A Military Salute
With military equipment playing such a prominent role in world news recently, I thought it might be interesting to review the types of tires on military trucks and compare them to our more familiar over-the-road highway tires. First, both tire types perform the same basic functions of supporting loads, transferring driving and braking torques, generating
Watch That Load Capacity
We seem like such common sense people. "If the shoe fits, wear it," we say. "A penny saved is a penny earned," is another gem. Or how about this one: "No problem, I’ve got a pickup truck." To the great unwashed, common sense just went out the window. More than 80% of all pickup trucks
Mounting the Big Boys
Over the last several months, we’ve seen how the demand for ultra-large wheels has risen even higher. The 24-inchers have been out for a year now, and 26-inchers are on the horizon. We’ve covered the marketing potential of selling these monsters, so now it’s time to talk about the equipment necessary to handle them. We’ll
Telematics and Tires: Satellite and Chip Technologies Will Launch a Brave New World
What exactly does the term "telematics" mean? The term has been well used in recent years by commercial vehicle engineers and logistics planners in developing different truck components, data recording and retrieval systems, communications systems and other projects. And it is popping up more and more on the consumer vehicle side, with such services as
All the Angles
Right Equipment and Knowing What to Look for Cures Alignment Complaints Four-wheel alignments are commonplace in today’s service bays. Even light-duty, 4WD SUVs, such as Honda’s CR-V and Toyota’s RAV4, have independent rear suspensions with both camber and toe adjustments. Even solid, rear-axle vehicles require an alignment head on all four wheels. Without considering rear
It’s in the Hole!
Getting involved in the golf tire market can be easier than getting out of a bunker "Competitive golf is played mainly on a five-and-a-half-inch course, the space between your ears." – Bobby Jones Many believe Bobby Jones’s statement should be amended to include all forms of golf, not just competitive. Still others side with Mark
Sensing Alternatives
Remember the near-daily news stories about tire-related SUV accidents? And all the finger pointing that tried to pin the cause on the tires or vehicles or, in some cases, even driver error? Well, the dust has settled and the wheels (no pun intended) of the government fix-it-meisters have been turning. The TREAD Act was enacted
The Forgotten Valve Stem
The Forgotten Valve Stem If industry pundits are right, you can expect to see EPDM (ethylene propylene) snap-in valves give way to aluminum clamp-in valves in the near future. But they may make a comeback. Confusing isn’t it? Credit the expected change to the TREAD Act and its TPMS imperative to carmakers. By 2007, all
Balancing Acts
Balancing Acts You’ve just sold that $2,500 set of tires and wheels. Congratulations! Now you have to make sure that the assembly is pro-perly balanced, or you’ll be seeing that customer more often – and for the wrong reasons. Recently, I had an opportunity to sit in on a balancing clinic provided by Mike Kroll
The Open Road
The Open Road Even With Competition, Specialty Products, the Opportunities Are There Everyone likes their freedom. The freedom to go where they want, to do what they want, to enjoy themselves how they want is inherent in humans. One thing that has always been a symbol of freedom is the motorcycle. Motorcycles can take us
Retreading Smaller Tires
Retreading Smaller Tires The popularity of radial commercial light truck tires has increased dramatically in the last several years – especially in Classes 3-5. The most popular sizes have 16- to 19.5-inch wheel diameters and differ from their traditional light-duty or recreational service counterparts by having design features and materials commonly found in larger commercial
Balancing for Bucks
Balancing For Bucks So what if a line haul driver can’t feel the vibration? Taking a pass on balancing truck tires is a big mistake for fleets, for drivers and, ultimately, for dealers. Following the flow of technology is going to help your fleet customers. That’s the trend. If you save them money, they love