Tires are indispensable parts allowing vehicles to operate smoothly in movement. But a tire detail still confuses most drivers – the tire with small hairs. Why do tires have hairs?
The small hairs are usually visible on tires once you buy a new set. And You have no clue what the functions of those tire whiskers are.
No need to worry as this article will summarize all-rounded information with tyre hairs. Please tune in to see “what are the hairs on tires for”.
Why Do Tires Have Hairs?
Once the rubber gets injected into the tire mold, the high pressure triggers air bubbles, lowering the solid between them.
That’s why the tires need vent holes to release the trapped air. Luckily, leftover rubber on the surface – tire hairs come up to ensure the correct structure.
What Are The Little Rubber Hairs On Tires Called?
What are the little hairs on tires? Technically, those tire nubs refer to vent spews which arise as a byproduct of tire manufacturing.
Some mechanics also call them by other technical names like gate marks, sprue nubs, tire whiskers, tire nibs, or tire nubs.
While others think technicians make them for purposes like wear or tire noise reduction, little hairs turn out to serve another way.
These tiny bits of rubber help excess trapped air escape the tire, ensuring the compactness of small rubber tires.
Do All Types Of Tires Have Hairs?
Typically, drivers will spot tire whiskers on the set of new tires, but not all of them. In other words, it depends on different models of the tire.
Some brands prefer their tires to have a thick layer of nubs, while others tend to make sparse tire hairs for aesthetic purposes. Or else, some types of tires are entirely clear without any hairs.
However, buyers do not need to worry much about this issue which is not a big concern. The tires still work well regardless of the existence of the whiskers.
On the contrary, you should focus on other important criteria for a qualified tire, like tread or wear endurance. We will go deep down in this section later in this article.
How Rubber Hairs Form In Tire Manufacturing Process
You have gotten through the “why do tires have whiskers” issue but have still been vague about how the vent spews form.
Let’s follow us to the detailed tire manufacturing process where they purposely create a useful byproduct:
Step 1
The auto worker uses computerized techniques to blend a measured mixture of nylon, plastic, and rubber. Then, they shape the mix into a raw tire form which we normally call “a green tire”.
At this stage, a green tire stays very smooth, not containing any nooks or crannies.
Step 2
Move on to step 2, vulcanization, which delivers the raw tire into a new mold that looks like a clam shell.
They heat the rubber at 280 degrees Celsius to soften it. Then, immediately inject that liquid into the inside space of the tires.
In this molding phase, the rubber must expand evenly to the tire’s inside. As a result, it must acquire the required forms in threads, ribs, beads, and dimples.
Step 3
During step 2, the overinflated tire pressure accidentally causes massive air bubbles. So we need a series of vents to release the captured air, making the rubber stick closely to the tire.
According to this requirement, the rubber hairs appear on fresh tires once they cool down and solid strongly.
Are The Tire Hairs Useful?
Many think that tire hairs are useless, while others do not. As we mentioned before, rubber nubs appear in most new tires.
So you can utilize this point to detect the tire age of automobiles by observing the spew vents.
Nevertheless, the fresh-tire proof does not refer to whether the tire performs good quality or not. To figure it out, drivers need to consider many other parameters required for the quality assurance of tires.
Besides, sprue creation also helps ventilate the air circulation of the inner rubber. Air bubbles emerge as excess tire pressure malfunctions while transferring rubber into the mold.
Without those essential vent holes, the tire can not reach the needed condition.
Should We Remove Hairs On Tires?
Why do my tyres have whiskers? Most drivers suspect their necessity which confuses them about whether to leave the hairs on or off. We will say it depends on your reference.
In particular, the nubs tires inherently do not harm the normal operation of the tire. Thus, you can pull them off for aesthetic aim.
Still, the tires with hairs also eventually wear off if you choose to keep them.
After years of usage, environmental effects will shave most of them off on the tread, while the shoulder and sidewall remain some for a little longer.
Among those two pickups, we highly recommend the retaining one. When you decide to sell your vehicle out, a set of tires remaining rubber hairs show more value than bare ones.
How To Remove Tire Hairs
Once you remove them, do it with doubled care to avoid damaging the tires.
Do not use sharp tools which may cause unfortunate punctures like scissors or knives. Instead, the razors or nail clippers can work out more effectively.
Or else, you may pull them off gradually using bare hands at ease, which seems to be the best way.
Nonetheless, avoid shaving the fragile parts, including the shoulder and sidewall of the tires.
Those places easily get damaged during the removal process. Meanwhile, it is fine to do on the tread surface.
Other Criteria To Notice On New Tires
Apart from tyre little hairs, there are a bunch of other features drivers need to check on the new tires.
The first thing is to acquire the producer’s instruction. You can find the appropriate choices suited to the vehicles, like inflation rate, wear level, or air pressure.
Secondly, make sure the fresh tires have a good balance and alignment. An imbalance can trigger something annoying you – a noisy tire sound.
Also, it fastens the wear level. So ensuring those traits to keep the tires operating perfectly. Click here to discover if you can balance the tire at home.
Despite new tires being installed, regular inspections are really necessary.
By which you can spot any cuts, cracks, or other risky flaws. If DIY is hard to perform, please have a pro mechanic test your tires.
To Sum Up
Why do tires have hairs? Now, this issue will not concern you any longer. Small hairy rubber contributes to solidifying the liquid rubber in the tire mold.
But do not be surprised if you detect some non-hair tires. Several manufacturers prefer not to have them on the new tires. And that way does not have any effect on their performance.
To sum up, it is best to take regular tire maintenance, which helps you have tires fixed timely and also save money.