_20Tire_20Design ...inspired by (?) [xaviergisz, May 20 2006]

[link]






       I don't know enough about the subject to say anything bad about it, so I'll give a huge, fresh-baked croissant to anything that'll get me better gas mileage with these prices+
21 Quest, May 20 2006
  

       i would think that the tire already does something like that on its own because of centrifugual force. makes sense to me. plus you gave me inspired by points. bun for ya
lolzcakes, May 20 2006
  

       Adding more unsprung mass would ruin the handling, and so would decreasing the contact patch. I'm also not sure if the centrifugal force would be enough to counteract the weight of the car on the tires. You might be able to do this by changing the tire pressure instead.
rasberry re-tart, May 21 2006
  

       Anything to reduce carcass squirm. [+]
epicproblem, May 21 2006
  

       Yeah, this was inspired by a couple of the other tire ideas posted lately--thanks to them all and the discussions. And thanks for the link to--I was in a hurry.   

       It was also based on what does happen already. I've seen dragster tires bulging out from centrifugal force. They try to fight it, I'm trying to use it.   

       As for unsprung weight . . . yes, that would be increased, but I'm thinking that the tires themselves would flex enough to act as the springs for the centrifugal weights. The halfbaked aspect of this idea is the amount of weights that would be required, and the re-design of the tire bodies--both to be determined by experimentation.   

       Decreasing the contact patch would be bad, yes, as far as handling goes. As I said in the idea, this isn't for race cars. Or psuedo-race cars.
baconbrain, May 21 2006
  
      
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