You may think the work we do here is a bit mundane – not so! Every career doubtlessly has at least one facet of intrigue. Tires would be a less obvious choice when finding things that the word ‘interesting’ applies to, but hang tight – you’ll change your tune!

1. Tires are naturally white. Manufacturers add carbon black to the rubber used for tires to increase several qualities that prolong the life of tires. Carbon black builds the tensile strength by as much as 1,000% to untreated rubber. It also has the added benefit of increased road-wear abrasions of the produced tire up to 100-fold. Carbon black can help keep built up heat away from trouble spots like the tread and the belt areas.

2. The World’s Largest Tire is 12 tons, 80-feet tall and was built to withstand hurricane-force winds. It was used as a Ferris wheel in the mid 1960’s at New York’s World Fair and was later moved to Allen Park, Michigan.

3. Some of the first cars used “artillery wheels” – the tire was actually bolted to the wheel. Sounds like it would’ve been a painful flat to change.

4. Many new cars don’t come with spare tires. Due to strict emissions rules, manufacturers have begun trying new ways to decrease the weight included, resorting to offering a patch kit and a can of compressed air instead.

5. In the early 1960’s, Goodyear experimented with an illuminated tire. This tire was lit from the inside by glass bulbs but the gently glowing white tires never left the show circuit.

Stay tuned for more surprising facts about tires, farming, and small business!