January, 2003 Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Tire Review Magazine
East Beats West

As with so many fads, fashions and technologies, the Japanese – more precisely, the Japanese youth ®€“ are credited with starting the now-burgeoning sport compact tuner business. It started first on Left Coast with Japanese sport compact models, and moved slowly east. Across the continent, European sport compacts were the rides of choice as the East Coast tuner influence headed west.

Back Home Again

Back after a one-year hiatus, the World Tire Expo returns with a wide range of educational programs, special events and trade show opportunities. This will also be the first WTE under the Tire Industry Association.

Industry Report

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. received a one-month extension from its various banks to comply with loan agreement covenants that, among other things, would have forced the struggling tiremaker to make a $500 million contribution to its underfunded pension program. The extension was granted Mar. 5, two days before a temporary waiver was set to expire, and expires Apr. 4.

No Grand Plan: Keegan, Rich Say Goodyear Dealers Will Be The Key

No Grand Plan Keegan, Rich Say Goodyear Dealers Will Be The Key to Turnaround "Dealers are our most important customers. We don’t have any other customer more important that you. You are extremely important to us. If we haven’t said that recently, I’m here to say it. We love our dealers and we want you back."

Fun in The Sun

What’s wrong with heading to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in the middle of February? Absolutely nothing as far as Tire Centers Inc. (TCI) is concerned.TCI held its sixth Great Escape incentive trip, this time in the Mexican resort town Feb. 17-21. In total, 121 dealer couples were able to attend.

Industry Report

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. gained some breathing room from its short-term financial obligations by renegotiating loan agreements, but Wall Street analysts and the tire industry are keeping a close eye on Goodyear as it struggles to gain positive momentum.

Half a World Away

Like his American counterparts, Tire Town Komaoka store manager Yuji Asuke puts in long hours – 12 to 14 Monday through Saturday. But unlike many one-store American dealers, Asuke pulls in $1.3 million in annual sales with just himself and two other full-time employees.

The First Tiime

Hennessy Industries understands that customer comebacks are a part of business and that they happen every day. However, the equipment maker envisions a time when the need for a return trip is eliminated. And it says it has just the tools to help.

Got Air?

Got Milk? Pork – The Other White Meat. Beef – It’s What’s For Dinner. Ahh, The Power of Cheese. These all-too-familiar catch phrases have been seared into our memories because the Dukes of Dairy, Princes of Pork and Barons of Beef figured it out: There really is no "I" in "Team". Back in the All-About-Me

Torque and Re-torque

Torque and Re-torque Although we usually discuss tires and tire-related issues in this column, this month’s subject is the next closest thing – wheels. Specifically some important guidelines for remounting tire/wheel assemblies. What’s so different or difficult, you may ask, about the simple task of mounting a wheel on a medium or heavy-duty highway truck?

What’s Caster Got to Do With It?

What’s Caster Got to Do With It? Experts tell us that caster is the most difficult of the three major alignment angles to understand and that improper caster settings are less likely to be felt by drivers of today’s front-wheel-drive vehicles. Of course, then they say irregular tire wear cannot be directly attributable to caster,

Capitalizing on TPMS

Looking for ways to pump up winter tire and wheel sales? How about selling tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS)? There are several designs now on the market, or about to be introduced, that offer a tremendous opportunity for dealers to make a good profit. Whether you’re ready or not, you will have to be prepared