Flipper is a protective gasket between the disc and the wheel chamber

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

To protect the tube, a special tape called "flipper" is applied to the inner surface of the wheel rim.

Flipper Assignment

Car tires and installed inner tubes are made of rubber and special rubber compounds. Despite the fact that special chemical additives that increase strength are used in the composition of such a rubber mixture, depending on the purpose of the car tire, area of application, period of operation, the car wheel still remains a fairly soft, vulnerable material.

During the operation of any car, gradual wear of tires occurs, which is accompanied by increased friction with an increase in temperature and the appearance of mechanical wear particles. Flipper is a special tape that acts as a protective gasket between the camera and the rim of the rim. It protects the camera from damage that can be caused by wear products that have arisen during operation or solid particles that have entered from the outside.

Production

Flipper is an integral part of the wheel, which should not, in its parameters, worsen the technicalcharacteristics of the entire wheel and the performance of the vehicle. Currently, rim tape is used mainly on truck tires, as its use in passenger car tires reduces dynamic performance, which is especially noticeable on high-speed models.

Despite the fact that the gasket tape is used in truck tires, this flipper does not create difficult conditions for operation. Given this factor, not the most expensive grades of rubber compound are used for the manufacture of rim tapes. Often the composition includes a fairly large percentage of rubber rejected due to technological violations in the manufacture of tires, as well as reclaimed, recycled car tires.

Marking

To ensure reliable, long-term, and most importantly - safe operation of an automobile wheel, it is extremely important that all components: a tire, a tube, a rim tape, a rim - correspond to certain interrelated parameters. To determine such compliance, for the purpose of correct selection and assembly, a system of designations and classification has been introduced and is in effect, including for the rim tape. For a flipper, this designation specifies the following parameters:

1. Name of manufacturer.
2. Fit dimensions (in inches) consisting of nominal belt width and wheel rim bore.
3. Production date.
4. Marks of passing control for serviceability.

Storage and installation of flipper on wheels

To preserve and prevent loss of performance, avoid premature aging, rim tapes must be stored in compliance with mandatory requirements.

1. It is not allowed to store flippers with lubricants and combustible materials, solvents, and other aggressive substances at the same time.
2. The storage location of the flipper on wheels should be located in a dry building or room, always closed from sunlight.
3. Belts must not come into contact with materials that are susceptible to corrosion or have low corrosion resistance.
4. Flippers for storage should be placed on semicircular surfaces of special brackets or rails, in packs of no more than 20 pieces.
5. Storage temperature can range from +30 to -30 °C.

It is necessary to install the gasket between the disk and the chamber in accordance with the current technology for assembling and disassembling automobile wheels, with the obligatory observance of approved safety rules. The flipper is an integral part of the wheel that does not require separate care and maintenance.

Causes of flipper failure

The main reason for the failure of the flipper is the discrepancy between the air pressure in the tire and the standard parameters. At low pressure, wear occurs, and, accordingly, the life of the wheel is sharply reduced. At high pressure, as well as when the car is overloaded, inthe valve hole of the rim is extruded first by the rim tape, and then by the rubber chamber. The result of such an accident is the loss of chamber integrity and loss of pressure. This leads to the deflation of the wheel, which almost always leads to the destruction of the tire on a loaded car. Also, the camera and flipper are usually not recoverable.

To avoid such defects, there is a rim tape design pioneered by Michelin. This flipper provides for the installation of a special plastic insert under the valve hole. The purpose of this insert is to prevent the rim tape and inner tube from penetrating into the rim slot. This solution prolongs the life of the car wheel, but only in cases of short-term exposure to internal high pressure or overload of the car.