How To Check Tyres For Expiry Dates To Avoid Problem.

What are Tyres Made Of?

Tyres are made from up to 30 different kinds of rubber, antioxidants, textile elements, steel belts, beads and other components. Natural and synthetic rubber combine to make up the core component of your tyre.

Where does the rubber used in tyres come from?

The tyre industry has one of the largest demands for rubber, but where does the rubber itself come from? Traditionally, it came from Hevea trees.

These trees, originally from Brazil, require a hot, damp environment to thrive, and this is why most natural rubber comes from countries such as India, as they have the right climate to grow the tree. Today, less than half of the rubber used in tyres is natural. Many sources use synthetic rubber which uses a variety of materials, including crude oil. Natural sap is still used, but the synthetic elements help to provide better parameters, such as heat resistance, which help extend the quality and life of the tyre. When buying new tyres for your vehicle, some of us might end up quickly buying the cheapest one available. Sometimes we might find that some companies might put up. Sometimes we might find that some companies might put up the tyres on special and we might be the first ones to grab it thinking we getting the best deal. But it is important to note that every tyre has an expiry date after which it is supposed to be replaced , lest it risks a blow-out! The average life span of a tyre from the date of manufacture is four (4)years. But of course it depends on the make and brand. So, how do you know the date a tyre was manufactured? It is written on the tyre as four digits! It is unfortunately not spelt out as simply as in your cookie wrapper but it is there. The first two digits represent the week, while the last two is the year of manufacture. Note that the four digits stand alone, not added to any alphabet. Some manufacturers place the asterics sign (*) before and after the four digits, while others simply encycle it. So, 1612 means that the tyre was manufactured on the 16th week last week of April) in the year 2012. The tyre will therefore expire on the 16th week of 2016. You may therefore have bought “brand new” tyre which has since Expired. Some manufacturers however don’t state the date of manufacture on their tyres, breaching the estacode thereof. This is common among the “Made in China” brands. Buying a tyre devoid of manufacturing date is like swallowing a pill without an expiry date. A burst tyre puts the life of all the occupants of the vehicle in jeopardy! Check your Car tyres today to see the date of manufacture and whether or not you are driving using a tyre which has expired.