What are the little rubber hairs on tyres?

NEW tyres have little rubber hair-like spikes that are known as vent spews.

They are scattered around the outer edge of new tyres - but what are they, and are they beneficial?

What are vent spews?

Vent spews are the small rubber hairs or rubber spikes that appear on the tread of new tyres.

Although vent spew is the technical name, these tyre hairs are also referred to as sprue nubs, tyre nibs, gate marks, or nippers.

They are most noticeable on new tyres, leaving many motorists wondering how they got there, and if they have a purpose.

How do vent spews form?

Vent spews are a by-product of the tyre manufacturing process.

During this process rubber is injected into a tyre mould and air pressure is used to spread the liquid rubber so it eventually can take the circular shape of a tyre.

There is risk of air bubbles forming between the rubber and the mould and therefore small vent holes are needed to avoid this.

The vent holes force the rubber to fill every nook and cranny of the tyre mould.

When this happens, tiny bits of rubber also make their way out of the vent hole.

The rubber that escapes through the holes firms up to form a stringy hair-like appearance on the tyre tread and remain attached even after it is removed from the mould.

Should vent spews be removed from tyres?

There are a number of questions around the purpose of vent spews, with some wondering whether or not they need to be removed.

Vent spews are usually shaved off before they're sold, but some remain on the sidewall of the tyre.

They serve no purpose in your tyres' performance, but their presence indicates that the tyre is new.

Some car owners take great care and pride in carefully shaving the tyre spews down.

However, there is no practical reason for doing this and no rules on removing them.

If you do decide to remove tyre spews from your car, the best approach is to pluck them yourself, pulling them off individually or in groups of three or four.

Avoid using blades and scissors to prevent any accidental punctures.