The Air In There
The Air In There We’ve discussed a number of tire selection, maintenance and technology issuesin this column over the last 18 months. Over this period, roadside tire pieces have continued to figure prominently in news reports and studies conducted by parties inside and outside of our industry.Some reflection and updating on the basics of pneumatic
Fingertip Diagnosis
Fingertip Diagnosis As complex and reliable as modern radial ply tires have become, care andmaintenance recommendations for them have been remarkably consistent and simple. Very likely the most challenging part of a successful tire program today is making the correct new tire selection from among the many choices of tread type, size, profile, and constructions
Tires and Responsibility
Tires and Responsibility I began to reflect about tires recently after spending an hour or so on the Internet catching up on local and national news. Many of the news subjects are repeats these days, discussions of the handling qualities of SUVs – with and without tire blowouts – students vandalizing school property in celebration
Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems: How They’ll Work and What They Mean to You
Maintaining the proper inflation in tires is a subject that is as old as tires themselves. This issue has been likened to keeping the right amount of oil in the car’s crankcase – don’t do it and the engine will fail. The good news is that air doesn’t need to be changed periodically – though
School Bus Tires and Basic Lesson Plans
School Bus Tires and Basic Lesson Plans June has arrived and the first year of the new century is passing quickly in the history books. At this point back in 1901, there were few – dare we say none ®“ alternatives to walking, riding horseback, or hitching a wagon ride to the old schoolhouse. It’s
Will the Real Cost-Per-Mile Step Forward?
h3>Blame the Bean Counters Why, then, is there such great disparity in total tire costs cited by various fleet managers? The most obvious answer is that not everyone does an equally outstanding job of addressing, or executing, the basics. Larger differences, however, can run much deeper and in most instances can be traced to –
The Forces Are With Us
The Forces Are With Us There are some new terms being used in the tire and vehicle servicing industries today and you may want to learn more about them as they’re not likely to disappear. Most of these terms include the word "force". Such as "road force", "force variation", "dynamic force", and half a dozen
Getting in on the Wheel Deal
uncil (TMC) has an excellent publication titled "User’s Guide to Wheels and Rims" which is a compilation of the knowledge and experience of top industry suppliers and fleet maintenance personnel. The installation, inspection, and maintenance procedures for wheels, rims, and fastener components in this TMC Recommended Practice are readily available (phone 703-838-1763) and should be
Do We Really Need This Much Information?
Do we really need this much information? Cold winter nights offer the best opportunity for many of us to catch up on reading material. Whether it’s job-related trade journals, industry studies, or a good novel, there is much information and entertainment available in print.Chances are pretty good, however, that unless you’re an incurable insomniac, you
On the Surface
On the Surfaceof the Tire/Road Relationship Anyone who has been around the tire business for any length of time has heard or participated in discussions about how well competing brands or types of tires perform. Equally well known is the wide variety of conclusions some "experts" derive from their "experience." It brings to mind an
Will Lug Tires Remain a Driving Force?
Will Lug Tires Remain a Driving Force? Remember the days when nearly all car owners – except those in the southernmost states ®“ performed the ritual of mounting and removing snow tires each year? Many drivers even purchased separate wheels, dedicated for use during the winter to avoid the extra time and expense of the
Trailers Should Sometimes Come First
Trailers Should Sometimes Come First If the headline above caught your attention and conjured up visions of big rigs heading down the highway backward, we accomplished half of our mission. Make no mistake, we’re not advocating changing the direction of traffic flow, but we do want to underscore and explore the importance of devoting some