What Would We Do Without the Wheel?
One of mankind’s greatest inventions - the wheel. Can you imagine what life would be like without it? The wheel has come a long way from its creation.
From the very start, a problem with the wheel was not only the wear and tear from the continual rotation, but the fact that it didn’t wear evenly. This resulted in the expense of having to regularly change it out. What was needed was a layer that could handle the damage and when it did get damaged, it needed something that can be easily replaced. In comes the evolution of the tire.
The first tires were merely bands of leather that were wrapped around a wooden wheel. Then came the metal bands which lasted a lot longer than the leather. With the arrival of trains, metal wheels were introduced. Soon, these metal tires were being used on wagons in the West. Metal was uncomfortable to ride on but they were cheap and lasted a fairly long time.
In 1893, Charles Goodyear discovered vulcanization. This is the process of heating rubber and sulfur, turning the rubber into a pliable material perfect in making tires. These were strong, could withstand a lot of damage and had great shock absorption, but the ride was still rather rough..
Not long after the discovery of vulcanization, solid rubber was beginning to be used in tire manufacturing. These tires were good quality, strong and absorbed shocks better than any material in the past. They were a much-needed improvement and reliable but because they were so heavy, drivers still didn’t enjoy a smooth ride.
In 1847, a Scottish engineer named Robert W. Thompson patented the first air-filled tire, however it was too costly to catch on. Then in 1888, John Boyd Dunlop invented the pneumatic tire intended only for bicycles. Seven years later, Andre and Edouard Michelin began to use tires on automobiles but they didn’t have much durability. From 1890 to 1920, the rubber pneumatic tire underwent many changes
By the 1920s, automobile tires, called bias ply tires, were being produced with synthetic rubbers. After World War 2, steel-belted radial tires were developed by Michelin. This was a huge step in the tire industry. However, it wasn’t until the early 1970s that radial tire sales really took off. Since then, radial tires have become the most prominent type of tire throughout the world with billions being made every year.
Retreads and remolding was developed and patented In 1912 by Marion Oliver. This is similar to today's process of retreading. The casing was buffed to the base then a new tire was added on top. They became popular during the Great Depression for obvious reasons. Sales held steady but then during World War 2, Americans again were struggling financially so retread sales went up because it was the most cost-effective way to keep their vehicles on the road.
Beginning in the 1960s, tire retreading became less and less popular for many reasons, one being that tire companies were dropping prices of new tires. Then in the 1990s, they began to make a comeback when computer-controlled retreading machines became available.
Picture of a tire on an old Mercedes Benz
Today, retreads are found to be just as safe and last just as long as new tires. Here are Hooper's Tire Outlet, you’ll find nothing but quality used tires. If you’re cost-conscious these days, we highly recommend you contact us today.
Next month - tires of the future.