Tyres are not just a piece of rubber on disks, but one of the most important elements of a car, responsible for a comfortable and safe driving.
Design features
By their design, tyres are of two types. Those that have a rubber tube filled with air inside are called tubular. Those without such tube, respectively, tubeless.
Every car enthusiast should understand that the disks for a particular type of tyre are different from each other, so upgrading a car with a new generation of rubber simply won't work. Tubeless rims are more complex in design. This is due to special stops that prevent the tyre from moving from side to side. Since the air in such a model is directly between the metal and the outer tread layer, such engineering decisions are justified.
In addition, tubeless tyres have a special protective rubber layer on the inside. Let's figure out why do you need it and why such tyres are much better than tubular ones.
Driving with a punctured wheel
The already mentioned protective layer performs a function similar to human immunity. When the tyre catches on a sharp object: glass, screw, nail, piece of wire, etc., the inner cover compresses the foreign object and prevents air loss in the inner compartment.
If you notice a puncture in the wheel, in no case should you remove the "uninvited guest", otherwise the wheel will definitely deflate. Instead, it is better to continue driving at a low speed and safely reach the service station, even if it is still several kilometers away. In the case of a tube tyre, immediate repair or replacement would be required, as air from the punctured tube would begin to escape not only through the damaged cover, but also through the rim vent hole.
In addition, tubeless tyres, even when damaged, allow you to maintain control over the car and almost not feel changes in behavior on the road.
Repair speed
It is possible to fix a breakdown on a tubeless tyre even without special skills and knowledge. Many manufacturers produce special sprays and gels that fill the damaged area and form a dense layer that blocks the exit of air.
Of course, this is not a panacea and one should not expect that such a wheel will last another hundred years. Nevertheless, you can comfortably and calmly drive it to the tyre fitting, where experienced professionals will take care of the problem. It will take much less time to fix the problem than with a tubular tyre. It often happens that such repairs can be done even without dismantling the wheel.
Durability
Car movement heats up the wheels. Almost everything in the car heats up, as in any moving mechanism. No one has yet succeeded in outwitting physics, but it is quite possible to reduce the influence of negative factors.
tyres equipped with a tube have several weak points:
- The inner side of the tyre can rub against the tube, which increases wear and tear and disturbs the temperature balance inside the wheel.
- Heat transfer between the tyre and the rim is weaker due to the additional layers, which affects the cooling efficiency and can provoke an increase in pressure.
- The increased temperature, and therefore the pressure, can provoke an explosion of the tube with a sharp impact. It could be a pothole on the road, a curb or a large stone that was not noticed in time.
Tubeless tyres do not have these disadvantages. Additional friction here is impossible by definition, hence the lower the probability of an explosion. On average, these tyres last 10-12% longer.
Weight
Yes, there is air inside the tyres, but air also has weight. In addition, the tube itself can add several hundred grams to an already heavy piece. Reducing the weight of the wheel by eliminating the additional rubber loop inside, again, has a beneficial effect on temperature. However, equally important is the fact that as weight decreases, so does the pressure on the hubs and the suspension as a whole. The undercarriage will wear less and last longer.
Conclusion
When choosing between tubular and tubeless tyres, the latter should be preferred. The convenience and reliability of such wheels is especially noticeable if you often travel or visit potentially dangerous places: in industrial areas, drive off-road or if a construction has begun near your home.
