Crazy Ideas

[Lumberg]

So it has always bothered me that no matter how you rotate tires, the outside edges are always on the outside. I would like to do something about it but remounting and balancing is too much.

So I was just thinking about it and what if someone came up with a perfectly symmetrical rim? So you could reverse the direction of the tire on the same axle?

 

[CharBaby]

I LIKE IT!

 

[CapriRacer]

Many old trucks used a system where the rim was just the "rim" part and could be mounted either side out. The major problem with this arrangement (aside from the multiple piece assembly problems) was that the attaching system was a series of wedges - pretty heavy.

I also recall that old VW's had something similar except that there were tabs welded onto the rim.

But I suspect the reason this hasn't surfaced before is that no matter how you try, you still wind up with something more complex with more pieces and with more cost.

Still it's an idea worth keeping around. Someone may come up with a solution.

 

[Curious Kid]

If going with aluminum rims, I can't see why this isn't easily possible do to the fact they are cast and machined. Other than the rim design itself, the wheel bearing positions would need to be optimised so as to allow equal loading.

I'm not sure as to what effect all this would play in terms of turn-in/overall steering behavior and vehicle handing.

Nice observation.

 

[Lumberg]

I guess part of the issue is the offset; the tire is supposed to have a very specific spatial relationship with the rotor. However if you could design a rim that was perfectly symmetrical and was a decent compromise (maybe use a wider tire?) you could probably get away with it.

 

[robbobster]

Or a removable hub that you'd simply bolt the outer rim/tire to...

 

[Mitch Alsup]

I should point out that you really (really!) want the brake rotors to occupy the centerline* of the tire traction footprint (in a axially symetric rotational sense). With the brake rotors at this position, you cannot have the bolt pattern in the same position of offset.

[*] or very close

 

[Lumberg]

sounds like the way to go is to make the tires wider then.