Performance Plus Tire presents the first annual cruise night and BBQ held at Performance Plus Tire in Long Beach, May 15, 2009. This was a car show/BBQ with music, dancing, and prizes to raise money for local charities!

Many people have a bit of fear when setting out to buy new tires.  This is justified, as many people are not really sure of just what they should be looking for in a tire.  And they may not know which tire is the best for their needs, for their own personal driving habits or for the weather that they will be spending the most time driving in. Tires are one of the most important features on a car with regards to safety, so it is important to read up and to know what you will be getting, which re [...more]

Most truck and auto tires these days are made of rubber and steel.  They start out as a loop, called a bead, that is constructed with a rubber coated cable made from steel.  This is the inner armature that gives the tire the necessary strength to stay firmly affixed to the rim of the wheel.  This inner skeleton also allows the tire to withstand the impact of the machines which mount the tires to the rims. The body of the tire is then constructed by applying layers of various fabrics, the most c [...more]

This week, according to an article from the Associated Press, a Chinese trade official said the complaint from the United States about Chinese tire exports is protectionism and could harm relations between the United States and China. “The government of President Barack Obama is deciding what action to take after the U.S. International Trade Commission ruled in June that increased imports of Chinese tires were harming American tire producers.” The back story on this is that United States tire [...more]

According to a news article in the Beaverton Valley Times out of Oregon, Portland has decided to reroof a historic building using recycled rubber shingles, as part of a Conservation effort. The recycled rubber tire shingles do cost more money; however, they last up to fifty years. About ten percent of the tires thrown out each year get recycled, and this is just another way they are being recycled these days.  The price for this type of roof is usually $25,000 to $28,000, but can last upwards o [...more]

NASA will begin testing the Goodyear Tire Company’s airless tire. The tire was designed for lunar explorations and could be part of a next mission to the moon.  This is information according to the Associated Press, by way of the Dallas Morning News. The partnership between Goodyear Tire Company and NASA was announced in 2007. The company has been working with NASA at the Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio since about 2007. The article states this: “The Akron-based tire maker said Monday [...more]

A tire retread is when you do not replace the entire tire on a vehicle and instead just replace the tread, hence retreading. This method is used on everything from school buses to emergency response vehicles. It is a viable option to simply replacing your tires outright. An article from amoz.com states this: “Retreads are also used by thousands of owner/operators, small package delivery services such as FED EX, UPS and the U.S. Postal Service. There is even a U.S. Federal Executive Order (1314 [...more]

Surely you have seen a playground with a shredded tire surface. It makes sense because it seems like wouldn’t it be better to bounce of the surface if you fall instead of smacking your knees on the pavement? But according to a Chicago Tribune blog some parents are beginning to worry if the surface is safe. There is little data surrounding the fact if the tire surfaces are really safe to children if they are continually exposed to it. There has been worry from the United States Environmental Pro [...more]

According to a news article from Reuters, the Goodyear tire company posted a loss for the quarter, but did much better than the industry thought it would.  Their loss was much smaller than analysts had predicted according to the article. The loss equated to this, from the article by David Bailey: “The net loss amounted to $221 million, or 92 cents per share, for the second quarter, compared with a profit of $75 million, or 31 cents per share, a year earlier.” The tire companies have been feel [...more]

According to an article from Gizmag.com, science researchers at the Oregon State University are proposing to make tires out of wood. The article states: "They aren’t suggesting constructing the tires solely from wood, but replacing silica with microcrystalline cellulose derived from plant fiber as reinforcing filler in the manufacture of rubber tires. The result could be a tire that would cost less, perform better and save on fuel and energy." For the study, the researchers replaced [...more]

Going green is not a new concept. But going green in your car can be a little more difficult. If you don’t drive a hybrid what can you do to reduce the environmental impact that your car makes? One of the easiest things you can do is buy new tires. Sure more fuel efficient, eco-friendly tires are not going to be the cheapest in the store, but in the long run they help the environment and your wallet because you will not need to fill up as often. The tires that are coming out now made of things l [...more]

Tire rotation is an important part of making sure that your tires are performing their best. If you rotate your tires at the times you should it can help preserve balance and handling. It can also prolong the life of your tires and have performance advantages. Tires should be rotated anywhere from every 3,000 to 5,000 miles to ensure that tire warranties stay in effect and to keep your tires in top shape. You could keep yourself on schedule by having your tires rotated every time you have the o [...more]

Knowing when you have to replace your tires is a crucial part of maintaining a vehicle and the safety of your vehicle.  A key first part to making sure your tires have the longest life they can possibly have is to maintain proper tire pressure and keep up with tire maintenance. Rotating your tires about every 3,000 miles and checking tire pressure once a month will help make sure you get the life out of your tires that you deserve. The first thing you need to know is how to recognize when i [...more]

According to an article from tirebusiness.com, the U.S. international Trade Commission has recommended imposing duties on Chinese passenger and light truck tire imports over the next three years. Now it’s time for President Barack Obama to decide if he agrees with the U.S. International Trade Commission or if action needs to be taken. The article states: “In fact, two of the ITC commissioners indicated they would recommend to the president that no trade restrictions be levied against Chinese t [...more]

Summer is always a time when you need to take caution. You need to be careful of taking care of not only your body in the heat, but also your car and your tires. Just like you take care to drink extra water during the summer, you also need to keep you tires running to the best of their ability as well. Tires can fail when heat and temperatures are excessive and high. The heat along with having under inflated tires, which creates friction combined, could equal disaster on the road this summer. Al [...more]

According to an article from USAToday.com, the government is going to try and impose a label on tires that shows how fuel efficient they will be. The government believes that if consumers know how fuel efficient their tires are, they would be more prone to pick ones that have better gas mileage in the long run. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Americans use about 135 billion gallons of gasoline each year. And these warnings could help reduce that by at least 2 percent. The a [...more]

According to an article from June 22, 2009 on recyclingtoday.com Liberty Tire Company, which is one of the largest tire recycling companies in the entire country, has bought the Texas based company Able Tire Co. According to the article, the deal will merge the scrap tire market in Texas and Oklahoma. Able tire has been in business for about sixteen years and they do one of three things with their scrap tires: resold them, use them as fuel or use them as fill. Liberty tire will gain this from [...more]

With the Fourth of July just around the corner, road trip season is in the air. That’s why it’s very important to check your tire pressure. According to an article from eponline.com making sure your tire pressure is correct can save you money because your gas mileage will be more effective and better. The Auto Club and Rubber Manufacturer’s Association have put “Be Tire Smart” brochures at AAA offices around the country. AAA statistics say that they respond to over 144,000 calls related to tir [...more]

According to an article out June 15, 2009 from USA Today tire makers are doing their best to respond to the new influx of hybrid and electric vehicles. Now that more companies are looking into alternative ways to power cars, the tire industry is looking how to improve tires. “Tire makers are now trying to come up with the best technologies to go with other automotive features that squeeze every drop out of a gallon of gas. Both Michelin and Goodyear are touting their latest creations aimed at s [...more]

According to Modern Tire Dealer, the state of California is looking to figure out just how energy efficient those energy efficient tires are. California is taking its stab at tires with new legislation that proposes a fuel efficient tire program. A draft of the proposal was brought before the California Energy Commission on June 10th. “The commission is looking at a rating system for the rolling resistance of passenger and light truck tires sold or available for sale in California.” According t [...more]

According to an article from the Eastern Oregonian newspaper, a Portland based company has proposed using waste tires and cow manure to make methane. The company wants to do this on a dairy farm called Threemile Canyon Farms, near Boardman, Oregon. The company, Northwest Biogas, is currently looking to get a permit from the Oregon Department of Environmental  Quality in order to store the waste tires. The company is seeking to use at least 40,000 waste tires. Northwest Biogas wants to use the [...more]

According to an article from motorage.com, it’s that time of year again, for the Rubber Manufacturer’s Association’s National Tire Safety Week. Many major tire companies are very active in the association’s events including National Tire Safety Week. Some are Goodyear, Michelin and Pirelli. The National Tire Safety Week is now in its eighth year. And this year their campaign slogan is “Be Tire Smart, play your PART.”  The campaign is designed to help drivers do the simple maintenance that is n [...more]

According to an article on Bloomberg.com, Democrats along with Senator Arlen Specter backed a limit on Chinese Tire imports as a means for President Barack Obama to change United States trade policy. There was a hearing at the United States International Trade Commission on June 2, 2009, that had lawmakers predicting that the President would set aside $1.7 billion in automobile tires from China. Here is this quote from the article: “‘It is my hope that the Obama administration will go in a ne [...more]

An article from UPI.com reveals that several environmental groups have asked the Environmental Protection Agency to outlaw the use of lead tire weights. By banning the lead tire weights, the group says, will prevent future problems that they could cause with wildlife and children. The group and United States scientists sent the Environmental Protection Agency a petition asking it to add lead tire weights to the government’s lead-based products that are banned. Other products that are banned by [...more]