(English version below)
1. 呔上既"毛"係可以用黎判斷車呔仲用唔用到
其實呢樣野當初我冇研究. 因為我知呢樣野唔影響實際行車情況. 但最近有個客同我講話有位technician 話佢知呢啲"毛" (或者係咪叫頭髮) 係可以判斷條呔係咪仲行到. 如果啲"毛"甩左就係講緊條呔差唔多要換啦.
(我唔知中文叫咩... 呔毛? 呔髮? )
但係呢... 製造商唔唔會冇啦啦整到成條呔都係毛黎為左話俾人知個啲係用黎判斷輪胎仲用唔用得(真係整條毛). 特別係本身輪胎上面已經有指標話俾人知呔紋用到邊個位就差唔多換. 但我當時又解釋唔到呢啲係咩黎....
所有輪胎製造商造出黎既呔都會有呢個指標. 呢個指標代表現時輪胎深度係1.6mm (通常都好準)
香港既交通法例, 輪胎深度需要為 1mm. 即係您行到呢個位都仲可以繼續行.... 但係您估您真係可以行到呢個1.6mm位咩?
https://tyrehood.blogspot.com/2016/10/check.html
直到之後... 知道係咩黎啦.
呢啲"毛"既有個名叫 "vent spews". 係製造輪胎過程中會輸入氣壓(番新呔其實都同一做法), 但過多既氣壓會令到有空氣夾住左係膠入面. 所以需要排出多餘的空氣時就產生左 "vent spews".
2. 點解新呔冇包裝 (好似買新電話咁)
十幾二十年前都仲會. 但而家好多牌子都可免則免. 因為包住咁多條呔另外拆晒出黎後都會製造大量垃圾. 仲要幾十萬條呔都咁拆.
由於唔係真空包裝, 唔會因為包住就令到條呔壽命加長. 最多只係冇咁易污穢.
至於點樣睇全新呔... 其實真係好難. (全新呔定義係, 未有裝過係車上行駛. 就算該輪胎裝左落車後行左1cm 既距離都係叫舊呔) 因為當新呔裝左上去部車, 有部分呔既呔肚位會有黃點紅點, 都冇咁快甩.
3. 點解冇歐盟標籤EU label? 個款呔既EU label 個數值係幾多?
歐盟標籤, 睇個名就知係歐洲國家既標準去睇條呔既性能. 主要係聲音, 耗油, 同埋濕地性能. 歐盟標籤係俾歐洲國家用, 唔係俾香港用. 當然唔係條條呔都會有歐盟標籤. 您可以用黎做一個參考, 但係呢一個參考並不會準確. 因為天氣, 地面等情況同香港唔同. (雖然地面大家都用緊 asphalt 但都有分唔同既mixture, layer, micro etc)
另外, 由於香港係冇標準去睇, 當然唔需要有歐盟標籤, 就唔會款款呔都會有. 加上, 唔係款款呔都會出國去歐洲, 就算有, 間廠都唔會每一批生產既呔都貼上歐盟標籤. 更加答唔到您到底個數值係幾多.
(因為有個客好唔相信我, 問我點解Firestone 個條呔係冇歐盟標籤, 係咁既咩?)
btw, 歐盟標籤將會於2021年5月1號開始改變有關要求. 到時又會有唔同既標籤.
4. UTQG (Uniform Tire Quality Grading)
UTQG 係美國既輪胎測試標準. 有別於 EU 既係佢睇 損耗(Wear), 咬地力(traction), 溫度(Temperature).
e.g.
Sailun Elite Wear ->360, Traction -> A, Temperature -> A
Goodyear F1A5 Wear->300, Traction -> AA, Temperature -> A
如果只係睇呢兩個標準, 事情就簡單. 不過Engineer 既野又點會咁簡單.
一定要用最新既製造年份?
每一個消費者都想要新年份既呔. 有邊個唔想. 就算去超市都會揀番個冇咁快過期既食物. 更何況係用係部車到既呔.
由於唔少都有聽聞過, "由製造年份計起, 去到某幾年就要換嫁啦, 條呔老化嫁啦"
如果有睇到上一個post, Michelin, Dunlop, Pirelli 等輪胎製造商既網站都有提及到, 根本係好難去作出預算去計幾時真係老化 (Oxidation).
再加上香港既輪胎供應商都有個 "有蓋既倉" 擋風擋雨擋太陽. Keep 好存貨.
由於輪胎冇 "幾時過期" 呢樣野, 一於睇睇唔同既參考睇睇.
A) 英國政府係2020年7月決定唔俾大型車輛, 包括小巴, 使用已經超過10年既輪胎
英國其中都參考左Michelin 所提及到既, (tyres should be replaced after 10 years)
其他好多唔同意見, 都圍住 3年, 6年. 香港都有其他鋪頭講3年.
咁到底係咪一定要最新? 一定要當年既製造年份先最好?
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1. The hair strand on the tire indicates tire wear off
I didn't actually find out about it at first as I know that it is not going to affect driving experience. Until when a customer told me that a technician told her about this hair strand tells you when to change your tyre.
Talks about experience, I may not have as much as those who have worked in this industry for even more than 20 years, but I know this is certainly wrong.
Why tire manufacturer create this "extra" features when all brands manufacturer have an international standard to tell users in the tread area and sidewall that the depth of the tread has reached 1.6mm.
But I fail to answer the purpose of this hair strand. So I check it out.
**According to the Hong Kong Traffic Ordinance, the legal requirement for the tire depth is 1mm. That implies, even if your tire reach this 1.6mm level, you can still use it (legally).... but do you really think you can even reach this 1.6mm tread depth?
Check out this post to find out how to use a coin to measure 1mm depth if you really manage to reach this 1.6mm
https://tyrehood.blogspot.com/2016/10/check.html
This hair strand is called "vent spews". In the process of manufacturing tires, pressure is added (same as the process of retreading tyre), but too much pressure will cause air mixing in the rubber. Hence, extra air pressure is released through this "vent spews"
2. Why new tires are not packaged
Packaging happened more than a decade ago. But most brands (or rather sole agent of the brands) do not require packaging due to the land pollution. Imagine how much trash is produced when more than 100 thousands tires packaging are thrown.
Afterall, packaging is not vacuum tight. It will not delay tire age. Just not easily dirty.
In addition, it is not easy to check if a tire is really a brand new tire (A brand new tire definition: The tire has not mounted into the vehicle. Even if it is mounted on the vehicle, a traveling of 1cm will lose the "brand new" identity). When a brand new tire is mounted onto the car, some of the coloring (like those yellow and red dot) do not come off right away.
3. Why there is not EU labeling for this tire? What is the value of the EU label for this tire?
EU label for the tire consists of sound, petrol efficiency, and wet performance of the tire. The EU label is meant for EU. That is understatement. It's not for Hong Kong, therefore not all tyres have such EU label with them. You can use the label as a reference, but this reference is not accurate to apply in Hong Kong because of weather, road conditions etc. (even both places are using asphalt as a material, the mixture, layer and mirco of the materials might differ)
Additionally, there is no standard in Hong Kong to use a reference for tire, it is not compulsory to have a EU label on the tire. When the tire is not export to EU, it does not have that EU label as well. Even if it does, not all tyres will have it stick on them.
So, it is not possible to answer the EU label value for each of the tire.
(A customer does not seem to believe this when he asked why, the Firestone tire that I sold to him, does not have the EU label)
btw, the EU label will change its regulation on 1 May 2021 onwards. The label design may change the next time when you purchase them.
4. UTQG (Uniform Tire Quality Grading)
UTQG is the U.S standard of the tire testing. It looks at Wear, traction, and Temperature.
e.g.
Sailun Elite Wear ->360, Traction -> A, Temperature -> A
Goodyear F1A5 Wear->300, Traction -> AA, Temperature -> A
The myth of manufacture date
It is undoubted that every customers want the latest manufacturing date of the tyre. Who doesn't? Even if you purchase food in the supermarket, you probably choose the one with longer expiry date.
Some may have heard "The tire has [expired], look at the manufacturing date. It's time to change"
If you saw the previous post, Michelin, Dunlop, Pirelli (and more) manufacturer mentioned that it is difficult to estimate if the tire has expired.
Afterall, the supplier inventory have "shelter" for the tires to keep them from exposing to rain.
A) The UK government decided to ban 10 year-old tire
Some other opinions mentioned about keeping it 3 years, 6 years. Some HK retailers also mentioned about 3 years.
So, do we really need the latest manufacturing date?
