When you are making decisions about your car or motorcycle, one of the first things to choose is the correct tire for your driving conditions. While this decision is important year round, it is of extreme importance during the winter months when weather turns cold and snow and ice can be very common. Having the wrong tire in these situations can be a question of life and death. But thankfully choosing the right tire is not difficult, if you follow certain steps.
The first step in choosing the correct winter tire is to see what sort of tire, that is, what size and types of tires, your car’s manufacturer has recommended for your car. You can find this information in the owner’s manual that came with your car. Then head to your local tire dealer and purchase snow or mud tires appropriate to your car and have them installed. Tires like these, ones without metal studs manufactured into them, help your vehicle handle slick winter roads and can be used on public highways.
Posted in Vehicles | Also tagged alloy wheels, tires, wheels |
A popular joke in the 1960s at full service gas stations was “filler up with Ethel and change the air in my tires.” Today with the price of gasoline approaching $3.00 per gallon, why not replace the air in your tires. Not with air but with nitrogen. Filling your tires with nitrogen rather than air will improve gas mileage, help maintain correct tire pressure, keep tires 25% cooler, improve handling and performance and prolongs the life of your tires. NASCAR drivers use nitrogen in their tires for safety reasons, you can too.
Why should you stop putting air in your tires! Compressed air you find at tire shops, gas stations and the compressor you use at home have a high concentrations of water vapor. Compressing air concentrates the water in it and unless really efficient air dryers are used chances are there is water vapors in your tires. Water vapor absorbs and holds heat. This wet air plus heat can increase the pressure in your tires, causing highway blow outs, and is one of the reason you should check your tire pressure when they are cold.
Have you been shopping for a new 2007 GMC Yukon lately? GM focused on producing a full size SUV that would be powerful, more economical, more comfortable and have more safety features than before. The 2007 Yukon comes with many standard features and in several trim levels such as the SLE, SLT and Denali. Surely you looked at all the different interior and exterior options such as the cloth and leather seats, power lift-gate, XM radio, the Bose Surround Sound and the Gen IV Vortec V8. But as you were looking in and out, did you look down? Down at the custom looking wheels on the 2007 Yukon’s.
The Model QFT 17 inch bright aluminum wheel that comes standard on the SLE and is available on the SLT is not a bad looking wheel. The N88 17 inch polished aluminum wheel is standard on the SLT is even better. Yukon Denali and Yukon Denali XL wheels come in the 18 inch QF8 and a model P41 20 inch chrome wheel that looks very nice. However, we saved the best for last.
To quote the band War, “the lowrider is the one to meet”. For almost one hundred years, lowriders have been not only the one to see, but the one to meet. Stemming from an old Mexican ritual called paseo which made horses the utmost symbol of prestige, lowering stock cars to almost sidewalk level and customizing them dramatically has evolved into the same sort of symbol of status.
From Mexico to Los Angeles to Chicago to the rest of the world, the art of customizing a stock car into a lowrider has been an evolution. In the 1940’s lowriders only graced the streets on Sundays. As their popularity began to grow lowriders not only became more plentiful but they became the vehicle of choice for anyone who wanted attention and accolades and cruised the highways on a daily basis.
Posted in General | Tagged custom wheels |
Have you ever thought about a set of spinner rims for your vehicle? Sure you have and buying on line is the best way to go. Dare to drive something different, spinning car rims are one of the most popular car, truck and SUV accessories available. A spinning chrome rim is a step up from your normal custom aluminum alloy or chrome wheel and their flashy looks are very appealing.
Most spinning rims are spinner attachments mounted on custom wheels. But they will not work on just any custom wheels. Custom wheels that are designed with a negative offset or designed for rear wheel drive (RWD) vehicles can accept spinning rim attachments. Negative offset of a wheel means that the mounting surface of the wheel is positioned closer to the disk/drum, axle or behind the center line of the wheel and is commonly referred to as a deep dish wheel. This offset is common in older vehicles. Modern RWD custom wheels are deep enough so that the spinning rim attachment can ride inside the wheel. A negative offset custom wheel with a large rim lip of 1 to 2 inches is ideal for most spinning rim attachments.
American Racing has again introduced the classic vintage Vector SE Series 47 wheels. The Vector SE was originally introduced by American Racing on that very popular orange 1969 Dodge Charger, the General Lee. The General Lee was the star of the 1970s and 1980s hit TV series The Dukes of Hazzard.
The Dukes of Hazzard was about racing on the backs roads of Hazzard County, Georgia. In the early 1980’s the TV series was thrilling Saturday evening viewing. You just could not miss one single episode as the Duke Boys (Bo and Luke) tried to get away from, out fox and out jump the tricky and materialistic Boss Hog along with his child like henchman Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane as they run around Hazzard County in their souped-up orange Dodge Charger named, The General Lee.
When choosing a set of custom wheels for your car, truck or SUV remember these five points. (1) You can choose the manufacturer! (2) You can choose the style and/or model! (3) You can choose the finish! (4) You can choose where purchased! and (5) Let the experts choose the size of the custom wheel and tire, the backspacing, negative or positive offset, bolt circle diameter and centerbore.
Your supplier, whether they are local or on the Internet, has the expertise to make the right choice. They have access to manufacturers specifications either by computer programs or printed manuals. However, below are a few technical term and definitions you should be familiar with.
Tire care and safety is a simple and easy process. In fact the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) recommends that you make a habit of checking them every month. It only takes five minutes. Remember to check the spare too! It is also recommended that you check your tires before a long trip.
Maintaining the correct pressure is essential. In fact under inflation can result in the tire failing. Check your owner’s manual to make sure you know the correct pressure required by your tires. When you do check the pressure make sure the tires are cool. The pressure goes up as the tires get hot from driving. This will give you an incorrect reading. Do not over fill the tire either.
The best way to buy custom wheels and tires on line for your car, truck or SUV is to buy them as a package deal. Pick out a set of your favorite custom wheels and tires, then have your preferred on line merchants match them up perfectly. To encourage or persuade you to buy both custom wheels and tire from them, most on line suppliers will give a discount when buying both the tires and custom rims together.
If you live in “small town USA” chances are you won’t have any custom wheel street stores. Most larger cities may have one or two custom wheel stores but they may only carry a couple of wheel brands. However, major large cities such as Houston, Los Angeles and New York may have more choices. If you don’t live in one of these major large cities then shopping for custom wheels on the web is good judgment. On line merchants also make sure you don’t increase the weight of your wheel and tire combo by using plus sizing. This method improves handling capabilities by mounting tires that are wider and have a shorter sidewall on a larger diameter custom wheel.
Today’s car enthusiast personalizes his or her ride by installing an awesome set of rims and tires. It is not unheard of for the price of these custom add-ons to cost upwards of $1,500 dollars for EACH TIRE! It doesn’t take a math genius to see that times four, putting personalized wheels on your car can be a pricey investment and one that you will want to take care of.
When you take your car in for detailing, you should have already cleaned your tires, at least cursorily. You may find that washing your cars tires will become a common task. This is because they are so close to the asphalt, much closer than the car’s body itself, so they tend to get far dirtier, far grimier, and far faster. Tires suffer the brunt of the abuse that comes from driving, the scum that is caked on the road, dusts from brakes, and good old fashioned tar all combine and cake onto them.
Anywhere you seem to look nowadays, there are customized cars and trucks and those pieces of jewelry holding the tires in place are custom rims. Usually dipped in chrome, sometimes in gold. These flashy wheels are probably where “Bling, Bling” originated. With NBA all stars such as Maurice Taylor, Lindsey Hunters and of course Shaquille O’Neal spending thousands to customize the Lincoln Navigators and Cadillac Escalade SUV truck it only seems natural that their fans would follow in the tracks and they have.
The power of celebrities
Posted in General | Also tagged chrome rims |
Custom wheels can make a big difference in a car, truck or SUV. They offer improved handling and a beautiful appearance. Because of this, auto enthusiasts have been upgrading to custom wheels for years, replacing basic steel wheels and hubcaps on their vehicle to set them apart from others and to provide a smoother ride.
Most Custom wheel manufacturers offer chrome, aluminum and alloy wheels in their inventories. They also have been offering custom wheels in colors such as the very popular silver along with bronze, gun metal, gold, anthracite, white, black and gray.
Rally racing in the 1960s and 1970s was very popular and still is today. This type of racing is one of the most challenging and demanding form of motor sports in the world. It involves sports cars going real fast, battling the elements and other race cars. Combine the physical action of road racing with the glamour and excitement of international sports car racing and you have Rally racing. Because Rally race cars are also street legal they had a special appeal to race fans. Race Fans wanted their cars to look and perform just like Rally cars. So some auto manufacturers offered accessories such as Rally wheels to the consumer. The original Rally steel wheels usually had five distinct oval slots and came with different center caps and trim rings. They were made of heavier gauge steel, which makes them weigh more but also adds structural integrity.
American Racing makes a chrome wheel that sure looks like the old style Rally wheels used on the Camaro and Chevelle. These triple chrome plated steel alloy wheels come with a baby moon hub cap and will compliment white wall tires. This top of the line chrome wheels are offered in 14, 15 and 16 inch rims. Widths vary from 6 to 10 inches. You can also choose many different offsets, back spacing and bolt circle patterns for that just right fitment.
One of the largest full size pickups on the market today feature two wheels and tires on each side of the rear axle. These large trucks are referred to as a “dually” and were made for hauling and towing heavy loads. They are often equipped with large V8’s, V10’s or Diesel engines. In the past few years, diesel performance has become an enormously popular.
Typical accessories found on dually pick up trucks are grille guards, nerf bars, headache racks, bed rails, mud flaps and large custom wheels. Turn your Chevy, Ford or Dodge dually diesel into a beast with custom wheels from Alcoa. The same company that gave us Alcoa aluminum also make popular custom dually wheels.
This year is the 50th anniversary of American Racing Custom Wheels. American Racing vintage wheel collection consist of 27 different custom wheel designs. If you have ever been to the American Racing web site, then we are sure you noticed the distinctive vintage styling of their “Torq-Thrust” custom wheels.
American Racing’s Torq-Thrust Original Series 309 is a 1-piece painted/machined alloy custom rim that has been around for a long time. In 1956 this wheel started a trend with American hot rod and muscle car enthusiast. The original magnesium five spoke American Racing Torq-Thrust with its unique tapered curve form spoke design is considered by many to be the most famous custom wheel of all time and one that changed world of racing on the strip and the street.