Why do tyres have little rubber hair on them?

By Team Asianet Newsable | First Published Feb 25, 2017, 8:50 AM IST

These tiny hairs are often mistaken to be as form of abnormality or thought of as a badly made tyre
They also do not mean that you have got a worn out tyre

Most people see these little rubber hair-like extensions on their car or bike tyre and tend to dismiss it as a manufacturing defect. For someone with OCD, it means having to pull all of those hair out until the scooter or car tyre is bald and clean.

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Unlike what is the most common perception of it being a manufacturing defect or a sign that you need to get new tyres, it is actually there for a purpose.

Did you know? These little hairs are called Vent Spews. Weird right? Both words mean to throw out so how does it function? The actual purpose of this is to allow the tyre to breathe, it acts a ventilator for your rubber tyre. Surprised?

These hair occur as a result of tyre manufacturing. When the tyre is being made, a mould is set and rubber is forcefully injected into the mould, air bubbles tend to form and this could damage or weaken the tyre’s strength. So to prevent this, vents are placed to allow the air to. As a result some of rubber enters these holes, forming the hair-like extensions when the liquid rubber settles to a solid state.

So don’t worry, removing them does not bear any consequence to the life of your MRF tyre or any brand you may use. People with OCD can happily pluck them off or wait for the road to take its toll. In other words, those little rubber hairs signify your tyre is brand new and good to go. That's your auto lesson for the week.

Also read: What you need to know if you put wrong fuel in your car

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