A tire's most important job is to carry the load required of it, and the load range/ply rating branded on the tire's sidewall indicates how much load the tire is designed to carry (at a specific pressure). Whenever changing tire sizes or from one tire type to another, it's important to ensure...
Why do we change our tires and wheels? Aside from necessity, most of us do it for performance, comfort and style. But to be sure our tires are performing properly and that we're rolling comfortably and in style, we'll need to correctly install our new tires and wheels. Here's a few tips from us...
Proper wheel installation requires the wheel-attaching hardware (lug nuts or bolts) be tightened to the recommended torque specification for the vehicle make, model and year. Torque specifications are usually found in the vehicle's owner's manual.* Proper torque requires using the correct...
Tire Rack is the North American distributor for O.Z. Racing wheels. This partnership includes O.Z.'s prestigious, custom three-piece wheel program. O.Z.'s custom program allows Tire Rack to maximize wheel fitment without the limitations associated with one-piece wheels. Tire Rack's fitment...
If you ever visit an auto museum, you'll see most antique cars were equipped with two or more spare tires. Fortunately today's roads and improved tire durability have reduced that necessity, allowing our vehicles to be equipped with a single spare or none at all! While some of today's vehicles...
Each individual state has established waste tire management funds to address issues related to discarded tires. Examples include tire disposal, remediation of illegally dumped tires, recycling, and consumer education. Tire Rack collects these state fees when selling tires to consumers as...
KONI Sport and Special Active During a typical mile of travel down the road, the damper will move in (compression) and out (rebound) millions of times. Break that mile into one second of travel, and the number of times the damper moves (stroke) defines the operating frequency (Hertz, Hz)....
Nothing Lasts Forever... and Tires Are No Exception Tires are manufactured by bonding rubber to fabric plies and steel cords. Despite the anti-aging ingredients mixed into the rubber compounds, there is a realization that tires are perishable, as well as a growing awareness that some tires...
As a general rule, tires should not be mixed on any vehicle unless specified as acceptable by the tire or vehicle manufacturer. Drivers should avoid mixing tires with different tread patterns, internal constructions or sizes, and use identical tires on all of their vehicle's wheel positions in...
Parabolic Reflector The parabolic reflector with its highly reflective "silvered" surface is featured in many of today's lights. Parabolic reflectors have been used in automotive lighting systems almost since the introduction of the automobile, and have been refined during the last 90 years....
Unfortunately humans do not always see well enough. Yet our need to see doesn't end when the sun goes down! The risk of having an accident at night is about twice as high as during the day despite the fact that there is less traffic on the road. While the lights of modern vehicles are typically...
Auxiliary driving and fog lights are intended for use solely as auxiliary lighting. They are not intended to be used for headlight purposes, nor are they certified for headlight usage. Auxiliary lights are designed to improve visibility during night time driving and inclement weather....
Halogen Light Bulbs Halogen bulbs are the most common type of headlight bulb in today's automobile industry. Halogen bulbs contain a gas mixture that includes halogen compounds that help some of the tungsten particles return to the filament as it cools. Thanks to this process, the light output...
Proper auxiliary light aiming is the most important part of an installation. If the lights are not properly aimed they will not achieve optimum performance and they can be very dangerous. The danger comes from the beam pattern being aimed right into oncoming traffic thus blinding the oncoming...
Since "experience is the best teacher," the Tire Rack team drives on as many of the tires we offer as possible. This testing allows us to better understand a tire's ride and noise qualities on the road, and its performance capabilities on the track. And even though Mother Nature is very...
Need help choosing the right products for your vehicle? Our US-based team of highly trained experts has the knowledge and passion to help. Just pick up the phone and give us a ring. Or let's chat via email. We love solving problems and lending a hand (or an ear).
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