Why can't car tires be made of solid rubber, or some other solid material that won't puncture?
Lots of forklifts have solid tires and they will ride rough and large chunks fly off if operated on rough terrain. After the chunks fly out they can't be balanced and therefore would not work for cars and trucks. On wet pavement traction is nearly non - existant and cornering at any speed is dangerous on solid tires.
Why don't we use airless tires on cars?
Actually, that is a great question. Putting it as simply as possible, tires today use air or nitrogen as an inflation gas because it allows for the use of a lighter and more flexible tire than would be possible with a solid rubber or synthetic rubber tire. The larger the tire, the more important becomes the weight of the tire. While solid, or airless tires are prefect for small moving vehicles like the skateboard, shopping cart, or roller skates or roller blades, just imagine how heavy such a tire would be if used on a car, truck or airplane. In addition to lighter weight, an air or nitrogen filled tire pro vents much more cushioning effect to absorb bumps and road surface irregulaties than a solid tire or wheel can. Without air-filled tires, cars and trucks and airplanes would require the installation of much heavier shock absorbing devices to reduce the impact to the passenger carried cabin of the vehicle. By the way, nitrogen is used to fill road vehicle and airplane tires today because the nitrogen is less likely to migrate through tire rubber than is air, sustaining tire pressure over a longer period of time. Tires filled with nitrogen rather than air also experience more stable pressure changes as the tire generates heat as it rolls over the road.
Why don't cars, bicycles, trucks, planes etc. use solid tires?
Wouldn't something like this be safer and cheaper in the long run? http://image.made-in-china.com/2f0j00yekEJlHIAbui/-Nok-Type-Solid-Tyre-and-Solid-Tire.jpg This seems like it would be a much better thing to use than an inner tube. Stronger, more durable, longer lasting.(imagine a tire with this inside of it) http://www.seattlefabrics.com/3557%20Athletic%20Mesh.jpg or this http://nomadness.com/articles/pix/mesh.jpg Instead of an inner tube. Why do we still use inner tubes?
Aired up my front left tire, now the whole car shakes 60MPh?
check one thing at a time, first the tire: check air pressure on all 4 tires...also the should not be out of round.. ..worn tires frequently wobble and should be replaced (proper air, balance and rotation are required for tires) ...jack the car up and turn the tire...it should not look crooked or oval shaped, and the belts should not be crooked ....also look at the tread, it should be evenly worn all around, the tire should not be stangely worn more inside or on one part, etc.....go to discount tire company and ask for a tire inspecton second, the sound you heard, should be looked at, when you have the car up to check, remove the tire and see if the shock, or the CV are damaged....it could be a bad CV , it will show cracked rubber around the big black rubber cover.. ..( a bad CV will make a rattling sound when bumped hard) and if it a front tire noise, that is likely the situation third...keep tires aired, balanced and rotated every 5000 to 6000 miles....they will wear out your front end too if they are ignored every time the weather temperature changes from hot to cold, the air pressure should be checked...and older tires also require more air checks....(for slow leaks!)