February 24th, 2010
One fact that many people may not be aware of, is that airplane tires and race car tires are not filled with air. They are filled with nitrogen. This is fast becoming a common practice in passenger cars and commercial vehicles for a couple of reasons. One of the aspects of maintaining optimum gas mileage is the maintenance of the air pressure of car tires. Tires leak air, this is normal. It is best to check the air pressure once a month, as this will not only ensure that your car is getting the best gas mileage as possible. This is also a safety consideration, as over or under inflated car or truck tires will cause the vehicle to handle differently, less efficiently.
When nitrogen is used to fill car tires, this becomes less of an issue. Nitrogen does not leak from the tires as quickly as air leaks. Tires stay at their full capacity for longer stretches of time. This is a consideration of finances, as well as a consideration of many people and companies looking to move into a more “greener” way of life. Using less gas means wonderful things for the environment. Take into consideration studies of gas mileage in connection with air pressure. The Bridgestone Tire company conducted a study and found that in the countries of Europe, more than ninety three percent of the cars on the roads had under inflated tires. That is amazing to think that only one in ten cars was not wasting gas.
This should be such an easy problem to fix. Most analysts and researchers have concluded that this situation is similar in North America as well. And when you consider just how many cars are on the road each day in the United States alone, it becomes amazing. So, the proponents of nitrogen filled tires have a case, a very strong case. There are centers located in many cities where you can take your car to have the air in the tires replaced with nitrogen. Many of them use a system called PurigeN98. The cost to maintain the nitrogen in the tires is just about forty dollars a year, which may be more than spending a few quarters at the air pump, but the benefits to the environment far outweigh that cost.
Tags: when nitrogen is used to fill car tires
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February 22nd, 2010
One of the most respected companies in the tire industry is the Hankook Tire company. They have a history that spans more than sixty years, a history that has met with many success and new developments. They have over the years become one of the top tire manufacturers in the world. The company has always been open and ready to change and expand to meet the needs of the consumers. Branch offices and manufacturing plants for Hankook Tire are located in countries all over the world. While they have expanded their operations to include other products and equipment, their mission and focus has always been to produce the finest tires in the business.
This was the vision sixty years ago, and remains the vision today. Their focus on the technological advances of tire manufacturing have made the driving experience more comfortable, more intense and perhaps most importantly more safe. The company was founded in 1941, in Seoul, Korea. Within twenty years they were exporting their tires world wide. In 1974, they produced the first passenger car radial tire, and in another six years their exports increased to just about one hundred million dollars of revenue per year. As their foreign commerce and trade was expanding, they decided to open their first branch for Hankook Tire in the United States. This occurred in 1981.
They constructed a new design and research development center in Seoul, and soon added four more such centers in Germany, the United States, Japan and China. The goal of these centers was and is, to optimize the performance of their existing products and to develop new and innovative products. By 1991, they had become ranked as one of the top ten tire manufacturing companies in the world and just nine years later they were awarded the coveted honor that is given out by the Ford Motor Company, the Q1 Award. This award signifies that their products are of the highest quality in the industry. Today they remain to be one of the most respected companies in the business, and they continue to grow and produce the finest quality products and tires available.
Tags: Hankook tire
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February 21st, 2010
Building your own “hot rod” car is easier than it may seem. Many companies offer complete kits, all that you need to “do it yourself”. Building a hot rod, especially out of an older model car, can be a rewarding and an extremely fun experience. One of the easiest packages to understand and to work on yourself, is the Easy Ford. The older Ford pick-ups used the Model A chassis through the 1950’s. These are engines that are easy to understand, small, and easy to work on.
The first decision to make, is what kind of hot rod you want, what style and model. Once you have decided, it is time to find that frame. If the look of the car is not your concern, then any generic and inexpensive frame will do just fine. You then may need to modify the frame, taking off the mounts or brackets that are not necessary, but adding a new support frame to the interior for safety and sturdiness. When you begin to work on the undercarriage the first step will be to remove the original suspension system. This will also be necessary to do on the rear axle. Once this is finished you will be done to the bare frame of your soon to be “new” hot rod. Once this is done, you will want to sandblast that frame, making sure to clean it thoroughly as the new welding will not adhere to rust or to grease.
One of the ways to make certain that your new car will be level, is to buy a kit that has a rectangular or a square frame. Once this step is complete it is time to think about the engine and the new suspension. Decisions are sometimes based solely on how much money you have to spend. Once the suspension has been installed, check and double check that it is in alignment with the steering. Everything from the mounting of the engine and the transmission, and even the placement of the gas tank will be up to your discretion and to your own creative desires. Once your new hot rod is running, you will have many hours ahead, adding bits of chrome and personal touches that will end with a unique and one of a kind hot rod, built with your own two hands.
Tags: building your own hot rod
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February 19th, 2010
Vintage cars such as the Ford Model T, or the Model A, have what are called “clincher rim” tires. This makes changing a tire on one of these older vehicles much different from changing a tire on a more modern vehicle. A clincher tire is a bit similar to the tires of a bicycle and those that are used on many motorcycles. The wheels of an antique car are metal, a bit more delicate looking in design, than those on modern cars of today, with spokes that are again similar to those on a bicycle. A strip of rubber is placed around the outside of the wheel in order to protect the tire from the spokes. There are a few different ways to mount the tires onto the rim. One way is to use two tire irons simultaneously as fulcrums, and one would simply work their way around the rim, “wedging” the rubber tire tubes into place.
Another option is to employ the use of a twenty five gallon trash bag. The wheel is placed on a work table, and the bag is laid over the top of the wheel, covering the entire wheel completely, leaving an open space so that it is easy to line up the tiny hole in the rim of the wheel with the valve of the tire. The inner tube of the tire should be filled with air at this point and the tire should be ready to go. Start with the lining up of the valve, and once that is in place work your hands around the wheel, each going in the opposite direction as you work your way around the wheel, pressing down on the tire just a bit as you go.
The function of the plastic bag is that it creates a slippery surface which makes it easy to press the tire down and into the nook on the wheel. This should be able to be done without the need for of a tire iron. The use of a tire iron is a bit more time consuming and one runs the risk of chipping the paint off of the rim. Once the wheel is in place, it is necessary to remove the bag, and again one just works their way around the wheel, gently pulling on the bag a little bit at a time to separate it from between the wheel and the tire tube. If a small bit of the bag tears off and stays stuck between the tire and the wheel it will not be a problem. Once the bag is fully removed, the tire can be inflated to the proper air pressure and the wheel with the new tire is ready to be mounted onto the vehicle.
Tags: changing a tire
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February 18th, 2010
Just a few months ago, a fire broke out at a tire manufacturing plant in downtown Phoenix. Anyone who has seen the cloud of black smoke that this produces, or who has tried to just simply breath even miles away from a tire fire, knows instinctively that this is not good for the environment nor for the people living in close proximity. Well, it is not only environmentally unsound, it is also an illegal way for the disposal of used tires. Years ago, it was common practice for some, to even use old tire trackers as fuel for their wood burning stoves. Tire disposal and the recycling of tires is heavily regulated by the United States government, so it is beneficial to know the legal practices and methods for discarding old car and truck tires.
Some people have gotten creative over the years, making tire swings for the children out of their old tires. Many people will use them for flower planters, or for the borders of their driveways or their properties. How for some people, this just is not their style to have begonias growing out the middle of a truck tire, and many landfills will not accept these used tires, so what is the consumer to do?
One of the best and simplest ways to dispose of the old tires is to take them to the local tire retailer. Many of them have access to programs which ship the tires off to be retreaded. In other cases, the tires can be broken down and used for the pavement of roads, streets and parking lots. In the city of Chicago, many of the playgrounds in the grade schools, have a recycled tire “deck” underneath the playground equipment, which may seem strange but an extra added benefit to this is that should a child fall from a swing set or monkey bars, the tire deck actually provides a bit of cushion to their fall. As stated, just as one returns used oil to the mechanic, returning used tires to the tire shop is the easiest way to legally rid oneself of the tires without causing damage to the environment.
Tags: Tire disposal and the recycling of tires
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February 17th, 2010
There is a shelf life to car and truck tires. Even when a tire is not being used, the rubber will weaken and crack over time due to environmental conditions, and just simply the age of the rubber materials. Over the years, many have experienced the unpleasant situations that arise when a car tire blows unexpectedly, either on the highway traveling at high speeds, or out in the middle of no where while taking a trip.
Many tire experts have come forward to say, and one British tire company even issued warning statements to their consumers, that tires that are ten years old or more should be replaced, whatever the obvious wear and tear may appear to be, or not to be. And for tires that do not get regular use, such as spare tires, they should be replaced every six years, again regardless of the wear on the tread. In the past years, there have been lawsuits pursued in the United States alone, wherein in tire problems have caused major car collisions. One man stated that while he had not driven his antique vehicle for eleven years, and the tires had been new, he hit a small bump on the road and found himself and his car spinning down the street. He stated that the tires on his vehicle looked just fine, and appeared to be in perfect condition.
In the United States, the tire industry has even stepped up to say that it is more than just the shelf life that must be considered. For even if the date of manufacture is on the tire, the conditions in which that tire is stored will play a key role in just how well the materials will remain safe and viable. Many people too, they state, will get the wrong impression about the tires they are using on a day to day basis. For safety’s sake, the mileage should always be considered when considering the purchase of new tires. That, and the regular driving habits of the owner and the environmental conditions in which the tire is used on a daily basis. Tire maintenance is extremely important as it is one of the key safety features of one’s vehicle, and due attention must be paid to ensure that continued safety on the road.
Tags: There is a shelf life to car and truck tires
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February 16th, 2010
Dunlop Tires are well known throughout the world. The company is a partnership between two different companies, the Japanese company Sumitomo Rubber Industry owning twenty five percent, and the British company, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company owning seventy five percent. In the middle of the 1980’s, the British Tyre and Rubber Company, Ltd. took over theDunlop company, and now it is the Sumintomo location in Japan which makes and markets the brand of Dunlop tires. While Sumitomo did not gain control of the company, they did enter into an agreement to include the brand name of Dunlop into their own corporate name about eleven years ago in 1997.
The subsidiary in the United Kingdom changed their name at that time to Dunlop Tyres Ltd. In 1999, another joint venture occurred between the Goodyear Tire Company and Sumitomo, and while all tires that are manufactured in Japan carry the Dunlop name, it is the United Kingdom’s Goodyear Tyre Ltd, that still owns seventy five percent of the market shares for the tires distributed through Europe and North America. The UK company has manufacturing plants located all over the world, and when the Washington, USA plant closed just four years ago, all tire production in the United Kingdom ceased.
There is a plant still in Birmingham, however they are very specialized, focusing on vintage tires for motorcycles and cars as well as about thirty thousand of the racing tires that are manufactured and distributed all over the world each year. The plant in Birmingham has their own warehouse, and their own specialized shipment center, and now, located within the compounds of the plant are high end hotel accommodations, offices and residential living spaces. The company has remained ahead of the other companies over the years, through their commitment to quality products and their highly competitive sales team. They import and export their well known brand name tires in many countries of the world, and they will continue to find success in the future to come.
Tags: the Sumintomo location in Japan which makes and markets the brand of Dunlop tires
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February 15th, 2010
Toyo Tires are manufactured by a conglomerate of companies all over the world. These companies also distribute and market throughout North and South America, the Middle East, Asia and all over Europe. In the United States the brand is represented by the Toyo Tire United States of America Corporation. They are responsible for selling and marketing the tires for the American car companies and for the American consumers.
Toyo Tire Holdings is the parent company, and it is this division that handles the manufacturing, the distribution and the sales of replacement tires, also for the American Consumers, as well as for a number of commercial companies and vehicles. On many cars today, the Toyo Tire is standard equipment on new vehicles, most notable for the Toyota cars of 2010. While the company has been operating in the United States for forty years, the beginnings of Toyo Tires was in the years just after World War Two. The first office and manufacturing plant was in Japan. Rikimatsu Tohimhisa founded the company in 1945, and the original name for the company at that time was Toyo Tire and Rubber Company.
It was not until the middle of the 1960’s that a plant was opened in the United States, and when that plant opened in California, the company became the first Japanese company to be partnered with a subsidiary in the United States. For many years, the California plant served only the commercial market, but ten years later they began manufacturing replacement tires and equipment as well. Their brand became a widely recognizable brand in the United States during the 1980’s. Throughout the years, the company has remained dedicated to advancing the technology of the manufacturing of tires, and have been the leaders in the testing of new materials and creating tires that are perfect for all vehicles, in all kinds of weather and driving environments. This will ensure that just as in the past, the future generations of car and truck drivers will always have access to quality tires for their vehicles.
Tags: Toyo tires are manufactured
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January 31st, 2010
A lot of men here in the United States have made it quite a hobby to refurbish old cars or maybe even build one from scratch like Tim the Tool man. To do so, you will probably need more than a few custom parts. Extreme hobbyists are not the only ones who keep the custom parts industry running. When you spend a lot of money on a new vehicle it is not unusual to want to add some custom parts. If you buy a powerful Chevy pickup, you may get it lifted or at least get larger wheels; which often requires some one-of-a-kind parts. While all of the custom parts are important, nothing gets it going like custom wheels.
Before deciding what wheels are right for your custom vehicle, it is ideal to get all the lifting and adjusting done first. Once that is complete you can move on to custom rims and tires. Many companies make custom tires; B.F Goodrich, Michelin, Goodyear, Bridgestone, and Kumho just to name a few.
The important thing with any tire purchase, custom or otherwise, is ensuring you get the right size and that it will work on your vehicle. Your mechanic or dealership can often offer suggestions on what works best for your vehicle.
Choosing a manufacture for your custom set of wheels depends a lot on the different tires that they offer. If your vehicle is for show purposes or just driving around town, you might consider some custom antique tires by Michelin. They add a lot of style and class, especially to older vehicles, in a way that modern tires can’t. If traversing undiscovered spaces is more your style consider some custom off-roading tires by B.F. Goodrich. They will get you off the roads into the mud and dirt in no time.
Custom wheels may just seem like another part of the vehicle that needs to purchased, but don’t underestimate the power of a good set of tires to keep you on the road.
Tags: custom wheels, off-roading, Tim the Tool man
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January 30th, 2010
Tires are an every day part of our driving experience. They are what keep us driving smoothly down the road and provide traction at those particularly dangerous times. Even though we realize their important place in our daily lives and rely on them for our safety, when they wear out we would rather ignore it and hope everything will be okay. Tires are high on the list of most expensive car parts and even though they typically only need replacing every 70,000 miles or so they are not always something that we budget for. To make the tire buying experience a little less painful there are a few things that you can do, if your willing to plan ahead that is.
Knowing the type and size of tire you need is important before you begin looking for new tires. By knowing exactly what you are looking for you will be better informed and better equipped to compare rates. For many it is enough to replace your existing tires with more of the same. If you are getting ready for a seasonal change or perhaps you were unhappy with your last set of tires, you may need to get something else.
A lot of your research for right type and price of tires can be done online. You can research different brands, read reviews by other users, and compare prices. There are many online tire centers that offer more affordable prices on the same tires you would pay twice as much for in store. If you are like me, I like to be able to see and touch different products before I buy them, and then buy them for much less online. Stores are good for being able to see the product while online offers you the great deals.
The best way to find a good deal on new tires is buying shopping around, comparing prices, and looking online.
Tags: great deals, new tires, traction
Posted in Purchasing Tires | No Comments »
