Car tyres are fairly unexciting products on the face of it. Unless you suffer from a blowout at high speed, they only really get attention when they are wearing down and they need to be replaced so that they continue to offer sufficient levels of grip. You can buy tyres at economical prices and get free tyre fitting in Basingstoke from experts at Headley Tyres but what about the tyres that will be fitted? Here are some unusual facts about them that we expect you won’t know.
Crayons and Car Tyres Have Something in Common
The business that created the first crayon colouring sticks, Crayola, found out that carbon is a great material for reinforcing the structural makeup of tyres. To this day, carbon is still added to tyres - just like it is to children’s crayons so that they are rendered more robust and durable.
Tyres Aren’t Always Black and White
Although the earliest car tyres that went into mass production were usually white, it wasn’t until the earliest years of the twentieth century that black became the norm. A whitewall tyre was first invented in 1914 when a carbon black tread was blended with a white sidewall that was derived from zinc. Coloured tyres are available to this day. Ones with red stripes tend to denote they’ve been made for prestige and performance.
Tyres Can Be Recycled
Although you tend to see old tyres being used for nothing much more exciting than holding down some tarpaulin on a farm to stop it from blowing away, they can be put to numerous uses. When old tyres are reprocessed, their compounds are broken down so they can be made into brand new tyres. An alternative use is to break the rubber down so that it can be turned into garden mulch.
Toy Tyres Outsell Real Ones
There are not many products which are more widely used in their model form than for their given purpose but, with tyres, this is the case. The children’s toy manufacturer Lego produces more tyres for its sets than any of the leading tyre manufacturers. In fact, in a typical year, Lego will make well over 300 million individual tyres.
World’s Biggest Tyre Is in Michigan
Made for the New York World Fair of 1964-65, the world’s largest-ever tyre is now on display in Allen Park, Michigan. It is over 24 metres in height and weighs a little under 11 tonnes, the weight of seven family cars.
Irene says
Interesting facts I’ve never heard!!! Thanks for sharing!