PAX tires offer advantages over radials

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 31/01/2003 (8522 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

PAX. The word may not mean much now, but if the tire manufacturers are right, this word may become as common in our vocabulary as Kleenex is. PAX is a tire system that offers several advantages over current radial tires and we will start seeing it on new cars shortly.

The first production vehicle to feature the PAX tire system in North America will be the 2004 Rolls Royce Phantom, available this April. Others will soon follow. In Europe, PAX tires have been available on the Renault Scenic since 2001, while several manufacturers have utilized the PAX design on limited production automobiles. We have also seen them on several concept vehicles at international car shows.

The PAX system was first introduced by Michelin in 1996. Michelin may have invented the system, but with far-sighted vision, it has signed agreements with Goodyear, Pirelli and Sumitomo as technology partners to further develop the design of run-flat technology. Each of these tire manufacturers is including the PAX design in their own product development plans. The plan is for PAX tires to first come as original equipment on high end vehicles, eventually working their way down into mainstream new vehicles and finally the aftermarket. The strategy sounds fine, but what is this radical new PAX system?

PAX is a run-flat tire and wheel combination. Run-flat tires are not new. Goodyear has had their EMT (Extended Mobility Tire) and Pirelli their P-Zero tires for some time now. These types of run-flat tires fit conventional wheels so their use will likely continue. PAX run-flat tires require a special wheel assembly, so the tire and wheel are called a complete system.

In conventional (if you can call them that) run flat tires, the sidewalls have many plies or layers of material. This stiffens the sidewall so that the rubber can support the weight of the vehicle if air pressure is lost. I can attest to the secure handling and decent ride they offer when flat, but there is a drawback. They are heavy, which places high loads on suspension components and hinders handling on rough surfaces. PAX tires use a different design to allow the tire to run flat.

Inside a PAX tire, a polyurethane support ring is bonded onto the rim. Sitting just below the inside of the tire tread, the flexible ring is designed to support the tread and the vehicle when an air pressure loss occurs. With the tire supported by its tread, the sidewall design can be different too. The shape of the tire sidewall and bead makes it “lock” onto the rim when the tire deflates, so that the tire stays mounted on the rim. With a completely flat tire, the vehicle can continue to be driven up to 200 kilometres at 80 kph.

The PAX design enables the tire/wheel package to be much lighter, reducing road noise, rolling resistance, and improving fuel economy. An added bonus is improved road holding, especially on rough or bumpy road surfaces.

A unique but necessary design feature of the PAX wheel and tire it that the inside bead diameter is larger than the outside diameter. The larger opening on the inside of the tire allows the tire to slip over the support ring in the centre of the wheel. These asymmetrical tires and wheels also mean we get new numbers on the sidewall to designate tire sizes. For example, the Rolls Royce comes with Michelin PAX 265x790R540A tires and Toyota is introducing a new fuel cell vehicle equipped with Michelin PAX 215x730R560 tires. Low tire pressure warning systems will be standard equipment on all vehicles with PAX tire systems to warn drivers of pressure loss.

There are disadvantages of the PAX system. The wheels cost extra, but this is not a problem on original equipment applications. Special tire mounting machines and training may be required. Hennessy Industries has developed the Coates (a well-known brand of tire changing equipment) HP8020 PAX System Changer that handles tires vertically to ease mounting and dismounting PAX tires.

Skeptics may remember the ill-fated TRX tires introduced years ago. Higher cost, special rims, and only one brand of tire supplier limited the popularity of the TRX tires, which soon led to their demise. Will the PAX system be different? I think so. Run-flat technology with advanced handling and a wide range of suppliers is what will make the difference this time.

Jim Kerr is an experienced mechanic, instructor of automotive technology and freelance journalist. You can e-mail questions to Jim at the address below.

kerr.jim@sk.sympatico.ca