Mitchelin To Launch New Self Heal Tyre
Monday, 11. July 2011
Image via Wikipedia
We have heard of run-flat tyres, they effectively have a hard wall that enables you to continue driving with a puncture as the tyre wall holds up the weight of the car enabling you to drive about 50 miles at 50mph. However, Michelin now have a new tyre that they are about to re-introduce, the self-heal tyre that was a bit of a disaster in a previous launch as it didn’t function as well as it should have done. A liquid inside the tyre would be forced through a hole caused by a puncture to instantly seal it without losing tyre pressure.
However, in the original tyres a gel sealant was used which congealed at the bottom of the tyre and upset its balance and handling. The new tyres, called 3S, standing for Stable Sealant Silent now has a 2mm layer of viscous rubber inside the running belt.
If the tyre is now pierced it fills and seals the hole up to 6mm deep with no air loss. Michelin are set to launch the tyre next year – can’t wait! What do you think? By Graham Hill
