Goodyear Flat-Out Committed to Affordable Run-Flat Tires
24 February 1999
Goodyear Flat-Out Committed to Affordable Run-Flat Tires AKRON, Ohio, Feb. 24 -- The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
said it is committed to producing run-flat tires that fit affordable
conventional wheels for both original-equipment and replacement tire markets.
Goodyear's approach differs from several tiremakers that produce run-flat
tires on expensive special wheels, according to Bob Toth, marketing manager
for Goodyear high-performance tires.
Engineering run-flat tires for standard wheels "is the right thing to do,"
Toth said. Attempts by tiremakers to create run-flat capability with special
wheels and inserts mounted on wheels "belong in the history books."
In 1963, Goodyear introduced the Double Eagle with a Lifeguard Safety
Shield on some luxury vehicles with limited commercial success. In 1977, the
company introduced the run-flat stabilizer, a two-piece fiberglass-reinforced
plastic hoop mounted to a special wheel. When the tire lost inflation
pressure, the vehicle's weight would ride on the run-flat stabilizer. Again,
commercial success was fleeting.
As has been the case for all tire/wheel run-flat insert systems, costly
special wheels and special mounting equipment limited their usage. In 1983,
Goodyear's special asymmetric hump wheel met the same fate.
Special wheels "limit consumer choices," Toth said. "When consumers
become locked into special-wheel/tire systems, their flexibility to change to
winter tires, performance tires or stylized wheels is reduced.
"Consumers demand more choices, not less," he added. In addition, special
mounting equipment throws a wrench into servicing these special devices at
retailers.
In 1992, Goodyear announced the world's first original-equipment run-flat
tire to fit conventional wheels, as an option on the 1994 Chevrolet Corvette.
On the redesigned 1997 Corvette, Goodyear's run-flat tire was specified as
standard equipment, and the sports car came without a spare tire, wheel and
jack.
Goodyear's commitment to run-flat tires for standard wheels could fulfill
consumer demands as expressed in the latest J.D. Power and Associates 1998
APEAL Feature Contenting Report. The study of nearly 98,000 vehicle buyers
revealed a high demand for emerging safety features.
Sixty-five percent said they want side-impact air bags, 60 percent want
"smart" passenger air bags and 58 percent want run-flat tires on their next
vehicles. The Feature Contenting Report examines the desirability of 43
traditional and emerging features in categories of vehicle safety,
performance, comfort and convenience.
Prestige German automaker BMW recently became the third auto manufacturer
to specify a Goodyear run-flat tire as original equipment on the BMW 540i
"Protection," which will be introduced later this year. The new Eagle NCT5
EMT run-flat tire, which operates effectively without air for up to 185 miles
at speeds up to 50 mph, is a natural.
"Goodyear continues to respond to automaker and consumer concerns about
tire performance capabilities, convenience and safety. Our commitment to run-
flat capability on affordable, conventional wheels is paramount to the
technology's future," Toth said.
The BMW fitment reinforces Goodyear's leadership position for original-
equipment run-flat tire approvals, joining fitments on the Chevrolet Corvette
and the Plymouth Prowler.
More than 260,000 of the award-winning run-flat tires have been delivered
on Corvettes alone. Automotive News magazine recently named Goodyear and its
run-flat tires as a finalist for its prestigious PACE Awards. The tiremaker
also produces run-flat tires for the replacement market, the Eagle Aquasteel
EMT, available in eight popular sizes to fit conventional wheels.
The tires, capable of up to 50 miles at speeds up to 55 mph without air,
perform so well that a low-inflation warning system is required to alert the
driver when a tire is losing air. The system could pay for itself by helping
motorists monitor tire inflation pressures, Toth said.
Underinflated tires result in Americans wasting nearly 4 million gallons
of gasoline daily, he added. Proper tire inflation prolongs tire life,
optimizes traction and increases vehicle fuel efficiency.
