Budd–Michelin rubber-tired rail cars which featured innovative and distinctive pneumatic tires. The company claimed that its application of tires on its rail cars afforded both a substantially more cushioned ride and increased the cars' traction by 35%. The design of Michelin's tired wheels included an aluminum safety ring and a flange that were only used in the event of a puncture or other type of tire failure; during normal operation, only the rubber tire made contact with the rail. Inspired by Michelin's success, the Budd Company set its sights on marrying the new rubber rail tires with its shot-welded, stainless-steel carbodies; it had developed
Rubber Factory removed, and it was officially demolished in 2010. The factory was located on the corner of S Seiberling St and Little Cuyahoga River in East Akron. The vacant lot in which the factory used to stand appears on the cover of the band's 2011 single "Lonely Boy". The sleeve artwork for "Rubber Factory" was designed by the group's creative director Michael Carney, the brother of Patrick Carney. The artwork is a collage of 'historic' local features, mainly from the desolate east side of Akron—abandoned storefronts, tire piles, the Goodyear blimp, and even the Cathedral of Tomorrow's unfinished tower restaurant depicted