The Washington times., 1924-04-05
USE Of BALLOON
TIRE IS
TOLD
LitchfieId, of Goodyear, De-
scribes Fitting to Current
Car Models.

Quite the severest problem put
up to tire designers in recent
years was that of designing a
balloon tire that would fit present
| cars
The successful solution of the
various phases Of this problem and
the development of a tire that
would give the advantages of low
pressure driving and still be
adapted to the intricate mechan-
ism Of the automobile was a real
achievement.
/ am convinced that the low.pres.
sure or balloon tire, because OF its
easy-riding qualities and it's greater
protection to the mechanism of the
car and consequent lengthening Of
the life of the car, will, within q
very few years. dominate the tire
industry and drive out the high
pressure tire, as surely as the
cord tire drove out the old-fash.
toned fabric.
However, 80 out of 100 of the
100000 cars and trucks now
running were built for high-pres.
sure tires.
Thousands of owners wanted low.
pressure tires but hesitated to go
to the expense of scrapping their
old wheels and rims. So the first
problem of the tire designers was
to build tire that would fit present
wheel equipment without expensive
change-over.
Along with this came the require.
ment that these interchangeable
tires should have adequate fender
and body clearance and should be
adapted to present gear ratios.
Each of these problems has been
solved in the Goodyear interchange
able balloon tire which is now
available for every type of present
automobile.
How successfully the designers
have reached the goal on low pres.
sure may be seen by taking
typical popular size - Ska - for
which the 33x4.95 interchangeable
substitutes on such makes Of cars
as Buick, Dodge, Studebaker, Stutz.
Jordan, Chandler, Rickenbacker.
WHY'S knight, Hupp. Velie and
others.
The initiation comparison follows:
SKA (regular) should carry 55
pounds pressure.
33x495 interchangeable should
carry 36 pounds pressure.
31x5.25 Cballoon) should carry 81
pounds pressure.
These figures are figured for q
normal load.
The difference in pressure between
the balloon tire and the interchange
able balloon tire varies with the dit.
ferent sizes of tires. The 31x4.40.
interchangeable tire that replaces
the regular 30x3h, and the small
diameter balloon tire carry the same
Observation-Disclosures pounds.
In the larger sizes the difference
is no greater than six pounds. How
ever, here also the interchangeable
balloon tire will carry pressure only
a little more than half that required
in the regular or high-pressure types.
The effect that the Goodyear in
Interchangeable has on gear ratios is
negligible. A simple comparison will
show this. The gear ratio is affect
ed by the distance from the center
of the axle to the ground. The
33x4.95 interchangeable balloon tire
raises the axle one-eighth Of an inch
higher from the ground than a S2x4.
But every car owner who has con-
sidered this subject realizes that
there is frequently a difference of
as much as three-eighths of an inch,
due to tread wear, between the
height Of worn tire and q new tire,
and even this difference has no per.
ceptible effect on gear ratios.
The Goodyear company is building
small diameter balloon tires as origi-
nal equipment for car manufacturers
and is as well prepared to furnish
small diameter balloon tires either
to automobile manufacturers or to
car owners, as any other tire manu-
facturer.
However, for those car owners who
want to have the benefits of low
pressure tires without going to the
expense Of changing over wheels and
rims, the Goodyear interchangeable
will adequately meet the need.
The interchangeable balloon tire,
like the small diameter balloon tire,
is an efficient low-pressure tire giv1
ing all Of the advantages of easy
riding and long life to the car.