New-Style Tire Works Like A Rubber Track

New-Style Tire Works Like A Rubber Track TIRES/WHEELS Miscellaneous A round rubber pneumatic tire that flattens out under load allowing the bottom surface to take on the shape of a flat rubber track is being developed by the Mitas Tire Company based in the Czech Republic www mitasag com According to Mitas the PneuTrac’s footprint is 53 percent larger than that of a standard tire and its lateral stability is 167 percent higher Instead of the sidewalls bulging out at low pressure the sidewalls of the PneuTrac actually concave or deflect to the inside of the tire The design elongates the tread so that the imprint becomes longer and the tire imprint looks more like a track than a tire It results in better traction less slippage and less soil compaction Mitas research and development department in Europe is testing PneuTrac tires in 18 28 and 38-in sizes The tires aren’t expected to be available for at least 2 to 3 years

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