My press car has a nice new set of tires on it, complete with those little protruding thingamajigs. I had to knew what they are called, so of course like all self-respecting folks alive in 2014, I Googled it. Turns out they have a funny name that I won’t soon forget.
From Bridgestone’s Website:
What are those tiny hair-like things we see on new tires?
In order to make the tire completely fill the mold, the segments, as we said, push in from outside while the bladder pushes out from the inside.
As all this pressure forces the rubber into the mold, air could be trapped, preventing the rubber from completely filling in each mold detail.
To prevent this, molds have tiny holes in them that allow the air to escape. As the rubber fills the mold, some of it is forced into these air holes, and that is what creates those hair-like projections.
Incidentally, the technical term for them is “vent spews.”
http://www.bridgestonetrucktires.com/us_eng/real/magazines/04v9iss2/ra7.asp
Chris Brewer is the Senior Editor at Automotive Addicts and a veteran automotive journalist whose journey in the industry began right here with the site. Over the years, Chris has grown from covering the latest automotive trends to helping shape some of the most prestigious car events in the world. He previously served as Director at The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance—one of the crown jewels of the collector car world—and now leads the Caffeine and Octane Jacksonville show, formerly known as Cars and Coffee Jacksonville. With a deep-rooted passion for car culture, storytelling, and event curation, Chris brings both insight and experience to Automotive Addicts, continuing to elevate the site’s voice in the enthusiast and collector communities.
