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Are Your Compressor Air Lines Leaking Profits?
March 12, 2010
As a tire dealer, you know the challenge of maintaining profits while facing ever-increasing costs. What you may not know is you can cut your compressed air costs substantially simply by updating your air piping system.
Generating and maintaining compressed air is typically a tire shop’s second largest energy expense. A new, efficient air piping system can pay for itself in less than two...
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Software Accounting Programs a Must
February 09, 2010
It is nearly impossible to remember a time when we did business without the advantage of computers and tire dealer accounting software. Those days are gone forever, with good riddance.
Everyone in the field of business accounting software is making the task of operating your stores so much easier and far more precise. Instead of waiting for a compilation of hand entries or a weekly report from the...
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Tire Repair Materials Keep Improving
February 09, 2010
Tire repair products just keep getting better and better. Did you know that aramid-reinforced radial tire repair units for radial OTR tires are five times stronger than steel? That’s what one maker of such patches claims. These patches are manufactured with fewer plies, yield greater strength, a more simplified installation and improved performance under the most extreme conditions. It’s...
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Keep Customers Engaged With Showroom Displays
January 13, 2010
Tire companies and companies specializing in showroom displays aren’t spending time and money just for the fun of it. A really good tire display will literally cause customers to rub their hands over the tread and void areas of a tire. Why? Because they want to get a sense that this tire is safe, that it will last a long time and that it will do what they want it to do when the need arises –...
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Hand Tools Still Needed to Service Today's Vehicles
January 13, 2010
Sometimes it feels as if there is no better tool than the tried and true hammer. You’ll find a variety of them for sale under the heading dead blow hammers. Buy a high carbon steel head with a machine polished face and a top grade U.S. hickory handle, or if you want a polymer handled hammer, that is available as well. The latter features a hump design that prevents the tool from wedging between...
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Polishes, Waxes Vital for Perfect Detailing Job
December 15, 2009
When customers talk about detailing their car, they too often forget that proper washing, polishing and waxing are critical parts of the job. If you offer detailing services as part of your tire business, the list of car washing products, polishes and waxes can be staggering, but don’t panic. There are even products out there that claim to wash, polish and wax all in one bottle or can.
Do...
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Balancing: Compounds or Mechanical?
December 15, 2009
This is a tough question, since both balancing compounds and mechanical balancing get the job done. It all boils down to past performance, value and the money it costs to drive thousands of miles – and how these factors combine for major and small fleets.
Many fleets have turned to what appears to be the simplest solution for balancing a commercial tire: they throw a bag of balancing compound...
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Intake Systems Offer Opportunity for Added Horsepower
November 23, 2009
When it comes to air filters, there is too much information to fit in this small space. But you should know about at least one application out there.
K&N Engineering Inc. is heavily involved in the specialized kind of work built into its air intake units, which are designed to deliver added horsepower. In fact, K&N says it can add up to 30 hp on installations such as the 2003 Mustang SVT...
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Wheel Refinishing a Valued Service in Today’s Economy
November 23, 2009
With the economy on a long, sluggish recovery, the business of wheel refinishing should be a natural, given the fact that commercial customers are being squeezed out of their once healthy margins. With fleet owners hanging onto vehicles longer, a bit of maintenance work and a fresh set of wheels can make older trucks look like a million bucks.
In addition to the aesthetic value of wheel refinishing...
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Today’s Service Trucks Offer New, Improved Features
October 14, 2009
Versatility is the name of the game in many aspects of today’s tire business, including service trucks. Currently, tire service truck suppliers provide many options. Durability is among the most important features built into every truck – this not only helps offset fuel costs, but prevents the need to purchase a new service truck before it’s absolutely necessary.
No matter what...
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Manage Inventory Systems to Your Advantage
October 14, 2009
As we approach 2010 we can no longer look at inventory management as we once did. Now, we must look at not only the best point-of-sale software at the front service counter, but also back office operations and tire storage racks. Making the most use out of tying all three together will make a shop more efficient and profitable.
Before anything else happens, employees at the point-of-sale must have...
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Automotive Lifts Just Keep Getting Better
August 15, 2009
The
wide, wide world of automotive lifts just keeps growing. One company we
checked lists five variations of its two-post symmetrical lift, with
sharp photos and more information if you just clicked on the photo.
This may sound “ho hum” today, but it certainly wasn’t a couple of
decades ago. Now it takes only a click of the finger to gather
information, instead of days and...
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Technology Abounds in Modern Oil Filters
August 15, 2009
Initially,
early automotive engine designs didn’t use any oil filtration. That was
okay in the days when oil was dumped every 500 to 1,000 miles, or if
the engine burned or leaked enough oil during normal operation that
almost constant replenishment with new oil compensated for any
accumulated dirt.
We’ve come a long way. Not only are all
vehicles designed with an oil filter...
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Make the Best Use of Tire Storage Racks
August 01, 2009
You
may not know this, but our industry is moving close to reaching the
100,000-range of parts and tires being stocked on a regular basis, a
fact of life that will increase annually. The issue facing every tire
dealer is how to store these products for quick access and safety from
damage.
If you’re a tire dealer with the need to store 2,500
tires or more without compromising employee...
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Software Needed for Business Success
August 01, 2009
There
can be little question in 2009 that every tire dealer in the country
has some sort of computer system at the point-of-sale, the back office
or both. It’s almost impossible to run a tire business any other way,
which has led tire dealers to making the obvious choice – tire
dealer-oriented software.
POS software will allow you to know
immediately what you have in stock, the...
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Hand Tools Are Still Irreplaceable
July 01, 2009
Here’s
a handy bit of advice: hand tools in a tire dealership aren’t about to
disappear anytime soon. Despite living in a digital age – and despite
the best technological efforts of aftermarket suppliers – there is
still no better way to remove a stuck radiator hose, heater hose or fan
belt than a hose puller.
It’s the same with a valve core tool,
which allows...
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Understanding the Features of Today’s Compressors
July 01, 2009
Just
when we thought we knew it all, we learn that we really know very
little about certain pieces of equipment in our shops. Take a minute to
review this glossary of terms as they apply to compressors.
What
about full load – do you know what this means? In short, this is about
air compressor operation at full speed with a fully open inlet and
discharge, delivering a maximum air flow.
How...
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Modern Tire Changers Save Time, Energy
May 01, 2009
Most
motorists are guilty of thinking that their tires are fine, their O2
sensor is working perfectly and their air conditioning unit is going to
last forever. But how often do they stop to think about tire changers?
In
so many ways, the tire changer is the heartbeat of a tire dealership.
If you can’t get ‘em off, you probably won’t get ‘em back on and you
don’t...
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Useful TPMS Tools Must Offer Certain Features
May 01, 2009
Today’s
TPMS tools offer many features for tire dealers looking to boost
profits by servicing the systems on customers’ vehicles. First, look
for a unit that has the ability to audit the vehicle before the wheel
is broken down. This entails using the tool to activate and read back
the data from each TPMS sensor. The tool needs to know the different
low-frequency wake up patterns...
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An Up-Close Look at Wheel Balancers
April 01, 2009
Remember
when tire dealers and customers used to call modern day tire balancers
“spin balancers?” Can you recall the time when a tire was placed on a
flimsy little spindle and watched like a hawk until it found its
rightful level, then you marked the tire and pounded in the weights?
Well, all that is ancient history now.
With so much technology
built into a tire/wheel balancer...
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