vLane Blog

Articles Matching “tires”

• Old school Bentleys on the road

  Fred Cox on July 1, 2009

  It's not often you see a museum worthy car being driven at all, much less on the road where gawking drivers can run into them, but here are a couple of 80 year old Bentleys in all their glory.

  

  I was lucky enough to come across these on Vancouver Island last week. They had just returned from an adventure up the West Coast of Canada and Alaska with other Bentleys of various vintages. According to the event's website, one of these cars had 13 tire changes, so it wasn't easy going by any means.

  These were the days before almost any safety rules or equipment existed, so no bumpers, even. Active safety was the word of the day.

  Read full article | Comments (1) | Filed under safety, speed, Classic, Bentley, lifestyle, tires, windshield, rubber, rims, maintenance, Vintage Motorsports, brakes, shock absorber, exhaust, headlights, antique, sports sedan, performance, muscle car, Cash for Clunkers

• News: Goodyear working on new tires for Indianapolis

  AshleyW on June 12, 2009

  Goodyear goes back to the drawing board to design and test better tires for NASCAR.

  

  Goodyear racing tires

  Last year's NASCAR race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway proved to be a disaster, with the number of tires that were wearing down — and exploding — during the race.

  Goodyear has been testing and re-testing new designs that hopefully will last through an entire race, particularly the Allstate 400 that is taking place in July.

  A number of teams and drivers have been testing the new tires and the response so far has been that the tires are better, but they're not quite there yet. Heat and wear are important factors. Hopefully Goodyear can work out the kinks so that last year's disaster doesn't happen again.

  Read full article | Comments (0) | Filed under News, Technology, racing, Performance, tires, Goodyear

• Car care workshop part 6: Maintenance

  AshleyW on June 9, 2009

  This is the last part (1, 2, 3 4, and 5 here) to this informative workshop that I went to. I must say that the staff at this Speedy Auto Service have really set the bar for me in what I will look for in a mechanic and auto repair shop. Everyone was extremely welcoming and told all of us so much information that I know I will use.

  

  North American-made tires will have this stamp

  Most importantly, they emphasized and reminded us that as consumers it is our right to ask questions about any repair.

  I left that workshop with a wealth of information and I hope from what is written here, those who read this learn as much as I did. Thank you to the amazing staff: Marcella-Lynne Durant-Abraham, VP of operations, Carl Abraham, owner and operator, Abdul Sankar, mechanic, Vittorio Puzzo, mechanic, and Arman Abdollahian, apprentice, for providing women and men with the tools to understand the automotive repair environment.

  Here are some tips and helpful tools in car maintenance from Abraham.

  Read on…

  Read full article | Comments (0) | Filed under News, Advice , Safety, tires, rims, maintenance, Autoshop, women, women, Speedy, repair, exhaust, batteries, women, repair, headlights

• Evening bags made from recycled tires and hemp

  AshleyW on June 2, 2009

  For a night on the town, I like a small black bag because it usually goes with everything. I've discovered some ideal evening bags — but these ones happen to be made from recycled rubber.

  

  Vulcana clutch

  Vulcanabags is based in the U.S. and makes unique bags from recycled rubber. Found in landfills, this rubber is processed into large sheets that can end up as pretty much any style of bag. Their evening bag comes in a soft black or brown color with an inner zippered pocket, perfect for all my small accessories that won't fit. The price? Just over $70.

  Read on…

  Read full article | Comments (0) | Filed under Environment, Feature, lifestyle, tires, rubber, accessories, handbags, bag

• An expert's look at how to maintain your tires and rims

  AshleyW on May 15, 2009

  On a busy Friday morning I spent some time with Dave Wilson, owner of Second Time Around Tires in Toronto, Canada. He gave me expert advice on the best ways to maintain your rims and tires all year long.

  

  If you're got chrome rims, be sure to keep them clean.

  Steel wheels

  Wilson says your basic tire with a steel rim with or without a hubcap doesn't require a lot of maintenance. Checking your tire pressure is important and also looking for any signs of rust. This could happen depending on where you live. In Canada — or in the Northern U.S. states — with our famous snow storms, the combination of salt, dirt from the roads and oxygen can cause the tire to unseal itself from the rim starting a leak. Wilson also mentioned that corrosion can build up where the valve is located and depending on the weights that are used to balance a tire that can also affect a proper seal.

  Alloy wheels

  "Aluminum won't rust," Wilson said. "It will corrode but it won't rust." Tire rims are made of aluminum and steel most of the time. A method that is used at Second Time Around Tires to check for leaks is to submerge a tire in a basin of water. If there are any leaks air bubbles will rise to the surface. Although steel rusts faster it doesn't necessarily mean that you have a leak. Double check with your local tire shop just to be sure.

  "What happens sometimes is the valve core will become loose," said Wilson. That will also produce air bubbles... a little tightening is all it needs to stop the leak.

  Click through to read more about tire and rim maintenance.

  Read full article | Comments (0) | Filed under How-To, Advice , Interview, style, tires, uniroyal, Maintenance, rims, aluminum, steel

• What's cooler than self-sealing tires?

  AshleyW on May 5, 2009

  Technology has advanced many elements of cars, especially safety. When it comes to assisting drivers there are many different options that are built into cars to meet safety standards. But what about tires?

  

  The Continental ContiSeal tire

  They've come a long way: technology has advanced safety measures in tires so that they can be driven for longer periods of time — even do things like seal holes.

  It's true, self-sealing tires do exist. The way a self-sealing tire works is that there is an extra layer beneath the tread that is covered with sealant. Anything that is 0.20 in. (5 millimeters) or smaller that happens to puncture these tires will be automatically sealed. Once the object is removed from the tire, the tread will also seal. You many not notice anything at all — which is why drivers with these kinds of tires should monitor them in case they've picked up an object.

  Goodyear, Uniroyal and Continental are a few brands that feature tires with this technology.

  Read full article | Comments (0) | Filed under drivers, News, Technology, Safety, Volkswagen, tires, sealing, self-sealing, CC, uniroyal, continental, Goodyear