Usually by its driver’s father. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. I just purchased a set for my son; no my daughter. I’m so confused!!
My children have nicknamed me ATM.
JMc62446
Structurally, the weight of the vehicle is transferred to the tires. Thus, the weight of the vehicle is divided among the tires. Usually more weight is supported by the front tires because that’s where the heavy engine and transmission are. The weight is not evenly transmitted along the length of the vehicle.
If the tires were made of steel or solid rubber, the vehicle would be supported without any internal air pressure. But the ride would be very bumpy. Air is utilized to provide a shock cushion and save on the amount of materials used to make a tire. The air pressure does provide a resilient stiffness to the sidewalls of the tire but also maintains the tire bead seal between the tire and the rim. How much of stiffness depends on the difference between the interior tire pressure and the pressure of the ambient air outside. It has often been a practice to overinflate tires to support extra weight loads (providing extra stiffness to the sidewalls). The tire, by its flexible nature, will deform to the road surface contact area to maintain a uniform per square inch pressure (which is transmitted throughout all of the interior surface area of tire by the air) until it reaches the rupture or crush point of the elastic sidewall material. As long as the psi is maintained by the deformation, the interior tire pressure will not change and the compressional and tensional strength of the sidewall will not change beyond the elastic limit. Once the elastic limit is exceeded (whether fast or slow) by weight of the vehicle, striking a sharp object, or by air pressure increase due to temperature, deliberate overpressurization, deterioration of the sidewall materials and associated compressional and tensional strength changes, and changes in the elastic modulus of the tire materials themselves, weak spots in the tire will rupture and fail. Even a flat tire supports the weight of a car, its just not very drivable.