Greenville, South Carolina-based Q Tires has developed a new product that could make people's lives a whole lot easier and safer beginning next winter. That's when the company plans to launch its new Celsius studded tire. Unlike standard studded rubber, which is noisy and can negatively affect performance in dry weather, the Celsius' studs retract when not in use. The ingenious system uses air from the tire itself to inflate a secondary chamber contained within, pushing the studs through the surface. If conditions improve, the air from the second chamber can be expelled and the studs will be pulled back inside. This sounds like a really interesting alternative to winter-specific tires, and if the price isn't out of control, we know a few people who might be willing to give them a try on their own machines. Re-enactments of the climactic car chase in Die Another Day, during which James Bond puts retractable studs to use on his Vanquish, are probably still not a good idea, though.You can watch a promo video prepared by Q Tires here.
[Source: Q Tires via Gizmag]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Tal @ Mar 14th 2007 11:41AM
Michelien is based in Greenville,SC too.Is Q tires a subsidiary ?
Retractable studs , great idea. Could have used them many years ago while living where snow was never ending. Very bad winters. Have snow rarely where we live now.
fd @ Mar 14th 2007 11:54AM
Very nice idea.
If the tires hold up as good as the regular rubber shoes, and it doesn't cost a premium ... that'd be great to have. I think many people forego a second set of snow because they don't have the room to for a the primary or secondary set in the garage and find changing a hassle. So they depend on the city & state to scrape the roads clear and salt like there's no tomorrow.
I prefer the Scandinavian way where everybody seemed to have snow tires and they didn't use salt. Just remove excess snow and everybody drives on it with their studded snow tires.
I'm curious if these would (de-)activate using a secondary valve? And what rim you would use? Or how you control it. As weather conditions do change during winter season where you'd need them one week, but not the next two. Just go to the gas station or grab your compressor when a storm is nearing ...
Hamud @ Mar 14th 2007 1:55PM
Hohohoh, Bond would be proud of that. Magnific, a really good idea, makes you wonder why no one thought of that before..
JC-UOIT @ Mar 14th 2007 3:17PM
Bond indeed. You know that when "Q" makes something, it’s always good and Bond gets to use it.
My concern is if those studs are only mounted to the flexible up-down diaphragm, what is keeping them from just being pushed back into the tire or being pushed over. I am under the impression that permanently studded tires are mounted firmly into the steel belts of the tire? Am I wrong?
My other concern is that if one of those studs gets yanked out, or the diaphragm is torn, would the entire apparatus fail due to a lack of air pressure? For that matter, would the tire deflate?
Moreover, I thought studded tires were illegal, in Canada at least, because the studs come flying off at homicidal velocities if some driver “peels rubber” on pavement?
JC
Oolon Coluphid @ Mar 14th 2007 3:31PM
Where can I get them, and how much?
Galley @ Mar 15th 2007 9:03AM
I've never heard of Q Tires either. There must be a Michelin connection because it seems odd to develop a tire in a region that rarely sees snow.
These tires would never sell here in Greenville anyway. If there's even a chance of snow or ice, Greenvillians stay holed up in their homes for three days.
Jay Patterson @ Mar 15th 2007 10:03AM
Hello, My name is jay patterson and we have always told are customers at carloversdream.com to use Michelien tires. I think there tires are second to none. Anyway I would like to hear what others have to say about them.
Sincerly,
JW Patterson
American Auto Consultants
Ken @ Mar 16th 2007 11:49AM
Why not make a tire treaded with nipple. That way, when it gets cold, it'll be knobby.
Ford Mustang @ Mar 17th 2007 4:29PM
If they're available for the right price they sound like a great idea.
Brian @ Sep 4th 2007 3:52PM
"I am under the impression that permanently studded tires are mounted firmly into the steel belts of the tire? Am I wrong?"
You are indeed wrong. Having the studs affixed to the steel belts would cause durability problems. The studs are metal spikes with a semi-spherical base and a cylindrical middle-section that is inserted into small voids in the tread. They are kept in place because the hole by the surface of the tread is smaller than the semi-sperical metal base of the stud and it would take a great deal of force to pull the studs out.
One of the main concerns with studs is the possibility of them flying out of tread, due to the centrifugal force of the rotating tire, especially if the tread is cracking. Accellerated roadwear is another reason that studs are prohibited many places. Non-studded snow tires use sipes (kerfs) and special compounds that adhere to the thin sheet of water that coats icy surfaces to maintain grip.
pat @ Sep 27th 2007 1:46PM
Q-tire was founded by a Michelin refugee, hence the location.
Studs flying out of snow tires are no more dangerous than rocks flying out of tires. They might break a windshield but they're not going to kill anyone. States hate studs because they're hard on roads.