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...
Photo #1 - No Protection While curbs and debris on the road have never been considered a tire's friend, many of today's tires resist accidental damage by featuring thicker rubber molded at key locations on their sidewalls. This helps reduce damage to the tires and/or wheels when drivers...
Photo #1 - No Protection While curbs and debris on the road have never been considered a tire's friend, many of today's tires resist accidental damage by featuring thicker rubber molded at key locations on their sidewalls. This helps reduce damage to the tires and/or wheels when drivers...
Since tires play such an important role in establishing the personality of a vehicle, numerous vehicle manufacturers require their tire suppliers identify some or all of their Original Equipment (OE) tires with symbols or codes branded on the sidewalls that confirm the tire's original use. Some...
A flat tire can be one of a driver's most inconvenient circumstances. But is there a silver lining? Can the tire be repaired? The answer is yes, depending upon the type of damage and how quickly you realize your tire has a problem. After safely and carefully pulling off the roadway, locating...
Driving at high speeds certainly helps make a trip go faster; just ask any driver who has gone "flat out" on the German Autobahn. However, with the exception of events like the Silver State Classic's Open Road Rally or a driver's school on a racetrack, it's difficult to find a place that allows...
Tires are subjected to one of the harshest environments experienced by any consumer product. In addition to being stretched millions of times as they roll through their life, tires are exposed to acid rain, brake dust, harsh chemicals and direct sunlight, as well as summer's heat and winter's...
Significant changes in altitude affects tire pressures when traveling from one elevation to another. Fortunately, this influence is relatively small and can be easily accommodated. Atmospheric pressure is the force exerted on objects by the weight of the air molecules above them. While air...
The centerbore of a wheel is the machined opening on the back of the wheel that centers the wheel properly on the hub of a vehicle. This hole is machined to exactly match the hub so the wheels are precisely positioned as the lug hardware is torqued down. Keeping the wheel precisely centered on...
Special Trailer (ST)Trailer tires are developed specifically for use on travel trailers, pop-up campers, boat trailers and fifth wheel trailers. Designed to deliver on-highway service for towed trailers, ST-sized tires are not intended to be used on cars or light trucks. Find the perfect...
Electric vehicles are fast becoming the automotive reality. To combat global warming and reduce greenhouse gases, automakers have begun to prioritize electric vehicle design and production, increasing demand. In the future, a move to electric for new vehicle sales seems likely — and nearly...
KONIKONI article reprinted with permission. It's easy to think of a powerful engine to make a car fast, but ultimately the car is connected to the ground by the small contact patches of the tires. We must optimize tire grip through the cars suspension to go faster. When the car accelerates,...
For wheel designs that require special tire mounting attention. While size designations for tires (i.e., 245/40R18) and wheels (18x8) confirm matching (18-inch) bead seat diameters, measuring a wheel's overall diameter from the top edge of one flange to the other 180-degrees away will reveal...
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