A tire technology that could be a great boon as well as a great curse to consumers took another step closer to reality recently when Goodyear agreed to join Michelin in offering PAX tires to car companies.
The PAX system offers considerable appeal since it is about the best run-flat system developed yet and could very well spell the end of the need for an onboard spare tire, which provides all kinds of packaging, weight and convenience benefits.
At the same time, however, PAX tires have a unique mounting system that requires unique wheels, which would mean that the new tires would not fit on the billions of wheels that already exist around the world.
Should the PAX system become the prevailing method of mounting tires in the future, it would mean a considerable amount of cost and disruption in the aftermarket tire and wheel industries and to the consumers who shop there.
Michelin launched PAX in 1996 and the system consists of four key features: a tire with a unique bead lock; a run-flat insert that allows the vehicle to continue operating if tire pressure is lost; a special wheel that accommodates both the unique bead and the run-flat insert; and a tire pressure warning system.
Goodyear and Michelin say they are convinced that, "after an analysis of other tire/wheel combinations, PAX System is the best platform for incorporation of future tire concepts into new vehicle designs."