| Tires, whether for cars, RVs, trucks, or buses, have | | | | Goodyear was so confident of his new creation that |
| three functions: | | | | he predicted rubber paint, car springs, inflatable life |
| | | | rafts, rubber soccer balls and frogmen suits 100 |
| 1. To protect the metal rim of the tire; | | | | years before they became available. |
| 2. To provide traction between the vehicle and the | | | | In 1888 John Dunlop invented the first air-filled (i.e., |
| road so the driver will have control;and | | | | pneumatic)tire--for bicycles. Andre Michelin came up |
| 3. To provide cushioning on rough surfaces for a | | | | with the first pneumatic tire for automobiles in 1895. |
| more comfortable ride. | | | | (The Michelin Man was created in 1898.) |
| Faulty tires can cost lives. Even new tires over five | | | | The Goodyear Tire Company, named after Charles, |
| or six years shouldn't be put on vehicles, because | | | | who had died in 1860 with a $200,000 debt--patented |
| rubber content degrades over time. (note: the last | | | | the first tubeless tire, but didn't promote it |
| three numbers on the tire's serial number tell the | | | | commercially until 1954 on the Packard. They also |
| week and year the tire was made.) | | | | added carbon to the formula which increased the life |
| So, how did we end up with rubber tires, anyway? In | | | | of the tires. |
| Central and South America rubber was used for | | | | Mountable rims, which allowed drivers to fix their own |
| centuries before it was introduced to western | | | | flats, were developed in 1904 and Frank Seiberling |
| culture. The rubber was harvested from the tree sap | | | | invented the first grooved tires for better traction in |
| and used as a pencil eraser to "rub out" pencil | | | | 1908. These grooves, or tread designs, also improved |
| marks--"rubber." | | | | drivers' control, riding comfort and tire life. |
| In the 1830s rubber, the waterproof gum from Brazil, | | | | It wasn't until 1911, however, that Philip Strauss |
| came to the United States. One problem--it froze in | | | | invented the first really successful tire. Until that time |
| the winter and turned to glue in the summer. Charles | | | | tires had been wooden, metal, or solid rubber. Strauss |
| Goodyear thought a dry powder could be mixed into | | | | developed the combination rubber tire with an |
| the gum to absorb the stickyness. He tried magnesia | | | | air-filled inner tube. |
| and a combination of magnesia, quicklime, and nitric | | | | There were natural rubber shortages during World |
| acid. Alas, his rubber overshoes turned into a smelly | | | | War II and synthetic rubber was created to offset |
| pile of goo in the summer heat. | | | | the shortage. Synthetic rubber is synthesized from |
| After five years of failures, Goodyear tried a | | | | petroleum and other minerals. This surpassed the use |
| combination of gum and sulphur, added heat, and | | | | of natural rubber for the first time in 1960. |
| made waterproof rubber that remained waterproof | | | | So, now that you know how long it took to get |
| rubber in all seasons. He had created vulcanized | | | | those tires for your vehicle, take care of them! Keep |
| rubber, named after Vulcan, the god of fire. This | | | | them properly inflated and save money, gas, and |
| vulcanized rubber was more durable and more elastic. | | | | your own peace of mind. |