Softwheels
- Thread starter NoDak
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Doc2012
Senior Member
MyHigh
New member
These have been around for a while, I mainly seen them on small construction vehicles like bobcats and such.
They are a great idea, and I'm pretty amazed at how well they hold up a heavy rig, such as the hummer. I think for some military applications they could be priceless, never get a flat and if ever in a hostile situation that can be very valuable.
My concern would be balancing them, and having them be off balance from mud, or small rocks that get stuck in the honeycomb support structure. Unlike like modern tires they can't throw the rocks out when higher speeds are reached.
Also I can see many accidents on the road from people looking while driving, JK!
They are a great idea, and I'm pretty amazed at how well they hold up a heavy rig, such as the hummer. I think for some military applications they could be priceless, never get a flat and if ever in a hostile situation that can be very valuable.
My concern would be balancing them, and having them be off balance from mud, or small rocks that get stuck in the honeycomb support structure. Unlike like modern tires they can't throw the rocks out when higher speeds are reached.
Also I can see many accidents on the road from people looking while driving, JK!
BlackWorksInc
New member
I've been watching these for a while now and I keep wondering the same thing... How do these manage variability of conditions? Freeway driving typically desires stiffer/more inflated tires, where as some offroading desires low pressure, high deformation, and far softer tire characteristics.
How do these solid wheels deal with that? The Hummer/HMMWV(as do most military vehicles) uses central tire inflation to manage various terrain much in the way we (offroaders) do on trails. This is a critical design element I have not seen addressed by these style of "tire," which is a deal breaker for me.
zonianbrat
New member
We use them on our bob cats here on plant site and they have paid for themselves many times over. No flat tires means no calls to vehicle maintenance and no down time. They are pricey though. I know one of our bob cats got a new set at the tune of almost 3,000 dollars. And because of the compound of rubber they wear out fast when used on concrete. Not sure about car/suv applications though.
