I was thinking, what if someone made a rim that had springs inside? So when you hit a bump, the actual wheel could compress a bit to absorb the bump.

Edited November 16, 200520 yr by giantshark18

Strange. Conceivable, though. Could they make the tire stay intact with the rim though? Sweet idea.

Better yet, airless tires...

Fly - I've seen those airless ones before. I wonder if rim damage is any more prominent?

had something new in th popular mechanics i got today

Better yet, airless tires...

I saw a show on the Discovery or Learning channel on those... they attached them to some armored vehicle and ran over a land mine and it still was useable.

I was thinking, what if someone made a rim that had springs inside? So when you hit a bump, the actual wheel could compress a bit to absorb the bump.

[post="43670"][/post]

That would be a handling nightmare. We have steadly moved to less and less sidewall on tires to eliminate give at the tires. Why would we now want floppy wheels ?

Theres a function on all automobiles called a suspension, it is designed to absorb impacts while maintaining excellent control.

It would be far cheaper to go to low pressure balloon tires if we want people floating around on the highways

better yet, we should all just move to these

http://www.mattracks.com/

better yet, we should all just move to these

http://www.mattracks.com/

That's awsome...

I'd love to have a truck that can easily convert between standard wheels and those.. like say the treads fold down from under the car and the the wheels prop up.. or something to that effect.

I believe that was a system (similar) at one time called a half track, possibly invented in England or maybe here or Canada used on the rear axle of farm tractors. The company County Cars of England did alot of full track adapted Fordson tractor stuff, another English company as well that was eventually bought by Catapillor, I just cant come up with their name. Used alot durring WWII on the airfields of England. I have forgotten alot of what I read on all that old stuff. I have a Fordson book down in the shop but havent even looked at it in 10 years.