Car tyre forensics seems like an odd concept. However, in many instances, a 'dead' tyre can give you as much information as a corpse in the hands of a police pathologist. Information? Yes, tell-tale signs that can tell you what caused the tyre's untimely demise. Such information is useful because in indicating possible faults, it can tell you what might require fixing to give your replacement car tyres or tyre the maximum possible life.
Let's start with the basics. The type of tyre wear pattern that's to be expected is straightforward, and is characterised by the tread's having been worn away to the extent that the tyres’ tread wear indicators are at or near level with the surface of the tread. So, the tyre has nearly finished its useful service life. Is this the end of the story? Not necessarily. The suspension geometry on some cars can mean that the tyres' treads don't necessarily wear completely evenly.
Other car tyre tread wear patterns tell a different tale. What must be borne in mind is that they don't necessarily tell it quickly – some wear conditions take a while to show that something is awry. For example, what does feathering on both outer edges of the tyre tread suggest? This pattern is the most likely indicator that the tyre has been consistently run at too low a pressure. Conversely, a strip worn around the centre of the tread indicates a tyre having been run at too high a pressure.
What about feathering on one edge of the car tyre tread? Should such wear be on the outer edge of the tyre, it suggests that the car's steering is misaligned, having too much toe-in. Similarly, feathering on the tread's inner edge indicates that there is too much toe-out. This kind of wear usually appears on both front tyres, as the steering will generally attempt to run straight and true. The fact that the steering tries to compensate for misalignment by effectively evening out the wear on each side of the car is no compensation in itself. However, it does advise you to have the wheel alignment checked before your new tyres suffer.
It's worth noting that feathering on one side of a car tyre tread occurring only on one side of the car indicates something other than misaligned wheels. In this instance, one-sided feathering is more suggestive of wear in the car's suspension joints, its springs and/or its wheel bearings. This pattern can also occur when the wheel's camber, its position in relation to the vertical plane, is incorrect. Camber change of this kind can be caused by wear in the aforementioned areas; damage to the suspension can cause the same problem.
'Cupping' is also a phenomenon that can show you something is amiss on your car. A tread with cupping (also called 'dipping' or 'scalloping') has patches of wear across its tread's surface. This can look almost like the tread surface has softened in places, or has been scooped away. Cupping indicates one of two problems or a combination of them. Wheels significantly out of balance can suffer cupping, as can car tyres under the control of worn shock absorbers. Cupping can affect rear tyres but it's more commonly seen on a car's front tyres.
As you can see, car tyre tread wear can be the result of maladjustment but wear and damage can give similar results. In the interests of your wallet, if not your life, pay attention to what your car tyres are telling you.
Article Resource
Merityre.co.uk are one of the leading UK independent suppliers of car tyres. Why not visit their website for an online tyre quote or contact your nearest fitting centre.
Thursday 9 February 2012
Star Cars. More Objects of Desire On Tyres
We may not view them for very long but movie star cars live on in our memories. Not all movies featuring memorable motors are car chases wrapped in sub-plots. That said, car tyres aren't just for these four-wheeled screen idols to sit on. Yes, rubber was burnt in many instances. The tyre-smoking heroes here have one thing in common – they're all from the 'States. So let's take a look across the pond at some US-born petrol-driven thespians.
The 1971 film 'Vanishing Point' is a classic car chase wrapped in celluloid. Starring Barry Newman and Cleavon Little (who went on to great things in 'Blazing Saddles'), Vanishing Point revolves around a fifteen-hour, transcontinental drive from Denver to San Francisco. The star car tyres doing the revolving in the film were fitted to a 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T, the suffix letters referring to 'road and track'. This 6.2-litre monster, driven by Erich Heuschele, developed the power of 375 gutsy, all-American horses. The car's F70x14 car tyres put the power onto the tarmac, with the aid of the Challenger's R/T package. Interestingly, the same model in the same colour popped up in Quentin Tarantino's 2007 movie 'Death Proof'. What's more, the Challenger's pedigree goes back in time. The black car driven by the baddies in 'Bullitt' was a 1968 Dodge Challenger 440 R/T.
More tyre-smoking Detroit iron finished in black starred in 1977's 'Smokey and the Bandit'. The motorised matinee idol here wasn't Burt Reynolds, it was a 1977 Pontiac Trans Am. This car's history can be traced – it stemmed from a General Motors Design show car created for GM design supremo Bill Mitchell. On this Trans Am, the car tyres were put under pressure in more than the literal sense. The car's 7.5 litre V8 motor became the last of the muscle car engines. Increasingly stringent emissions regulations in the US finally killed off these big V8 beasts in 1980. The stunt team on 'Smokey' pre-empted this, killing off, or at least damaging, all five film cars.
Now for something more unusual, though still in black paint. The next movie star was built using three Model T Ford bodies and a 133-inch hand made chassis. The Munsters Koach was created in 21 days in 1964, at a cost of $18,000; it took 500 hours to make its ornate steel scrollwork alone. Another big V8, by Ford this time, sent the power to the tyres via a four-speed manual gearbox, and the brass radiator and wings were hand formed. The Koach had ten Stromberg carburettors. On an eight cylinder engine? Not really. The visible carburettors were dummies, concealing two functioning four-barrel carbs.
In the Munsters, Grandpa, played by Al Lewis, became more than a little jealous of the Koach. So he acquired 'Drag-U-La'. This vehicle was notable for its spindly front tyres, mounted on Speedsport English buggy wire wheels. The V8 engine's 350 horsepower was transmitted to 11 inch-wide Firestone racing slick car tyres, mounted on specially made ten-inch deep Reynolds aluminum Rader drag wheels. Still more characteristic for a 'vampire', Drag-U-La's body shell was a coffin. The original Drag-U-La, one of four built, hangs from the ceiling in Planet Hollywood, Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Who was the talented creator of these last two oddities? The man responsible for putting a lot of tremendously memorable tinseltown tin on tyres. Yes, it was none other than Batmobile creator George Barris
Article Resource
Merityre.co.uk are one of the leading UK independent suppliers of car tyres. Why not visit their website for an online tyre quote or contact your nearest fitting centre.
The 1971 film 'Vanishing Point' is a classic car chase wrapped in celluloid. Starring Barry Newman and Cleavon Little (who went on to great things in 'Blazing Saddles'), Vanishing Point revolves around a fifteen-hour, transcontinental drive from Denver to San Francisco. The star car tyres doing the revolving in the film were fitted to a 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T, the suffix letters referring to 'road and track'. This 6.2-litre monster, driven by Erich Heuschele, developed the power of 375 gutsy, all-American horses. The car's F70x14 car tyres put the power onto the tarmac, with the aid of the Challenger's R/T package. Interestingly, the same model in the same colour popped up in Quentin Tarantino's 2007 movie 'Death Proof'. What's more, the Challenger's pedigree goes back in time. The black car driven by the baddies in 'Bullitt' was a 1968 Dodge Challenger 440 R/T.
More tyre-smoking Detroit iron finished in black starred in 1977's 'Smokey and the Bandit'. The motorised matinee idol here wasn't Burt Reynolds, it was a 1977 Pontiac Trans Am. This car's history can be traced – it stemmed from a General Motors Design show car created for GM design supremo Bill Mitchell. On this Trans Am, the car tyres were put under pressure in more than the literal sense. The car's 7.5 litre V8 motor became the last of the muscle car engines. Increasingly stringent emissions regulations in the US finally killed off these big V8 beasts in 1980. The stunt team on 'Smokey' pre-empted this, killing off, or at least damaging, all five film cars.
Now for something more unusual, though still in black paint. The next movie star was built using three Model T Ford bodies and a 133-inch hand made chassis. The Munsters Koach was created in 21 days in 1964, at a cost of $18,000; it took 500 hours to make its ornate steel scrollwork alone. Another big V8, by Ford this time, sent the power to the tyres via a four-speed manual gearbox, and the brass radiator and wings were hand formed. The Koach had ten Stromberg carburettors. On an eight cylinder engine? Not really. The visible carburettors were dummies, concealing two functioning four-barrel carbs.
In the Munsters, Grandpa, played by Al Lewis, became more than a little jealous of the Koach. So he acquired 'Drag-U-La'. This vehicle was notable for its spindly front tyres, mounted on Speedsport English buggy wire wheels. The V8 engine's 350 horsepower was transmitted to 11 inch-wide Firestone racing slick car tyres, mounted on specially made ten-inch deep Reynolds aluminum Rader drag wheels. Still more characteristic for a 'vampire', Drag-U-La's body shell was a coffin. The original Drag-U-La, one of four built, hangs from the ceiling in Planet Hollywood, Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Who was the talented creator of these last two oddities? The man responsible for putting a lot of tremendously memorable tinseltown tin on tyres. Yes, it was none other than Batmobile creator George Barris
Article Resource
Merityre.co.uk are one of the leading UK independent suppliers of car tyres. Why not visit their website for an online tyre quote or contact your nearest fitting centre.
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