It goes without saying that the tyres, being in direct contact with the road, are very important. For your safety and that of your passengers, your tires must always be in perfect condition.
In addition to various signatures containing a lot of important information, tires are also equipped with small bristles, also called rubber hairs. We can see them with the naked eye, but many are unaware of their main purpose.
Why do your tires have hairs?
Most people probably know that car tires have gods special markers in the grooves that contain various useful information. Includes date of manufacture, tread depth or production date. So all the factors listed on the side will help you better understand the expiration date of the material.
But you’re probably already wondering what are those hairs for? that cover your tires. Someone may have thought of signs of wear or a manufacturing defect, but that’s not the case. According to experts, these hairs on the tread of the tires are nothing more than proof that they are really new and in good condition.
But in fact, their purpose is closely related to ventilation. They are also called “ventilation holes“. We must rest assured, because these hairs do not interfere with the operation of the wheel and are not dangerous at all. Over time and the kilometers traveled, they will begin to fade before disappearing completely.
Also, most people may not have noticed that most tires, whether for bicycles or farm equipment, have the same hairs.
How are these hairs created?
With the help of a mold, the tire is given the desired shape. This process runs by injecting liquid rubber and air pressure to hold it in every corner of these moulds. In other words, under the influence of heat and pressure, the rubber enlarges until it fills the mold.
So, it was necessary create ventilation holes or evacuation to allow air pockets to escape so the tire would fill efficiently. This is because the heat and pressure can create air bubbles between the mold and the rubber. And if it stays inside, the tire could be faulty.
So ventilation holes are essential for proper evacuation. Additionally, excess rubber also comes out through these channels during the air removal process. In this way these hairs are formed, which remain attached to the rubber. This suggests that the wheels are still new.
How long do these hairs on the tires last?
Obviously It all depends on the type of tire and how we use it. Softer tread tires shed these hairs much faster. Likewise for high-stress tires such as track and rain tires (with treads), they fade faster.
Instead the slick tires without tread, are made with a different technology and are equipped with thin stripes on the sidewalls instead of hairs.
On average, on the tires of a classic car, the hairs are evident even after driving 3000km or 4000km.
