#tires
How to Improve Your Crossover/SUV's Efficiency with the Right Tires
Installing the right set of tires on yer car is just as – if not more – important than getting the right pair of shoes on your feet. Shoving on a set of dime store flip-flops in the wintertime all but guarantees a trip to the hospital after one falls face over apex upon encountering the year’s first icy patch. This is Exhibit A of why most drivers in the Snow Belt elect to mount winter rubber when the weather turns foul.
Robotic Tire Changing Business Goes Bust
A Detroit-based startup hoping to normalize robotic tire changes has filed for bankruptcy, perhaps offering hope to all the humans worried that they're about to be displaced by automation. RoboTire, which launched in 2019, had stated its intention to speed up vehicle maintenance for auto repair shops, fleet operators and dealerships. Now its status is Chapter 7.
QOTD: Is 2024 the Year All-Weather Tires Hit the Mainstream?
Wide swaths of the motoring public tend to dislike spending money on new tires, thinking them little more than rubber circles which are all the same. As gearheads, we know the difference of course, and often dive into the purchase with zealous amounts of comparison and opinion. If only we could transfer this enthusiasm to everyone.
Until now, the specter of all-weather tires has been somewhat nebulous. Purported to be a bridge between all-seasons and winters, they used to be derided by some as ‘good at everything but great at nothing.’ But tire tech has come a great distance in a short amount of time, particularly from brands like Nokian which plow cubic acres of dollars into their R&D departments.
TTAC Giveaway: Bridgestone Blizzak Winter Tires
Win a set of Bridgestone Blizzak winter tires!
It's time for a TTAC Giveaway! Once again, we're giving away some winter tires! You can snag a set by entering below.
Hyundai Motor Group Previews Integrated Snow Chain Tech
Hyundai Motor Group have introduced a novel snow chain that’s integrated directly into the tire. The design allows drivers to deploy the system at the push of a button, allowing drivers to sidestep some of the disadvantages associated with installing snow chains.
Nokian Creates EV Stamp of Approval for Tires
Those four black circles at each corner of yer car are technically the only parts of the machine that literally touch the pavement. All the modern safety or efficiency gear in the world is useless if an owner has cheaped out with off-brand rubber or simply runs the wrong set.
Those of us in the Snow Belt know this, explaining the rise of that three-peak mountain snowflake symbol that certifies the tire for winter duty. But the rise of electric vehicles comes with a new set of considerations – and Nokian thinks they have an answer.
Report: Michelin Airless Tires See Alleged Breakthrough
Airless tires are one of those concepts that have been around forever (we used to call them wagon wheels) but never seem to be able to achieve a technological breakthrough that would make them preferable to what’s already on the market. However, Michelin just managed to produce a set it says has been tested at 130 mph that it believes could be ideal for law-enforcement applications.
Video of the Week: When Tires Attack
It all started with a video I saw over the weekend in which a Kia Soul gets launched into outer space (not literally, don't @ me) by a surprise attack from a tire that decided it was ready to roam free.
J.D. Power: People Are Happier With Their Vehicle's OEM Tires
The tires that came on your car when it left the factory may or may not be from a big-name manufacturer, but in many cases, automakers equip custom-designed tires that look like off-the-shelf brands you can buy at the shop but are specially made to highlight the car’s strengths. J.D. Power’s 2023 U.S. Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study found that those efforts have paid off with an increase in overall satisfaction from 2022.
Nokian Expanding Tire Factory in Tennessee
Finnish company Nokian put down roots in the South a few years ago, opening a brand-new facility just northeast of Chattanooga back in 2019 where they currently employ about 350 locals. In a spurt of good news for the area, Nokian has announced they plan to bump that number to 475 by the end of this year.
Goodyear Recalls Tire Nobody Uses Anymore
Goodyear has agreed to recall more than 173,000 intended for commercial delivery vehicles and RVs nearly two decades after the last one was manufactured. The company’s G159 tires have been under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) since December of 2017 and the recall comes in the wake of years of lawsuits alleging the rubber contributed to a series of fatal accidents dating back to 1998.
Despite no new claims having launched in years, court orders and settlement agreements delayed an order to make corporate data pertaining to the tire-buying public for five full years. The NHTSA didn’t even launch a formal investigation until late in 2017, followed by the recent announcement that the agency has pushed Goodyear into a recall for a tire that ended production during the Bush administration.
Housekeeping: We Have a Winner!
We’re pleased to announce the winner of our Bridgestone Winter Tire Giveaway.
Studly Moves: Installing Studded Winter Tires for the First Time In 20 Years
People tend to have some pretty strong opinions in this neck of the woods, ranging from thoughts about this year’s crop of NHL rookies to unsolicited sentiments about how Uncle Walt really should have added a ledger board when he built that new deck last summer. Hey, at least the thing is still standing. For now.
While the works of us are largely united on the subject of winter tires – it’s broadly accepted that driving aids such as pedestrian detection and lane centering and even the basics like stability control aren’t of much use if those four fist-sized patches of rubber on each corner of the car have less traction than pork at a PETA picnic – there’s still plenty of debate over the usefulness of studded winter tires. One group swears by them while the other swears at them.
This author was in the latter group – right up to the moment I bolted a modern set of studded tires to my Cherokee Trailhawk. Turns out, a lot has changed in two decades.
Enter to Win A Set of Bridgestone Winter Tires
The snow is coming, at least for a good portion of the North American continent. This means that you might want to consider winter tires for your ride, in order to navigate snowy and icy conditions.
Problem is, a set of snowshoes for your car can be expensive.
Well, if you have a tight budget and a few minutes of time, we might be able to help.
Cooper Go Goes to Goodyear
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has announced that they are acquiring Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, strengthening their position in the market, and expanding the number of brands where the rubber meets the road.
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