News

So…Many…Kinds…of Tires

posted on 10/19/2016 12:26:00 PM

Ever think about all the different vehicles that use rubber tires? Tractors, industrial equipment, everything else that rolls on rubber?Each specialized type of tire requires a specialized design for its specific purpose. Aircraft tires, for instance, have to be very robust and handle a great deal of weight and stress, but for only a short period of time. Aircraft tires are often filled with an inert gas such as nitrogen, for more stable inflation levels, and are designed with specialized fusibl...

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Make Sure Your Car's Ready For Winter!

posted on 10/19/2016 9:09:00 AM

You know that winter and bad weather are coming. Is your car ready? Here’s a quick checklist of things to get up to speed on:Motor oil: Motor oil has a tendency to thicken in cold weather, making it harder to circulate to upper engine parts at startup. If you haven’t ever used synthetic oil before, this might be a good time to start. The flow properties of synthetic oil are a lot more consistent, meaning it doesn’t thicken in sub-freezing temperatures or thin out when it’...

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Which Type of Tire Tread Do You Need?

posted on 9/1/2016 1:46:00 PM

There are so many tire designs on the road -- all-season, high performance, touring, light truck -- and even within a specific tire design, there may be several choices of tread patterns. What differentiates them, and what are the pros and cons of each tread design? -- Directional tread has a pattern of grooves and chevron shapes, all pointed in one direction. This design makes it easy to direct water away from the tire's contact patch and prevent hydroplaning in wet wea...

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No Spare Tire?

posted on 8/25/2016 9:16:00 AM

Believe it or not, many new vehicles come without a spare tire. Manufacturers have a few different reasons for that, including weight savings, space efficiency, and cost. When you're stuck by the side of the road, though, none of that really matters much, does it? Instead, these vehicles come equipped with an inflation kit and/or a can of sealant. Sealant is a gooey substance in an aerosol can that's designed to coat the inside of the tire due to centrifugal force o...

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Things To Look For When Buying a Used Car

posted on 8/25/2016 8:47:00 AM

Buying a used car is somewhat less of a crapshoot than it was at one time. You can get detailed information on a vehicle's history via the CARFAX report, and a technician can use onboard diagnostics to get a good picture of what's going on under the hood and what problems might be coming up. It's always a good idea to get a mechanic to look over any prospective purchase, but there are things you can get a look at yourself before you spend the money for a professional inspe...

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Tips On How To Keep Your Car Organized!

posted on 8/25/2016 8:22:00 AM

For some, the idea of an "organized car" is almost blasphemous, but having your vehicle set up so you can actually find things can be pretty nice. The bigger the vehicle -- minivans, SUVs -- and the more people they haul, the more disorganized they can get. Don't let your minivan turn into a rolling dumpster -- here are some great ideas for keeping it organized. -- While newer vehicles have come a long way in terms of driver and passenger ergonomics and an abundance of c...

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A Brief History of the Tire

posted on 8/25/2016 7:45:00 AM

The tire is such a commonplace item -- it's on every car, every truck, every bicycle, every aircraft. It's easy to not give the tire a second thought, but like every other technology, the tire has an interesting history of advances and failures. In the 19th century, carriages and wagons used steel strips for "tires" on their wheels, with the punishing sort of ride that you'd expect. In later years, they were shod with strips of natural rubber, which was an i...

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What's Leaking From My Car?

posted on 8/25/2016 7:26:00 AM

You go out to your car, start it up, pull out of your parking space and see a puddle of...something...where you were parked a moment ago. This is never a good feeling. What could it be? Fortunately, some automotive fluids are dyed different colors to make this a little easier to narrow down. Does it appear to be water? Were you recently running your A/C? Chances are that's just condensation from the A/C system, which drips out through a rubber tube and is perfectly norm...

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A/C Problems Demystified

posted on 7/19/2016 1:00:00 PM

Believe it or not, the A/C system in your vehicle is fairly simple in principle and design. Like your refrigerator, it operates on a cycle of compression and expansion of a gas, known as refrigerant. The compressor turns the gas into a liquid, and as the gas evaporates it provides cooling. Like your refrigerator, its main components are: Compressor Condenser Receiver/dryer Thermostatic expansion valve Evaporator Refrigerant Blower The good news is most automotive A/C syste...

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So You Get A Flat Tire...What Now?

posted on 7/14/2016 8:55:00 AM

Nobody ever looks forward to a flat tire, and nobody ever says "well, that was a really good time" after having one. You can at least minimize the damage to your tire and danger to yourself, though.Flats vs BlowoutsIf you get a blowout, you'll know about it right away. Sometimes the tire can fail dramatically, with a bang as loud as a shotgun going off. Other times, it might just be a loss of air and a sudden change in your car's handling, followed by vibration, noise and a pul...

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News

So…Many…Kinds…of Tires

Make Sure Your Car's Ready For Winter!

Which Type of Tire Tread Do You Need?

No Spare Tire?

Things To Look For When Buying a Used Car

Tips On How To Keep Your Car Organized!

A Brief History of the Tire

What's Leaking From My Car?

A/C Problems Demystified

So You Get A Flat Tire...What Now?

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