Tubeless Tyre

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TUBELESS TYRE(BR) OR TUBELESS TIRE(AM)

Tubeless Tyres

INTRODUCTION

TUBELESS TYRE

But after the introduction of engine driven vehicles, Tubed Tyres have become the norm.Tube tyres, are basically made up of natural rubber and fabric along with other compound chemicals. They also consist of a tread for traction and body support of the vehicle.The vast majority of tires are pneumatic(pressurized-air) ones with a halogenated butyl rubber tube.

Traditional designs of pneumatic tyres required a separate inner tube which could fail because of incorrect tyre fitment or friction between the tyre wall and inner tube(due to lack of pressurized-air) generating excess heat causing a blowout of air.

Tube tyres

In tube type tyres, the air is enclosed inside a tube, and the tube has the valve fitted to it. If an object pierces the tyre,it can cause the tube to burst just like a balloon or it makes a hole in the tube through which air comes out. As this happens, the tube gets smaller and the valve thus moves out of the rim hole. Thus the escaping air rushes out of the rim through the valve hole, leading to a immediate air loss. This immediate air loss or a blow out is dangerous due to loss of vehicle control during motion.

HOW TUBELESS TYRES WORK

Tubeless tyres, as the name suggests, are tyres without the tube. The tyre is built in such a way that it can contain the air by itself. It does not require a tube within it. The tyre has a halo- or chloro-butyl lining on its inside which is airtight. Together with the airtight joint between the tyre and the wheel, the membrane forms a container that holds the air for the tyre.

During high speed cruises, the temperature within the tyre rises significantly. This in turn increases the pressure on the tyre tube. An ordinary tyre is fairly vulnerable under such circumstances. Any protrusion into the tyre which at other times will cause a routine puncture, due to such heat, causes the tube to burst like a balloon. The air escapes fast as the only air tight component in the tyre is the tube. Sometimes the air escapes with so much force that it tears the tyre as well. This may cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle which at a high speed can be fatal. The tubeless tyre is better suited to hold air than a much thinner tube. In case of a protrusion, the air escapes only through the hole that caused the puncture, which is plugged by the very thing that caused the puncture, and hence escapes at a slow pace giving the much required safety. As tubeless tyres contain the air themselves, they provide much more efficient dissipation of heat. This is enhanced if the wheels are made of alloys rather than the conventional ones.

Another problem with the tube is punctures which are often caused by pinholes. In case of tubeless tyres, these are not as frequent. There have been cases where a nail has protruded into the tyre and has stayed there for quite a few days without any significant loss in the air pressure as the nail itself seals the hole.

On an average, a tubeless tyre is lighter than a normal tube-type tyre by about 500g. This weight difference adds to the fuel economy of the vehicle. A tube in a tyre not only adds quite few grams to the weight of the tyre, but during the motion, this amounts to higher unsprung weight which adversely affects the handling and overall dynamics of the vehicle. Something useful to the more adventurous drivers is the fact that on a rough terrain, one can very easily drive a tubeless tyre with a lower air pressure for better grip without fearing pinch flats. Apart from these significant advantages, the small niggles that are almost synonymous with a tube like wear-out or abrasion due to friction with the rim, pinholes, damages due to improper mounting, spurious tubes etc are done away with.

Another area of concern is the repair of a tubeless tyre. In case of a routine puncture caused by a nail or a nail-like protrusion, the most advisable method is to use a plug to seal off the puncture. Repair kits of this type are easily available and the cost depends on the number of plugs that the kit comes with. Using the kit, a plug that looks like a mushroom, or like a nail with a disproportionately large head, is inserted into the puncture hole from the inside of the tyre and a solution is used as an adhesive for the plug. The extra bit of the plug that may stretch out of the tyre surface on the outside is trimmed. This is the simplest way to mend the most routine puncture. Seen once, you can do it yourself.

For a puncture that is too large for a plug, the remedy is to seal it by pasting a patch on the inside of the tyre. This is not the most recommended of the methods as this only seals the inside of the tyre, but ends up exposing the metal components of the tyre to external conditions. Another slightly complex method is to use a compound. In case of a puncture, the hole is sealed by inserting a compound into the cavity. Using tongs, the metal of the tyre is slightly moved to make room for the compound and then the compound is added to the cavity with the help of an additional adhesive.

The must-haves for a car with tubeless tyres are: a plug puncture repair kit and a spare tube. Now, why a tubeless tyre need a tube? In case of a puncture you cannot repair on the road, you can simply insert the tube into the tyre and use it just like an ordinary tube-type tyre until you get home.

Tubeless tyres are not standard on all cars in India yet, but the tyre manufacturers have tubeless tyres that will fit the rim size of almost all cars. Do make sure that you get these for your car when you make a purchase. Every penny that you will pay for them is worth it.

The wheel has turned full circle, but it has not brought about a revolution. Tubeless tyres, which have been around since the 1950s, were not adopted in India till the late 1990s, when car makers started rolling out their premium models fitted with tubeless tyres.

They became the flavour of the season - being the latest technology - never mind that our neighbours have been running on these for over a decade now. Latest technology or not, it is generally accepted that tubeless tyres are superior to tube tyres, and more importantly, safer. Their low rolling resistance contributes to lower fuel consumption and you are able to drive on for 100 km or so in case of a puncture.

But today tubeless tyres, despite retailing at the same price, account for only around 10% of total passenger vehicle tyre sales. JK Tyres said tubeless tyres made up 15% of overall segment sales while Ceat claimed that only 4% of overall passenger car tyre sales was accounted for by tubeless tyres. Other tyremakers, while refusing to disclose company sales figures, reiterated that the tubeless segment was around 10% of overall sales.

While OEM rollouts are few and for high-end models, tyremakers offer a wide variety of tyres across all segments starting from the Maruti-800. Car makers cite the absence of adequate repair infrastructure and road infrastructure as the reasons for not having tubeless tyres in all models. Since the premium end models sell mostly in the cities, there are enough repair facilities available. The same cannot be said for the semi-urban and rural areas, says the spokesperson of a leading car maker. Yet another reason is that it is preferable to mount sturdier alloy wheels for tubeless tyres, which add to the cost of the vehicle.

A severe jerk from the numerous potholes on Indian roads can dent the rim and lead to air leakage. For repairing a puncture, it is imperative to use automatic tyre-changing machines for mounting or demounting tubeless tyres on the rim. Using traditional methods of hammer and chisel can damage the rim and results in air leakage - so your local puncturewallah is not quite equipped to do the job.

This system can be used with "Tubeless" tires, "Tubeless-Ready" tires, and also with standard tires when an inner tube is used. The tubeless mode requires special parts:

Tubeless tire -or- Tubeless-Ready tire with Super Juice

Tubeless rim

Tubeless rim strip

Tubeless valve stem

A 'regular' tire fits the tubeless-compatible rim, but a regular tire requires an inner tube since it does not have tubeless tire beads or an impermeable layer to hold the air. Tubeless tires fit tightly and require unique mounting procedures

There are some variations in the way tubeless tires from each tire manufacturer fit, so some tires are more difficult to mount than others. If you carefully follow the installation instructions, you should be able to easily mount any tubeless tire.

When mounting a tubeless tire, the tire must make an airtight seal against the inner surface of the rim to allow initial inflation. When riding, the bead must fit the rim securely when the tire is mounted in order retain air, especially at low inflation pressures. Because of these requirements, a tubeless tire fits the rim more tightly and can be more difficult to mount than a conventional tire on a conventional rim. Its especially important to pay attention to the installation instructions for tubeless tires if youve already mastered installing conventional tires; there are very important differences between the two.

Pre-stretch the beads to make tire mounting easier

The Kevlar bead of a new tubeless tire will stretch a substantial amount after it has been inflated initially. Its best to mount a new tubeless tire onto a standard rim before installing it on a tubeless rim- any wheel will do. Use an inner tube, inflate the tire to 60 psi (4 BAR) and leave it overnight. This will make it much easier to mount onto your tubeless rim.

Use soapy water to mount tubeless tires

With a tubeless or Tubeless-Ready tire, the tire beads have to move along the surface of the rim and remain in contact with it during the inflation process. Friction resists this motion and causes problems. The source of the friction is between the sticky rubber of the tire bead and the inner surface of the rim. A film of soapy water reduces the friction, allows the tire to more easily slide into place on the rim, and lets the tire seal better. Use dishwashing liquid diluted with water (1 part soap to 4 parts water). Brush, wipe, or spray this solution onto both the rim and tire surfaces before you mount a tire. If you have to fix a flat on the trail, plain water also works.

Be careful when using tire tools

It is often easier to mount a tight tire using tire tools, especially if its a new tire, so its a good idea to carry tire tools with you in case you have to repair a flat on the trail. If you choose to use tire tools, do not use excessive force on the tool. If you have to use a lot of force, something is wrong; stop and determine the cause of the problem. Incorrect use of tire tools can damage the sealing surfaces of the rim strip or the tire bead; this damage can cause air leaks.

Avoiding leaks with a tubeless tire

A properly mounted tubeless tire will bleed air, up to 4 PSI (0.25 ATM) per day. If a tubeless tire loses air faster than this, check potential leakage sites. Dirt, sand, grime, or roughness on any of the sealing surfaces may cause a tubeless tire to leak.

Check that the valve nut is tight, check for punctures, and check all sealing surfaces:

Tire to rim contact

Tire to rim strip contact

Valve stem to rim strip contact

Rim strip to rim contact

If a tubeless tire is punctured, a small hole (less than 3mm) can be patched from the inside of the tire with a sticky glueless patch. If the puncture hole is greater than 3mm, or the tire casing is damaged with broken threads instead of merely punctured, replace the tire. If the air is leaking from the rim strip, install a new rim strip.

If the air is leaking rapidly and you can't find the air source, it may be difficult to inflate the tire enough to locate the puncture. However, its easy to convert from tubeless to the use of a standard inner tube.

A tubeless tire must be completely sealed to the rim

Before a tubeless tire can be inflated, both beads must make full contact with the rim strip at the bottom of the rim well, all the way around the rim. For this to happen, a tubeless tire must fit more tightly on the rim than a conventional tire. With a snug-fitting tubeless tire, bare-handed installation may be difficult. If you use tire levers for installation or removal, avoid damaging the rim or abrading the tire beads. If either surface is roughened, air may bleed excessively from the mounted tire.

If the tire beads are sealed on the rim strip, air pressure will push the beads up to the rim hooks, where they can seal tightly. You don't need a compressor to do this; a good floor pump or an air cartridge will work. Even a hand pump may work, if nothing else is available.

CONSTRUCTION TUBELESS TYRES

Tubeless tyres, as the name suggests, are tyres without the tube. The tyre is built in such a way that it can contain the air by itself. It does not require a tube within it. The tyre has a halo- or chloro-butyl lining on its inside which is airtight. Together with the airtight joint between the tyre and the wheel, the membrane forms a container that holds the air for the tyre.

During high speed cruises, the temperature within the tyre rises significantly. This in turn increases the pressure on the tyre tube. An ordinary tyre is fairly vulnerable under such circumstances. Any protrusion into the tyre which at other times will cause a routine puncture, due to such heat, causes the tube to burst like a balloon. The air escapes fast as the only air tight component in the tyre is the tube. Sometimes the air escapes with so much force that it tears the tyre as well. This may cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle which at a high speed can be fatal. The tubeless tyre is better suited to hold air than a much thinner tube. In case of a protrusion, the air escapes only through the hole that caused the puncture, which is plugged by the very thing that caused the puncture, and hence escapes at a slow pace giving the much required safety. As tubeless tyres contain the air themselves, they provide much more efficient dissipation of heat. This is enhanced if the wheels are made of alloys rather than the conventional ones.

Another problem with the tube is punctures which are often caused by pinholes. In case of tubeless tyres, these are not as frequent. There have been cases where a nail has protruded into the tyre and has stayed there for quite a few days without any significant loss in the air pressure as the nail itself seals the hole.

On an average, a tubeless tyre is lighter than a normal tube-type tyre by about 500g. This weight difference adds to the fuel economy of the vehicle. A tube in a tyre not only adds quite few grams to the weight of the tyre, but during the motion, this amounts to higher unsprung weight which adversely affects the handling and overall dynamics of the vehicle. Something useful to the more adventurous drivers is the fact that on a rough terrain, one can very easily drive a tubeless tyre with a lower air pressure for better grip without fearing pinch flats. Apart from these significant advantages, the small niggles that are almost synonymous with a tube like wear-out or abrasion due to friction with the rim, pinholes, damages due to improper mounting, spurious tubes etc are done away with.

Another area of concern is the repair of a tubeless tyre. In case of a routine puncture caused by a nail or a nail-like protrusion, the most advisable method is to use a plug to seal off the puncture. Repair kits of this type are easily available and the cost depends on the number of plugs that the kit comes with.

Using the kit, a plug that looks like a mushroom, or like a nail with a disproportionately large head, is inserted into the puncture hole from the inside of the tyre and a solution is used as an adhesive for the plug. The extra bit of the plug that may stretch out of the tyre surface on the outside is trimmed. This is the simplest way to mend the most routine puncture. Seen once, you can do it yourself. For a puncture that is too large for a plug, the remedy is to seal it by pasting a patch on the inside of the tyre. This is not the most recommended of the methods as this only seals the inside of the tyre, but ends up exposing the metal components of the tyre to external conditions. Another slightly complex method is to use a compound. In case of a puncture, the hole is sealed by inserting a compound into the cavity. Using tongs, the metal of the tyre is slightly moved to make room for the compound and then the compound is added to the cavity with the help of an additional adhesive.

TRADITIONAL TYRESTraditional tyres are those that have rubber tubes within them. Gradually, with the advent of technology and innovation, new types of car tyres came into picture. Among all the types, the most common tyres today are tubeless tyres. In India, though it has not taken much a hike but has become standard on premium and luxury cars.

Evolution

Till date the tube type car tyres that the industry had had a major drawback and that was the bursting of the inner tube. Those are made of an outer rubber tube with a butyl rubber tube within. Air is filled inside the inner tube to maintain the level of friction between the wheel and the road. Though butyl is a good source for permeation of air, a slight damage or prick in the tube, causes the air to leak, eventually resulting in a punctured tyre. This disadvantage of traditional tyres lead to the evolution of tubeless tyre, a kind of tyre that could avoid the use of inner tube and make the drive more reliable.

Structure

The basic concept behind the structure of tubeless tyres is the absence of tubes within them. The external structure is the same as the older types but the inner structure differs.

Instead of the inner butyl tube present in the traditional tyres, tubeless tyres are solely filled with air. To seal the air inside the tyre, the inner wall is lined with an airtight and impermeable membrane composed of materials like halo butyly/chloro-butyl. Butyl lining helps reduce air permeation.

ADVANTAGE OF TUBELESS TYRES

The key benefits of tubeless tyres are that it allows cooler running and even if it gets punctured it can drive the car to a substantial distance without any jerks and inconvenience.

Lighter weight of the tubeless tyre also adds worth to its usage because lighter the weight more is the fuel efficiency. Furthermore, tubeless tyres requires less balance weight, have better heat dissipation, and even have much of cost saving factors as no tube is required. Tubeless tyres also require less tyre care and maintenance.

DISADVANTAGETubeless tires require that the rim be air tight and have a valve so the tire can be inflated (and deflated). Also the wheels generally have a drop center to mount the tire, which decreases the amount of space available for brakes. Plus repairs are a little more difficult.

DIFFERENCE IN TUBELESS AND TRADITIONAL TYRES

The key difference between the two types of tyres is the construction. In traditional tyres there is an inner tube sealing the air component whereas in tubeless there is only a butyl lining on the inner wall to retain air.

In case of tube tyre, there is an instant leakage of air in case of puncture and the car gives a sudden jerk. On the other hand, when the car has tubeless tyres, loss of air is comparatively much slower and can ride to an appreciable distance without delivering any kind of jerks.

CONCLUSION

Tubeless tyres are pneumatic tyres that do not require a separate butyl rubber inner tube.

Traditional designs of pneumatic tyres required a separate inner tube which could fail for a number of reasons, such as: incorrect tyre fitment, or friction between the tyre wall and inner tube generating excess heat causing a blowout.

Tubeless tyre technology does away with the need for an inner tube thereby increasing safety. In a tubeless tyre, the tyre, which has an inner lining of impermeable halobutyl, and the rim of the wheel form an airtight seal, with the valve being directly mounted on the rim. If a tubeless tyre gets punctured, air escapes only through the hole, leading to a gentle deflation of the tyre. Conversely, an inner tube could potentially burst like a balloon, leading to a rapid deflation of the tyre which could result in sudden loss of control of the vehicle. A liquid tyre sealant can be added to tubeless tyres to prevent deflation. Additionally, it is easier to mend a tubeless tyre puncture using an easy-to-use puncture kit.

The key benefits of tubeless tyres are that it allows cooler running and even if it gets punctured it can drive the car to a substantial distance without any jerks and inconvenience.

REFERENCEWeb Sites Referred :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tubeless_tyre

www.carwale.com Research Articles

bikeadvice.in/tube-tubeless-tyres/

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