BRIDGESTONE | TUBE VERSUS TUBELESS


WHAT ARE THE MAIN BENEFITS OF SHIFTING FROM TUBE TO TUBELESS TYRES? Tubeless tyres offer many benefi ts over tube type tyres with hardly any drawbacks, which is why they have become standard issue as original equipment (OE) in cars throughout most of the world. According to industry experts there has been a steady rise in the demand for tubeless tyres in recent years. In a nutshell tubeless tyres are safer, use much fewer components to be installed and will save money on fuel economy compared to tube type tyres.


HOW LONG HAVE TUBELESS TYRES BEEN AROUND? Tubeless tyres have been around a lot longer than most people might think. In 1903, P.W. Litchfi eld patented the fi rst tubeless tyre, however it was never commercially exploited until 1954. By the end of the decade, tubeless tyres were commonplace on most production cars. Tubeless tyres for heavy vehicles like trucks and busses are a much more recent invention, but are gaining popularity throughout the world.


ARE THERE COST SAVINGS?


A tubeless tyre is lighter than the tube type tyre. The weight saving on each tyre, plus the reduced rolling resistance, means that the vehicle will achieve better fuel economy when running with tubeless tyres. In addition, weight savings will also come from the wheels and rims, which have far fewer components on a tubeless tyre assembly. Some laboratory results have shown up to two percent fuel savings when running on tubeless tyres compared to tube type tyres. Fewer components also mean less spare part inventory, which will lower running costs.


Tube Type Tyre Tubeless Tyre


TUBE TYRE


TUBELESS TYRE


1200R20


IS THE AMOUNT OF HEAT GENERATED THE SAME BETWEEN TUBE AND TUBELESS TYRES? No, tubeless tyres generate signifi cantly less heat than tube type tyres. Due to the friction between the inner tube and tyre, a lot more heat is generated. In addition, the difference in aspect ratio means that for a tyre with the same outer diameter, the


315/80R22.5


inner diameter is bigger. This means a slightly larger inside rim, which allows for better ventilation and cooling. Less heat generation means less possibility of heat related tyre damages. For truck tyres, this concern has been greatly reduced in recent years primarily because of the changes from tube type to tubeless tyres.


Tubeless Tyre


Wheel Rim


Tube Type Tyre


Tube


Flap


Wheel Disc


Side Ring


Side Ring


12 JANUARY 2012 real QUESTIONS real ANSWERS


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