Several of the many upgrades that Humvees are getting in Iraq to protect against ambush include thicker armor plating and new honeycomb tires which are bullet proof and will keep the humvee rolling when it’s been ambushed in a firefight or even an I.E.D. What’s the secret? It doesn’t use air. The Honeycombs are based on a polymeric web which will not only take bullet fire, but also explosions from an improvised explosive device and still let our boys in cammy get away at over 50 miles an hour. Most injuries and deaths occur, not because of the initial...
US solders and Michigan drivers share one thing in common. The absolute need for better run-flat tires. Solders have to deal with IEDs and weapon fire where Michigan drivers have to pilot over post-Winter sinkholes. Both can be disastrous for the tires and wheels so that’s where this honeycomb tire enters. Current run-flat solutions still require some air pressure to be present and that isn’t always reliable even with on-board air compressors. These tires apparently offer a decent ride and road noise levels while still offering the support needed for a fully loaded armored vehicle. The best news is that they don’t cost anything...
Anybody who has ever found themselves stranded and in need of a jump on a freezing day can appreciate this device. It’s like having a handy man with you. Many of us have jumper cables but don’t have any idea how to use them properly. The device can talk you through the whole jump-starting process and get you back on the road as quick as possible. It features an onboard air compressor to pump up flat tires and can also serve as an substitute for a power generator, giving you 340 watts of continuous AC with a 450w peak. That’s...
Are men today losing their DIY skills? Glenn Harlan Reynolds wrote a really interesting piece for Popular Mechanics on how Americans are losing their ability to deal with every day real-world problems: Even the simplest of automotive tasks, changing a tire, seems to be beyond the ken of many people. According to AAA, nearly 4 million motorists requested roadside assistance last year—for flat tires. And just look at the Popular Mechanics Boy Mechanic books to see the kinds of skills that boys and teenagers were once routinely expected to possess. These books (which PM published in the early 20th century...
