Tireballs

[greybrick]

Have any tried Tireballs;

http://www.tireballs.com/facts.html

Can I turf my spare tire(s) yet.

If the military uses them they've got to be great, right?

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[ntsqd]

How do you raise or lower tire pressure?

 

[greybrick]

How do you raise or lower tire pressure?

Don't know ntsqd, but I've got an email in to check it out a bit closer. Even with these tireballs it seems like we are still stuck with some really old status quo technology when it comes to tires. Surely there must be some better solutions giving both light weight flat free pressure adjustable tires and dissipating rolling friction heat effectively. I guess though that tire companies are more in the business of selling us new tires every two years rather than providing energy efficient solutions.

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[R_Lefebvre]

I've seen these for dirt bikes, and I am friends with a national professional level enduro rider, and as far as I know, nobody is using these.

If they use anything, it's mousse, and that's telling. Ditto for top level rally teams.

I think mousse would make a lot of sense for our trucks. One of their main disadvantages is that weigh a fair amount. Unsprung weight isn't such a big deal for us. The other disadvantage is that when the air pressure fails, the tire can spin on the rim. Bike guys use rim locks. Not sure what we'd do.

 

[DaktariEd]

Individual air cells.
Kind of like the Titanic.
Hmmm....wonder how far that analogy goes?

The idea is interesting though.
Maybe it will help spawn some better tires in the long run.

 

[mountainpete]

I don't believe they are legal for on road use...

Pete

 

[greybrick]

I think mousse would make a lot of sense for our trucks. One of their main disadvantages is that weigh a fair amount. Unsprung weight isn't such a big deal for us. The other disadvantage is that when the air pressure fails, the tire can spin on the rim. Bike guys use rim locks. Not sure what we'd do.

If mousse is solid polyurethane foam fill like commercial site or farm vehicles use and as available at most big truck tire shops in any city, I'm in. A bit heavier at the wheels but no more carrying around a spare on the roof, :victory: nor having to worry about messed up tires in the bush.

Isn't there a couple of different weights of foam fill?

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[R_Lefebvre]

I don't know if it's exactly the same or not, as I don't know what you're referring to.

The mouse is a foam "donut" that you squeaze into the tire before installing on the rim. They are very difficult to install and require a special tire mounter. You still put air in the tire. I think the mousse might simulate say... 8psi of air pressure. So if you inflate to 10, it actually pushes the mousse away from the tire. When you lose pressure, the mouse bulges out again and now it's similar to driving on an 8psi tire.

 

[Jeff@QuadShop]

Ok, this has drawn me out of lurker mode. LOL

I can shed some light on this subject for you. I am an ATV and Motorcycle cross country racer and I have a 2000 Grand Vitara that I have built Expedition style.

I've been using Tire Balls in my bikes and quads now since 2003 and I can tell you that they are the real deal! For the guy that said that he knows a pro racer that said no one is using them couldn't be further from the truth. On the ATV side, Tire Balls has had all 3 podium positions in every single GNCC race since round number 7 of 2003. Also Tire Balls has won the last 3 overall Baja 1000 and 500 races in the ATV class. Also every pro racer in the ATVA MX series have used Tire Balls for the last 2 years. And this is just a small example.

Your tires will not spin on the rim no matter what. Also you can adjust your tire pressure just like you normally do. Each ball is air adjustable as well. When you get a puncture and if one of the balls punctures, you don't even know that you've had a puncture because you only loose about 4% of your pressure. The remaning balls move around to take up the space of the punctured one.

I do know that they are working with the military on auto applications, I hope to get a test set for my Grand Vitara by next year as I plan to cross the US on the TransAmerica Trail. I completed this trail last year on my Honda XR600 using Tire Balls. I had one nail puncture my tire in CO, I pulled the nail out that night when I got to my hotel. I could not tell at all that I had had a puncture. When I returned home after 5500 miles of off road riding, I dismounted the tire and found that the nail had punctured 1 ball. If it haden't been for them I would have had to patch a tube when I picked up that nail.

If you guys have any more questions about them I'll be glad to do my best to answer them.

 

[greybrick]

I can shed some light on this subject for you. I am an ATV and Motorcycle cross country racer and I have a 2000 Grand Vitara that I have built Expedition style.

I do know that they are working with the military on auto applications, I hope to get a test set for my Grand Vitara by next year as I plan to cross the US on the TransAmerica Trail. I completed this trail last year on my Honda XR600 using Tire Balls.

Thanks Jeff, I'm looking forward to more info on these as well. Just the weight and space saving alone would be a big plus.

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[R_Lefebvre]

Ok, so where is the evidence of use in Enduro motorcycles, like I stated? All your examples are from ATV's. My friend is a KTM sponsored rider, competed in the World Enduro Challenge last year.

 

[Jeff@QuadShop]

Ricky Dietrick
Nathan Woods
Destory Abbot
Glen Kearney
Gordan Crockard
David Knight (Endurocross)
Scott Summers
Wally Palmer
Team Christini
Tayor Roberts
Jeff Fredette
Paul Whibley

to name a few

 

[R_Lefebvre]

One thing I just read, you can't adjust tire pressure on these things? You have to remove the tire to do that?

 

[Jeff@QuadShop]

One thing I just read, you can't adjust tire pressure on these things? You have to remove the tire to do that?

Thats false, you can adjust your tire pressure like you always do.