Winter Tire Blues: Auto Advances Add Complexity to Winter Tire Servicing
The snowflake branded on the sidewall of a winter tire isn’t there for decoration. The designation means the tire addresses three winter driving concerns: traction, cornering and braking. “Put on a set of today’s winter tires, and driving in the winter becomes irrelevant.” That’s a direct quote from long-time tire test driver Bob Strange, who
Wheel Anatomy: Part II
Last month, we began a multi-part series on the concepting, design and production of today’s hot custom wheels with an inside look at cast one-piece aluminum wheels. This month, we’re going to touch on the newest forged one-piece wheels and then describe two-piece wheels. Forged wheels are literally forged in a press and made into
Wheel Anatomy: Part I
Arguably one of the most aesthetic components of any vehicle, wheels reflect the owner’s style, personality and, in many cases, the size of his or her bank account. But wheels encompass much more than just good looks. Looking beyond the final product all the way back to the beginning, we discover an idea or inspiration
Advergaming: The Future of High Performance Advertising?
High performance tire and wheel companies certainly know a thing or two about how to reach consumers. Specialty enthusiast magazines are stuffed with ads from these companies, and most have highly interactive Web sites – all designed to reach that red-hot 18-25-year-old market. But a new and highly popular form of brand and product promotion
Fast Track to Profits DOT Racing Tires
DOT racing tires, also known as R-compound tires, are hot on the track and off. They boast decent margins, and they practically sell themselves: Customers are educated, experienced and already know what they want. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy to be in the DOT race tire business. More than with any other tire product,
Wheel Dressings
We often look only at the final product, without giving much thought as to how wheels are made, how the finish is applied or what makes one type of wheel more or less expensive than another. But product knowledge will help you improve your sales when talking to your customer. This month continues a series
Bland to Brilliant: Wheel Plating
Have you ever wondered how a wheel gets chrome plated? You just “dip” a dull wheelinto a big vat of chrome, and it comes out shiny and new, right? Well, not really.On the contrary, there are vastly different chrome plating processes – a mixture of hard science and a little voodoo ®“ and each presents
Secrets of Winter Tires
Ordinarily used in the same sentence with cooking oils, canola has found a new niche at Nokian Tyre’s winter tire plant in Finland. That’s where the "low-sat-fat" oil is mixed into Nokian Hakkapeliitta winter tire tread compounds. "It increases the tear resistance of rubber and improves the tire’s grip in winter and wet conditions," says
Hot Winter Wheels
If you’re busy ordering winter tires right now, don’t forget about the wheels. It’s July. It’s hot. You’re about to melt, and it’s time to think about winter wheels? That’s right ®“ winter wheel season will be creeping upon us in a few months. So, why not talk about winter wheels now? Just like winter
Livin’ Large
em handy. Over time, you’ll learn most of the bolt patterns and offsets available for each vehicle. Let’s walk through a sale. Your customer has a 1999 Honda Accord with factory 15-inch wheels. This vehicle is a good example to use for this exercise for several reasons. First, it’s a very popular car for customizing.
Marketing Wheels
Over the last several months, you’ve learned a great deal about new products. That’s good, but if you don’t have the right product or, worse, too much of the wrong product, you can’t close a deal. Now, it’s time to develop your business and selling skills. In this first of a two-part segment, we’ll discuss
Tuning In: How a Pennsylvania Dealer Tapped into a Growing Market
You wouldn’t expect the northeast quadrant of Pennsylvania to be a high performance hotbed. Four-wheel drive pickups and SUVs would be more like it. But from Scranton and Wilkes-Barre south to Allentown and Harrisburg, the high performance market did grow, aided by the emerging tuner segment and the proliferation of high-end sports cars. Well-heeled customers