Both modeling and experimental results demonstrate several realistic scenarios in which wheel hubs experience accelerations greater than 100g, sometimes at very low vehicle speeds. This paper focuses on the experimental determination of suitable design goals for in-hub motors (wheel motors), describing the experimental test rig, experiment procedures, and experimental results from testing conducted at UT-CEM. The paper also discusses implications of these results on wheel motor design, leading to the conclusion that a realizable and feasible design goal for a combat vehicle wheel motor shock rating is 150 g's, with a 10 to 20 ms pulse width.
Today, the Ford Taurus SEL — the top-of-the-line before you get into the high-performance SHO — comes standard with 18 inch wheels. Many buyers select the optional 19-inch wheels, though, which come with Goodyear Eagle RSA 255/45R19 tires. The alpha-numeric soup on the sidewall might not instantly make sense, but compared to what was previously available on the Taurus, that wheel and tire combination is massive.

Founder Sam Pearce describes his design idea: “In 2007 my idea of a wheel with tangential suspension was born when I was sitting at Eindhoven airport waiting for a flight. I saw a mother pushing her child in a buggy. The front wheels hit a slight kerb and the child jolted forward because of the impact. I asked myself why a wheel couldn’t have suspension inside it, so it would soften an impact from any direction. I sketched the idea in my notebook, got on my flight, and didn’t think much more about it for a couple of years.”
The Loopwheels’ spring system between the hub and the rim cushions the rider from potholes and bumps in the road. It also reduces road noise by absorbing it, thereby reducing vibration through the frame—and into the rider’s arms and body. Because the suspension is inside the wheel, you don’t need fat tires to make the ride nicer. Instead, you can use high-pressure or puncture-resistant tires.