Tires Archives - Page 135 of 162 - Tire Review Magazine
While It’s Hot: With the Right Business Approach, Selling Nitrogen Can Pump Up Profits

For the past five or so years, suppliers of nitrogen-inflation equipment have made serious claims. Compared to moisture- and dirt-laden compressed air, nitrogen – a dry, inert gas – runs cooler, does not permeate through rubber as quickly and does not cause rust to develop on steel cords, expensive wheels or tire pressure monitoring sensors.

A New Ballgame: With Alignments Today, ‘To Spec’ Doesn’t Cut It Anymore

A proper alignment job is not necessarily an easy task, but if you have the right equipment and well-trained technicians who know the operational guidelines, it can be a walk in the park. The plan is to give your customers the longest tire life possible. But when it comes to delivering a customer-oriented alignment, are

Mighty Mites: Don’t Slack Off When it Comes to Tires for Small Commercial Trucks

Light duty trucks may well be the ultimate multi-purpose vehicles. Normally defined as trucks with GVW ratings up to 10,000 lbs., this breed of commercial vehicle can include trucks up into Class 3 and 4 offerings. Most of these trucks are designed primarily for personal use such as suburban utility, trailer towing and weekend home

Wrappin’ Up: Finishing One Big Toy and Finding Another Lift Option

Picking up where we left off last month, there is one more quick lift product that I want to cover and it’s name is, well, QuickLift. Newly developed by the team at Rancho Suspensions (gorancho.com), this product allows you to raise the nose of most popular 1/2-ton trucks from 1-inch to 2.5 inches. This will

A Record Revival

People always say that we live in a changing world. It seems, however, that the pace is accelerating, especially technology advances that impacts our industry. Sometimes the changes are revolutionary. Other times, evolutions of existing products or practices breathe new life into the already familiar. I thought of this analogy recently while reassembling my old

Tighter Squeeze: Low-Cost Options Add Pressure, But Private Branders Remain Strong

What do you do when all around you is chaos – a shrinking market, harsh price-based competition from overseas, lost domestic business and predictions of an early demise? U.S. private brands have seen this movie before, back when the first Japanese-produced tires hit these shores and again when South Korean tires made their way here.

Myth Busting?: OEM Engineer Dispels (and Adds Fuel to) TPMS Myths

Myths are fine if you’re teaching mythology. However, they are a pain in the bay for the automotive aftermarket, especially when dealing with new components like tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS). With every new technology, there are inherent learning, maintenance and problem-solving issues. Also, there are accompanying apprehensions and fears. Some concerns are valid; others

Turning Stock to Rock: Bolt-on Lift/Lower Kits Simplify Installation, Drive Big Profits

How many times have you worked on a vehicle that has a modified suspension, either lifted or lowered, and wondered if you could perform that kind of work in your shop? This issue will take you through the steps needed to lift a Nissan Titan and install a set of tires and wheels for a

State of Readiness: Lead Weights Clearly on the Outs, But Timetable is Hazy

Despite rumblings from various industry bodies, the wheel-weight world will eventually become lead free. It will happen, but when? Europe has banned all lead wheel weights, and so has Japan. In fact, every automobile being imported to the U.S. from those ports are totally lead free. To that list add General Motors, which has jumped

Raw (Materials) Deal: Strapped By Rising Costs, Tiremakers Look at Fresh Alternatives

The volatility of the world’s political climate, the unpredictable weather in North America and El NiÑo in the Pacific Ocean are having very expected outcomes in terms of the cost of raw materials for the tire industry. Oh yes, and then there’s China. The economy of the world’s most-populous country continues to grow faster than

No Boundaries?: Blurred Lines a Challenge, But Dealers Can Still Make Hay With Lawn & Garden Tires

It used to be a no-brainer: Specialized tires have specialized buyers. While that mantra still holds true in some tire segments, for lawn and garden tires, lines that were clearly observable in the past are starting to blur. Boundaries are fading, and the market is fast becoming more complex. And, we’re not just talking about

Speeding Away?: Technology, Practicality Moving Us Closer to Fewer Ratings

For too many years, we’ve been explaining to our customers why they need speed-rated tires. It’s the right choice, for example, if the vehicle came OE with a V-rated UHP radial. To make that rating, the tire must be able to run at sustained speeds of up to 149 mph. “But I don’t drive 149