Run flat
All kinds of self-priming and self-healing tires from the James Bond arsenal - a product more real than eternal life and endless ammo, but piece and extremely expensive and therefore completely unsuitable for mass production. A more economical solution was called run-flat. It is translated into Russian approximately as “I’ll get there and on a flat tire” - and this, in fact, completely reveals the essence.
Unlike standard tires, tires made using this technology have reinforced sidewalls and a more heat-resistant rubber composition. When cut, the usual wheel runs the risk of exploding and abruptly “pulling” the car from the path. Another scenario - the tire quickly loses pressure and flattenes out on asphalt under the influence of the weight of the machine, turning into scraps; and discs after such a trip can safely be taken to a metal reception point. We'll have to urgently put a "spare". And if, for example, two tires are damaged at once? Indeed, in life this also happens when three wheels fail at once.
Regular Tires and Run Flat
You can not think about all these troubles with "run-flat" tires. You will calmly go on without any tangible inconvenience, since such tires do not deform and do not fall off the disk, allowing you to maintain speeds of up to 80 km / h and overcome the distance from 50 to 150 km - depending on the load on the car. At the same time, all security systems like ABS or ESP work as if nothing had happened. And how many extra liters gurgle in the trunk, completely devoid of a spare tire!
There is only one limitation in the use of this technology: the machine must be structurally prepared for it, namely, equipped with ESP and pressure control systems. The driver must find out about the trouble in time and make adjustments to his driving style - what if he suddenly gets into his head impulsively to slip with a skid?
However, there are "eternal" tires and cons. First of all, their price is 20-30% higher, and maintainability is significantly worse. You also need to be prepared for a slight decrease in car comfort - after all, reinforced sidewalls respond more stiffly to road bumps and have increased rolling resistance. And this primarily discourages car manufacturers - they are ordered to fight for environmental friendliness and efficiency! Well, one more unpleasant information for a snack: they mount run-flat tires on modern equipment, so it’s unlikely that they can do this at the entrance on their own or in the neighbor’s garage.
Variations on a Theme
Different tire manufacturers give their puncture-safe products different names, but all of them, as a rule, contain all kinds of variations on the theme of “flat riding”. For example, Goodyear and Dunlop dubbed them Run-on-Flat, Pirelli - Run-Flat, Nokian - Flat Run, Bridgestone - RFT, Michelin - ZP, Continental - SSR, Yokohama - ZPS. Of automobile companies, BMW is most committed to this technology: the vast majority of Bavarian cars are equipped with run-flat tires. Other premium brands do not disdain them, including Mercedes-Benz, Lexus and Audi.
