can anyone explain these wheels + tires

is it just that the rim covers a large part of the sidewall or are these tires really thin??? i have seen these before and never really understood them...this could just be a stupid question and i fail to see a simple answer

 

Not really knowing much about the car I would say it is large rim/very low profile rubber. My guess/reason being stabilty with no high speed wobbles. Oh and keepin weight low.... Some drag racer did this also back in the day. Garlits? Hill? Ah I can't remember.

 

They don't look like normal rubber tires though...not even some sort of drag slick (that i have ever seen)?

 

possibly solid rubber in a grove in the rim?

 

If you've ever been on a dry lakebed or salt flat you'd notice how smooth the surface can be under the right conditions. Given that, and the fact that the car was built for SEMA if I remember correctly, its more show than go? Is that car going to run? There were a bunch of offroad vehicles with 26" Wheels at SEMA too. It may just be a concept but I am probably wrong.

-Dane

 

From my understanding they plan on making some speed runs with it. It has GM backing and they want to so what that engine will do.

 

Looks like a Pinewood Derby car come to life!!

 

You'll find the answer here on the factory site: Saturn powered Lakester

 

The "tires" are made from a material similar to a skateboard wheel. There is a write up on it in Hot Rod mag...

 

Thanks Unk..

Wheels: 26 inches front, 30 inches rear

Tires: 2 x 26 x 2.5 inches front, 2 x 31 x 3.5 inches rear, composite

 

Wheels: 26 inches front, 30 inches rear

Tires: 2 x 26 x 2.5 inches front, 2 x 31 x 3.5 inches rear, composite

 

Beat ya to it 1Low

 

Saw it at the grand national roadster show they look like urethane like Road Rider #4's all you old skate rats know what I'm talkin' about -stick

 

They look red here.................?

 

wouldn't they just slide all over the salt??

 

It was Garlits that ran the rubberband looking solid tires. It didn't work, he kept shedding them on the big end. He scrapped the idea and went to the little wheels instead.

 

Yeah I thought it was Garlits. Didn't know it was unsuccessful though. Huh. By saying the little wheels you mean the ones implemented on Swamp Rat 30 right. Sorry, didn't mean to highjack.

 

....on the Salt Flats, traction isn't really the issue. There have been LSR cars that have run solid aluminum rims without any rubber........

 

from what i read in the hot rod article, they haven't even run it with those tires on the salt, display only...when run on the salt they used the same old tires that everybody else uses on the salt.