A method of manufacturing a rubber composition, the method comprising: forming a dispersion of hydrophobated silica in a rubber composition containing at least one diene-based elastomer by steps of: blending a pre-hydrophobated silica/fatty acid composite with a rubber composition containing at least one diene-based elastomer to form a dispersion of the composite in the rubber composition; blending zinc oxide with the rubber composition containing the composite dispersion; and reacting the zinc oxide with the fatty acid of the composite in situ within the rubber composition in the presence of an oligomer of 1,2-dihydro-2,2,4 trimethylquinoline to thereby accelerate the coupling of the substantially fatty acid-free hydrophobated silica to the diene-based elastomer(s) within the rubber composition, to thereby substantially convert the fatty acid of the composite to a zinc salt thereof in situ within the rubber composition and to thereby substantially remove the fatty acid from the composite to yield a substantially fatty acid-free hydrophobated silica within the rubber composition; coupling the substantially fatty acid-free hydrophobated silica to the diene-based elastomer(s) in situ within the rubber composition. forming a dispersion of hydrophobated silica in a rubber composition containing at least one diene-based elastomer by steps of: blending a pre-hydrophobated silica/fatty acid composite with a rubber composition containing at least one diene-based elastomer to form a dispersion of the composite in the rubber composition; blending zinc oxide with the rubber composition containing the composite dispersion; and reacting the zinc oxide with the fatty acid of the composite in situ within the rubber composition in the presence of an oligomer of 1,2-dihydro-2,2,4 trimethylquinoline to thereby accelerate the coupling of the substantially fatty acid-free hydrophobated silica to the diene-based elastomer(s) within the rubber composition, to thereby substantially convert the fatty acid of the composite to a zinc salt thereof in situ within the rubber composition and to thereby substantially remove the fatty acid from the composite to yield a substantially fatty acid-free hydrophobated silica within the rubber composition; blending a pre-hydrophobated silica/fatty acid composite with a rubber composition containing at least one diene-based elastomer to form a dispersion of the composite in the rubber composition; blending zinc oxide with the rubber composition containing the composite dispersion; and reacting the zinc oxide with the fatty acid of the composite in situ within the rubber composition in the presence of an oligomer of 1,2-dihydro-2,2,4 trimethylquinoline to thereby accelerate the coupling of the substantially fatty acid-free hydrophobated silica to the diene-based elastomer(s) within the rubber composition, to thereby substantially convert the fatty acid of the composite to a zinc salt thereof in situ within the rubber composition and to thereby substantially remove the fatty acid from the composite to yield a substantially fatty acid-free hydrophobated silica within the rubber composition; coupling the substantially fatty acid-free hydrophobated silica to the diene-based elastomer(s) in situ within the rubber composition.