The CBR team is not new to the industry and includes design engineers with continuous runflat experience since late 1980s and who have already contributed to runflat technology worldwide. To turn the CBR concept into a commercially viable product has required considerable financial investment and an expanded team, bringing in new talent, a fresh approach and engineers qualified in the aerospace industry and at Ferrari’s Formula-One team.

Run Flat Systems Ltd was formed with the objective to introduce a new class of runflat insert to the marketplace that would incorporate beadlock and ensure all-tyres-down drivability on the normal single piece drop-centre wheel with the benefits of two-piece wheel and runflat combinations but in a much lighter weight package that could be rapidly fitted to the single piece wheel.

The brief also included development to introduce new concepts for the runflat insert, with new standards of performance unattainable by current state of the art systems.

Innovations included unique cantilever construction incorporating patented ‘active beadlock’, shock absorption for improved off-road runflat, lightest possible weight through novel design, high speed and long distance capability, sealed lubrication and fitting within 10 minutes or less using tyre fitter’s hand tools or tyre fitting machines.

Beadlock had long been considered commercially unfeasible to fit on the single piece wheel, however the CBR concept was developed to not only make fitting a real possibility but to incorporate genuine strong beadlock pressure on both the tyre’s beads and ensure optimum lateral force regardless of tyre make and bead width.

It was understood that reinforced or uprated wheels were a common requirement for runflat operations, worsened because traditional runflat inserts were mounted on the wheel’s centre section, an area not designed to carry such loadings. CBR’s cantilever construction was designed to direct vehicle runflat loads to the wheel’s seats, where such loads are designed to be carried, so reducing the risk of wheel failure and the need for uprated wheels.

From earliest trials CBR demonstrated performance levels beyond that of existing insert systems. However the CBR team’s ambitious objectives required all Finabel standards to be exceeded, not only at higher speeds but with all 4 tyres deflated. All the objectives targeted have now been met and CBR Extreme has also passed PAS 301 Certification (significantly tougher than Finabel) by Millbrook Proving Ground / UTAC CERAM. PAS 301 is a British Standard for armoured civilian vehicles.

Practicality and user approval trials were carried out in the field over 18 months with a European military customer and during this period minor changes were incorporated to ensure CBR was totally user-friendly.

To suit customer needs the Company has developed two CBR variations, ‘Escape’ for lightest weight, high speed and 50km or greater runflat, depending on vehicle weight, and ‘Extreme’, which is best suited for longest distance heavy duty and off-road use. Both systems being all-tyres-down capable.

Runflat CBR is located in new industrial premises next to Doncaster’s Robin Hood Airport.