Eli5: Why are car tires filled with air and not just made completely of rubber?
In: Engineering
A fully rubber tire would be heavier.
A heavier tire means it takes more energy to make it speed up, but also more energy to make it slow down. This means that it will take a longer distance to brake.
In addition, the air in the tires acts to absorb minor bumps in the road, along with your shocks. Solid rubber tires can’t really deform as much, so you’ll feel every bump full on.
Also, they would be significantly more expensive.
Latest Answers