Small but Mighty: Tire Valves Important for Safety, Profits
The lowly tire valve operates just the way it did when it first found its way onto an automobile tire back in 1898. It’s not that complicated to understand a standard (non-TPMS) tire valve, but if a mistake occurs in mounting or demounting, or a hard hit on a curb is not inspected closely, you
Changing Ideals: Why There May Never Be a Perfect Tire
When I was working in public relations for a major tire company back in the early 1970s, an older scientist with an impeccable track record told me it was sad that he now had to spend his days working on the radial ply tire. When I asked why, he said, “Because we were just beginning
Ounces of Prevention: Taking a Few Extra Steps Can Prevent Dangerous Wheel-Offs
Wheel offs – they happen on 18-wheelers, they happen on passenger cars, and the news is always bad. The primary reason for this type of mistake almost always has something to do with lug nuts and/or studs. As lug nuts are taken off, note immediately if they are difficult to remove. This is the first
Ultimate Re-Learn: Today’s New Fuel-Efficient Cars Require New Knowledge
We’ve been talking about alternative fuels since the great oil embargo of 1973, but no dice. A friend of mine from Holland says all Americans are the same. “You put your hands over your eyes and plugs in your ears,” he often tells me. “You know what’s coming, but you don’t seem to worry about
TPMS Troubles: ‘Simple’ Tire Rotations With TPMS Can Prove Tricky
Bias. Everyone, whether it is politics, labor, religion, food, whatever, has a bias. Mine is government overregulation in the name of safety. It is with that built-in opinion that I will attempt to explain what tiremakers, TPMS tool manufacturers and sensor makers want you to know about tire rotation and TPMS. The other day my
Mystifying Math: Addition to Tire Sidewalls Leaves Consumers Confused
When we bend over to read a tire sidewall, we practically need a magnifying glass to read all the information, especially on super low aspect ratio tires. Why is this? It seems we’ve added – and will continue to add – more and more tire nomenclature, all of it designed to save us from ourselves.
Bottoming Out: With Aspect Ratios, How Low is Really Too Low?
With Aspect Ratios, How Low is Really Too Low? In my lifetime tire aspect ratios have ranged from an 85-series to a 25-series. Did you ever clean the whitewalls on a 1952 Chrysler Imperial? Be thankful you didn’t. That’s why I like the new lower aspect blackwall radials. Not only are they easier to clean,
Warranty Blues: Tire Warranties, Frustrated Consumers and Baffled Dealers
Tire Warranties, Frustrated Consumers and Baffled Dealers A major tire company executive once insisted that there was no place for a radial ply tire in the U.S. Months later he was replaced. Those were the days when a radial was expected to return nearly 40,000 miles – astounding for that time. The driving public, Detroit
Stagger Savvy: Front to Rear Size Differences Require Special Knowledge
Front to Rear Size Differences Require Special KnowledgeSome of the top tire dealers I’ve encountered are those who elect to understand virtually everything they can about a tire, its performance level, its construction features, its overall diameter and its OE assigned position. This includes corner-by-corner knowledge, as well as being front-to-rear axle savvy. When we
Form vs. Function: Performance Still Most Important in Today’s Tires
During a long career in the tire biz, I’ve seen a few tires that simply didn’t look right. Once upon a time, a tire company rolled out a cantilevered sidewall that looked as strange to me as it must have appeared to would-be tire buyers. It didn’t sell. Neither did a one-ply bias tire billed
Adding It All Up: Brushing Up on Tire Math Basics Minimizes Customer Headaches
Given the thousands of options available, it has become more than a little difficult to keep up with tire math. Vehicle makers have presented dealers with the opportunity to stock more SKUs than ever before – and that trend continues. Take a look at aspect ratios, for example. The once dominant 75-series has given way
When Customers Complain: They Liked The Old Ones Better, But You Need to Know Why
We already know that despite the best efforts of every carmaker in the world, no two cars are the same. It’s the same with tiremakers and parts makers. This is not a finger-pointing expedition, it’s the truth. No two vehicles are identical. It’s impossible. Oh, and let’s not forget that no two drivers are the