The Editor, THE BROOKLANDS GAZETTE.
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The Editor, TriF, BROOKLANDS GAZETTE. DEAR SIR,
MERITS AND DEMERITS OF BALLOON TYRES.
Balloon tyres are heralded as effecting great improvements in the comfort of light cars, in some instances they are almost considered to be necessities, and it is from the light car point of view that most of your correspondents write.
Many pros and cons are discussed, but I believe that anyone who has had actual experience of the best types of balloon tyres will swallow all the theoretical ” cons” with a gulp, and try to forget them.
I have lately run some very considerable distances on Dunlop balloon tyres fitted to a car which is beyond the light car class (a 1925 model 16 h.p. Cubitt), which is exceptionally comfortably sprung, so much so, in fact, that the necessity theoretically of departing from normal high pressure tyres was not thought to exist.
Road experience with balloon tyres, however, has proved beyond any question of doubt that even the best sprung tyres are improved with balloon tyres and the improvement is under the three heads of comfort, braking power, and cornering. I can imagine that there may be great differences between the behaviour of various types and designs of balloon tyres but, so far, using the broad base straight side Dunlops as now fitted as normal equipment to 1925 Cubitt cars, I have not yet run up against any set of conditions where the balloon tyre has shown any disadvantages with the one single exception that when the car is standing, the steering wheels are harder to turn than with highpressure tyres. Once under way the steering is actually better than with any previous car of the type I use, but as the new Cubitt steering is improved and very good, I am not able to allocate exactly between the steering and the tyres the proportions of merit.
Anyway, it is clearly proved that with correct steering design balloon tyres do not impose any appreciable handicap on ease of handling. Yours faithfully, For CUBITT’S ENGINEERING CO., LTD., ERNEST H. ARNOTT,
55 & 56, Pall Mall, General Sales Manager. London, S.W. I.