Tires have been a part of car history as long as we can remember. Obviously, we’ve come a very long way since the wheel was invented. As time went on, the original wheel – which was made of solid wood – was covered with leather, and eventually rubber to soften the ride.
Mr. Charles Goodyear, created the vulcanization process, which is heating rubber with sulfur to make the rubber a firmer material, making it perfect for tires. At this point, they were made of solid rubber.
Robert W. Thomson is credited for creating the first air-filled tire, and even had the design patented as well. But, in 1888, John Dunlop claimed the invention of the pneumatic, air-filled tire and with no knowledge of Thomson’s work. The pneumatic tire eventually became a commercial hit.
Since then, different types of tires have been invented to do a variety of jobs. You can learn more about bias ply, radial tires, and more here: https://www.continentaltire.com/content/history-passenger-tire
Here are some great and interesting facts about the invention that has helped us moved forward:
- Airplane tires are filled with Nitrogen. When a plane hits the runway, there’s a large amount of friction, pressure, and heat that builds within the tire. If the tire was filled with oxygen, the oxygen will react with all of this and the tire could pop. Nitrogen takes much more energy to react, and keeps hold when in different pressures and temperatures.
- Lego produces about 318 million tires a year,
which is actually more than any other tire manufacturer.
- You can check when your tire was made! Each tire in the US has an identification number, just like the VIN on a vehicle, but this one is a TIN. Find it on the sidewall, after the letter “DOT”. The last four numbers will tell you which week (01-53) of what year your tire was made if it was made in the year 2000 or later.
- The rubber tires are made of is initially white. Carbon black is added to reduce hotspots and increase the strength and durability. Prior to this, zinc oxide was once added to early tires, making them turn white.
- You can order tires online on https://www.speckcdjr.com/tire-finder.html. Our Service Experts here at Speck Chrysler Jeep Dodge RAM will get you taken care of with your tire needs!
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