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Question:

Why are tires filled with air?

I can understand bike tires. they need the cushion to absorb bumps in the road.But car tires. why not make them out of soft solid rubber? The car suspension can take care of the cushioning and the tires will never go flat. .

Answer:

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Cost. Air is basically free. Reinforced rubber is heavy and expensive. The general public could not afford it. Some heavy industrial construction tires are solid rubber. Then again, if you're spending millions of dollars on a piece of equipment, what's a few extra thousand dollars.
Old car used solid type rubber tire since it was invent in the 18th.centenary. It lasts very long and can stand any pitched nail on the road. Later on,air filled tire was invent, it reduces a lot of weight and cost less to manufacture. Also, it made more money for tire changed and repair business compare to solid tire.that is the business.
An air filled tire actually provides a lot more cushion than a solid rubber tire and aids in vibration absorption thereby aiding in a smoother ride under certain road conditions. Even if you made the rubber soft enough to mimic an air filled tire its handling characteristics may be poor and its wear characteristics would definitely be worse, you would be replacing tires constantly. Additionally the stiffness of a solid rubber tire would most likely result in bent rims, even when hitting a relatively small pothole, sure you could strengthen the rim, but that would increase weight and reduce fuel mileage. These are just a few of the cons to a solid rubber tire.

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