The Real Cost of Cheap Brake Pads
When you look at brake pads these days, corners are being cut and products are being generalized to a highly diverse market. In this Tire Review Continental Tire Garage Studio video, we’ll tell you how to spot poor-quality brakes and what you can do about it. When we talk about brake pads, the “good enough”
Factors That Affect a Tire’s Rolling Resistance
In the last 30-some years, automakers and tire manufacturers have emphasized low rolling resistance as a key factor in fuel efficiency. So what is it and what goes into making a tire with good rolling resistance? Those answers and more coming up in this Tire Review Continental Tire Garage Studio video. Rolling resistance can be
The Trend of Growing Rim Diameters
Bigger is always better! This statement certainly seems to be holding up, especially in today’s automotive trends. With SUV and CUV sales in North America increasing over the last decade, customer needs for these vehicles include increasing tire and rim sizes. Whether it be for performance or aesthetics, larger tire rim diameters are all the
The Best Way to Deal With Tire Safety Recalls
You love your car. In my case, there’s nothing more invigorating than riding around the city with my windows down in my speedy yet sleek blacked-out 2015 Chevy Cruze. 1.4 liter, baby. Love that car! Do you know what I don’t love? Recalls on car parts or tires that hinder my ability to take Tom
CV Joint Replacement Tips
When front-wheel drive first became popular around the 1980s, I wasn’t even alive or thought of. However, constant-velocity or (CV) joints were thought into existence in the industry then, and have been connecting your vehicle’s transmission to its wheels since. Sometimes though, CV joints can fail or wear, usually caused by a torn, cracked, or
Servicing 4×4 Locking Hubs
A 4×4 locking hub is an automatic hub used on many 4×4 trucks to disengage the front wheels when four-wheel drive is not needed. But like, how does it work, and how do you service them if they end up going bad? Let’s go over how a 4×4 locking hub works, what the main problems
Keeping Up With Increasing Tire Sizes
Everything seems like it is getting bigger nowadays, right? I mean, our phones barely fit in our pockets. Things are getting bigger in the auto industry, too. Take, for example, the trend of increasing tire rim diameters- namely in the 18- to 22-in. rim-diameter range in recent years, which has seen double-digit growth since 2015.
The Opportunity of the Emerging CUV Tire Segment
According to the Specialty Equipment Market Association, aka SEMA, CUVs are the fastest-selling type of vehicle in the United States, accounting for 45% of passenger vehicles sold in 2021. They are also the most common type of vehicle on the road, accounting for almost one in four vehicles, according to the new “CUV Market Snapshot”
The Evolution of Battery Diagnostic Tools
When we talk about batteries, charging and starting system diagnostics, there are certain aspects of it that have always been the same due to fundamental electronic principles. However, in the realm of tools, everything has changed. Electronics, along with charging and starting system technology, has advanced so dramatically over the last 20 years, that you
Recommending the Right Mud-Terrain Tire
Imagine this: a customer walks into your dealership and tells you they want mud-terrain tires for their favorite off-roading vehicle. Before hearing anything else, do NOT just give them any ol’ mud-terrain tire. No, no. In this Tire Review Continental Tire Garage Studio video, we will discuss the importance of matching your customer with the
Rubber vs. Aluminum TPMS Valve Stems: Which Do You Choose?
Over the past several years, many vehicle manufacturers have started moving away from aluminum clamp-in valve stems and switching to rubber snap-in valve stems instead. We explain why and tips for servicing rubber snap-in valves, in this Tire Review Continental Tire Garage Studio video. Rubber snap-in TPMS valve stems offer some advantages over aluminum clamp-in
How to Fix a Steer-Pull Condition
One of the most annoying things that can happen when driving is when you notice your wheel alignment is off. A little drift to the right or left can be a sign that you need to fix something with your vehicle’s alignment. Let’s discuss what to look for and the steps to fix a steer-pull
