Car tyres filled with water...

[Shannow]

Looks more pressure stable than nitrogen...obviously due to a higher molecular weight than either oxygen or nitrogen.

Improved tread life under arduous conditions.



Interesting to note that it all didn't "flash to steam", increasing it's volume 1,000 fold as some would suggest.

(Not serious in the benefits part, as I'm not a lab director, and have to work in the real world of physics and chemistry)...posted for personal interest.

 

[CapriRacer]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
……. Interesting to note that it all didn't "flash to steam", increasing it's volume 1,000 fold as some would suggest. …….


What most people forget is that the boiling point of water is 212°F (100°C) at standard pressure - BUT - at 30 psig (44.7 psia) it's 274°F (135°C) - and that's way above the operating temperature of a tire.

 

[Shannow]

Yes, exactly.

That's what makes all the internet commentary about the massive expansion appear so convincing but utterly meaningless.

 

[AZjeff]

Wouldn't that additional unsprung weight be hard on shocks, brakes, etc long term and what happens when you hit a pothole? Interesting.

 

[Shannow]

Jeff,
those are questions that I was thinking of asking CapriRacer (in the speculative, rather than professional sense).

In the burnout situation, clearly the water is cooling (using the wheel as a radiator), much better than the air.

What's the centrifugal effect with regard to the tyre's construction ?....they are designed to last years, millions of revolutions...this is overload for sure, but what's the fatigue curve of a tire ? (note I used non Oz spelling).

Would love to see what happens to the sidewall...we see tire growth on drag cars...and I've heard local farmers with their water filled tractors suffering badly if they spin the wheels.

 

[aquariuscsm]

They have 300ZX wheels on a 240SX

 

[billt460]

I can't understand why anyone would want to even think of actually doing this? First off is the additional weight. Not to mention having an unbalanced condition if 100% of the air has not been evacuated. Then there is the fact that liquid is incompressible. So what is going to happen when you hit a large pot hole with your 100% water filled tires?

So much wrong with this whole idea.... And don't forget to add the appropriate amount of anti freeze if you want to attempt this stunt in the north during Winter. I'm sure solid ice would not give a very comfortable ride.... At least until it all melted and the flat spots went away.

 

[Shannow]

Originally Posted By: billt460
I can't understand why anyone would want to even think of actually doing this? First off is the additional weight. Not to mention having an unbalanced condition if 100% of the air has not been evacuated. Then there is the fact that liquid is incompressible. So what is going to happen when you hit a large pot hole with your 100% water filled tires? So much wrong with this whole idea.


Posted for S and G...

Unbalanced...the water doesn't sit there as a lump and I'm sure that Toyota, with all of their superior engineering when they made a set of wheels and tyres out of solid water were concerned with any of your concerns either.

 

[billt460]

I'll bet they'll sell like crazy in Florida and Arizona!

 

[billt460]

You should get together with this guy. You both have a lot in common!

 

[Shannow]

1991, we lined a mate's XD Falcon ute with a tarp, and used it as a pool at the summernats.

Drove it very carefully to the venue (It sloshed), and sat there with beers.

Constabulary complained, so BJ Barlin, the madman of Brindabella Station dropped the tailgate, giving us an instantaneous burnout pad in front of our now dry seating

 

[JLTD]

I know a guy or two in Alaska, and if they lose air pressure in winter they fill the tires (tyres?) with water and run around town on ice until spring.

 

[SirTanon]

Yeah.. this is just a bad idea all around.. besides what has already been pointed out about water not being compressible and thus making for a harsher ride, and the other point about adding a LOT of unsprung weight - by my calculation, for the tires on my fusion, approximately 683 pounds.

Never mind the fact that water in a tire rolling along the highway at, let's say 70mph, is going to generate a LOT of rolling resistance, heat, etc.. and that much rotating weight is going to require extra braking power to stop in a safe amount of space.

I'll pass, thanks.

 

[Johnny2Bad]

It's normal to fill tractor tires with saline (salt water) but weight is a traction advantage there and speeds are low, and there is no real suspension to deal with. I know people who can drive on totally worn suspension and not notice a thing, so I suppose there are people who could drive on water-filled tires and not notice a thing. I'm not one of those people, though.

 

[A_Harman]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
1991, we lined a mate's XD Falcon ute with a tarp, and used it as a pool at the summernats.

Drove it very carefully to the venue (It sloshed), and sat there with beers.

Constabulary complained, so BJ Barlin, the madman of Brindabella Station dropped the tailgate, giving us an instantaneous burnout pad in front of our now dry seating


This makes me laugh just thinking about the sight of it all...

 

[andyd]

The rubber tired earth movers in my area ballast the wheels with a slurry of calcium carbonate and water. Air is added for some compression I'm guessing. Heey, is the ballast the reason they bob forward when run at 30 mph?

 

[CR94]

Some of the objections posted are imaginary, it's still a dumb idea for cars for several other reasons! Calcium chloride solution in tires is fine for tractors, and has a major advantage nobody mentioned yet, assuming it fills only roughly two-thirds the tire volume. The liquid stays at the bottom, resulting in a lower center of mass than iron weights of the same total mass bolted to the wheels (also common). Thus, less risk of rollover on side slopes.

 

[CT8]

Originally Posted By: AZjeff
Wouldn't that additional unsprung weight be hard on shocks, brakes, etc long term and what happens when you hit a pothole? Interesting.
+1 !

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: andyd
The rubber tired earth movers in my area ballast the wheels with a slurry of calcium carbonate and water.

That was done a lot on the farm, too, on tractors.