"Run Flat" - what is it? Tire production technology

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:41

At the time of 2019, there is a very active struggle for comfort, prestige, for getting rid of problems, for the emergence of a higher service interval and so on. And all this leads to the fact that in our lives there are more and more wise and cool innovations and technologies that really make our life easier. "Run Flat" - what is it? These are high-tech tires that protect the wheel from punctures. They can happen, but the car will be on the move for more than a hundred kilometers. All this thanks to a revolutionary technology that is resistant to punctures.

Working principle

The whole point lies in the fact that the sidewalls of the tire are reinforced. A regular tire deflates with a simple puncture, but Run Flat tires do not. The sides move away from the disk, and the wheels themselves settle on the weight of the car, and the sidewalls are also flattened. Thus, they hold a punctured tire for a long time, about 100 kilometers. During this time, you can very easily get to the nearest settlement or service, where you can easily change tires. Full puncture - no problem!

Flaws

Yes, if you do own these tires, don't drive without fear. Yes, it has many advantages, and even with a serious puncture, you will continue to move. But, like other tires, this rubber has its drawbacks. The first one is speed. When you notice that your tire has begun to slowly deflate, then the maximum speed should be 50 kilometers per hour.

The mileage limit on these wheels is 100 kilometers. And if there is a way not to reach this limit, take care of your tires and be sure to visit the very first tire shop. Do not abuse all the possibilities of this rubber. It is not magical, and will not drag your car thousands of kilometers ahead. If you puncture a tire somewhere on the track, then do not rush to be glad that you can drive about 100 more kilometers.

After all, many highways simply will not have tire fitting points, and you will not be able to get to it. Rather, they are, but in very small quantities, and the distance from each other is more than two hundred kilometers. It's just a matter of luck here. If you puncture a tire a kilometer after leaving the tire shop, you may not make it to the next one. And if you have a tire punctured a couple of kilometers before this point, then you are in luck. ATin general, once at a time is not necessary.

Benefits

The most important plus is, of course, convenience. When you ride on such tires, you inadvertently forget about spare tires. After all, they are simply not needed - for additional kilometers with punctured tires, you can easily reach the first point of assistance, where your tires will be replaced. And if there is no spare in the trunk, then there is more space, and the car is lighter. In general, like a stone will fall from the soul.

Regular tires will be a little softer than Run Flat winter tires - that's a fact. All because of this technology. You are sacrificing your comfort for safety. However, it is worth noting that every year this rubber improves, and, of course, it becomes much more pleasant and comfortable.

One very important thing is worth emphasizing. Not all run flat tires carry this mark. Many manufacturers write designations on their tires that indicate exactly that this rubber is equipped with such technology. For the Michelin brand, this is the abbreviation ZP. Continental has SSR. Yokohama-ZPS. Bridgestone - RFT. Therefore, if the word Run Flat is not in the name, you should not be surprised and sad that such wonderful technology does not exist in your favorite rubber. Now we will analyze each brand in much more detail.

"Self-supporting tires" from Michelin

They have ZP technology, which stands for Zero Pressure. These are special tires that are equipped to the maximum. They can drive on the road even when the pressure is already completely lost. They are verydurable - the sidewalls are reinforced, and the bead rings are also made very high quality and good-natured.

The production of this rubber is suitable for any car. However, most often they put it on German and American cars. After all, they have a system that shows tire pressure, thereby letting you know that you need to move to the tire shop as soon as possible. "Run Flat" - what is it? This is a rubber that helps with a punctured wheel to get to the tire fitting point.

Goodyear ROF tire features

This company also released its own series of automotive rubber products, which have the "Run Flat" technology. However, this tire manufacturer has even better properties. The thing is that when your tires have completely lost pressure, then your car will not only be able to drive on the road, but also develop a very high speed.

This is the uniqueness of this type of tires, and, of course, affects their quality and owner reviews. Still, only one Goodyear ROF has this. The abbreviation stands for RunOnFlat. Translated into Russian, it will be like this: "run along the plane (road)". Each tire model has its own load index, which is usually the lowest value.

It is worth noting that she has one drawback. At the tire shop, you will have to change tires for tires that are more or less similar to the GoodYear ROF. They should be roughly similar in size, speed index, type, etc. Otherwise, there will be some problems. Good if in stockthere are identical tires that will fit your car.

Bridgestone RFT: Take it easy on the road

That car, which is the proud owner of Bridgestone RFT tires, has the most important opportunity: in case of a tire puncture, it is easy to get to the first tire fitting point. The driver does not need to worry about this, because the resource of punctured and deformed tires is about a hundred kilometers. There is a lot of space in the trunk, since such drivers do not carry a spare tire. And this is very good. BridgeStone RFT is a great tire recommended by many car owners. "Run Flat" - what is it? An innovation that does not allow the wheel to completely go down, and the owner can drive on such rubber for another hundred kilometers.

Conclusion

Yes, it is very easy to get confused in this variety, but when you delve into the topic and understand, it will do you good. However, even if you do not want to do this, then just contact real experts who will help you choose Run Flat tires for free and with high quality. Or just read this article and assimilate the information provided. After all, the Run Flat technology is not so complicated, and it does not work according to a magical concept. Everything operates according to the laws of physics. You've learned about "Run Flat" technology, which is an innovation in car tires that keeps a tire from going flat.