Continental is a great company that manufacturers quality tires for almost every time of vehicle.  Their current tire offerings cover car, truck, suv, and commercial tires with a variety of differnet rubber compounds and styles.  Furthermore, as a company Continental is moving forward in these uncertain times, by completing a new acquisition as frequent as January 09.

On January 8, 2009 Continental completed their acquisition of Schaeffler KG.  The Schaeffler company manufacturers ball bearing components and has focused it's attention on commercial and heavy duty applications.  The Continental take over will most likely translate into Continental developing more products and technology focused on the service sector.  Point being, Continental Tires are not going away anytime soon and you can buy their tires knowing it's not a company that will be going the way of the DoDo anytime soon.

For this exclusive offer for a $75 Gift Card for TireRack.com please click on the banner below.

Original automotive content: Automotive Blog

$75 Tire Rack Gift Card

Truck Tire Ratings

The first difference between truck tires is the type of truck you intend on mounting them to.  A light truck, like a Ford Ranger, will have a different tire than say an SUV will.  Not to mention each OEM rim will require different sizes, but the composition of the tire will actually be different as well.

Codes help to determine what type of tire should be matched with what vehicle.  For example, a light truck tire will have an 'LT' imprinted into the tire code on the tire.  Along with denoting what type of tire classification a truck tire will also include a number code indicating the width of the tire, tread depth, construction type, and load range.  The load range is typically accompanied by PSI ratings, which change depending on how much weight is hauled.

Tires for Safety

Having the proper tires on the vehicle can make all the difference, safety wise, if evasive action is required.  Luckily, in the US, there are organizations that monitor and rate tires based on their recommended speed and use.  The DOT (Department of Transportation) and the NHTSA (National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration) are both companies that help regulate what kind of tires are allowed on public roads and what type of tire is recommended for your truck.

After selecting the proper truck tire it's also important to perform routine maintenance on your tires.  For example, having the recommended inflation pressure can keep the tire operating at it's peak performance level.  Furthermore, having the proper tread level on a used tire can insure that your truck maintains it's proper braking and steering functions.

To test if the tread on a tire is sufficient, place a US Penny upside down into the grove of the tread.  If part of Lincoln's head is below the grove level, then you are driving on sufficient tread for typical on road driving applications.  However, if all of Lincoln's head is exposed, then it's time to replace those truck tires.  Large grove treads, typical on off road truck tires, will typically wear down much faster during high way driving.  Keep an eye on your tread levels, especially if you live in an area prone to bad weather.

Tread Wear

Tread wear is the most important factor when deciding on a proper truck tire.  Buying a truck tire based on looks alone, without consideration for tread wear, could result in a very short life span for the tire.  However, there are ways to prevent premature tire wear on a truck or any vehicle.

Proper inflation will insure that the tire always has the maximum amount of tread on the road, to prevent uneven wearing.  Having a wheel alignment will also help keep even wear, as opposed to noticing lower tread on the outside or inside of the tire.  TKPH is a measurement used to gauge the work load of tires or also known as TMPH in the United States.  Making sure your tire has the proper TMPH measurement, matched to the work being done like hauling heavy loads, will insure that your tire wears as designed.

Conclusion

Remember, safety first when selecting a new truck tire.  Buying a tire based on it's meatiness or looks underneath your truck should be a small consideration when buying tires.  Safety for yourself and others on the road should rely on you making an informed decision, based on what type of vehicle you drive, where you will be driving, and if you will be hauling any heavy loads.

Original automotive content: Automotive Blog

Truck Tires, Making The Right Choice

Once you've been inspired, you may take a walk out to look at your Corvette and finalize your ideas. Have a Corvette rim that's a little scratched? Want to step up to nicer ones? A new Corvette Exhaust from a top name like Magnaflow or SLP might be on your list, too. But here's where things can get frustrating for the project-oriented guy (or gal) - because in the not-so-distant past, it was hard to find all your parts in one place. Happily, if you're already on CorvetteGuys, you don't even have to leave the site to get everything you need to complete your car - and best of all, it's all delivered to your door with free shipping. And while you're there, you might just find a few things to make your Corvette uniquely yours (and to add to your next project list, perhaps?)

Once your Corvette is ready for your next show, race, or club outing and prepared for its "wow!" reception, don't forget to finish off your polished look with some Corvette apparel for yourself, your family - or for the younger folk, your future pit crew. And regardless of whether you own or just love Corvettes, a t-shirt is the perfect way to highlight your admiration for this icon of American sportscars. CorvetteGuys has got everything you need to find inspiration, design your plan, and execute your project in one place, so make it your first stop for all your Corvette performance parts needs.

Original automotive content: Automotive Blog

Planning Makes Perfect With Your Corvette Project

Technology evolves, and so present cars are different from cars of the past.  Manufacturers have thought about how our driving experience can be made easier and more secure. It is time to review these myths.

The first, almost unknown, myth is that you have to change the oil and oil filter of your car every 3,000 miles. Oil change is surely still necessary. Cars don't run a closed system in regard to oil.  However, modern technology have twofold ways of saving oil. First, modern motor parts fit better nowadays as they did in the past, so they run smoothly (literally) with less oil. The second point is that modern electronic like the OLS (Oil Life System) controls the quality of your oil and informs your when it's time for oil change.

A second maintenance need of the past is nowadays no more necessary: no new car needs a yearly radiator flush nowadays. Cooling systems are a closed system and coolant fluid circulates without losses. Modern coolants are synthetic and designed for keeping their chemical qualities for a long long time. The only important point is using the specific coolant recommended by your manufactured. Only if your radiator is dripping or you see some loss of fluid level, you will have to take your automobile to the nearest repair shop. By the way, take specially care if your motor is overheating. The best way of destroying a motor without an accident is through a failure of the cooling system.

A third point of your car that has improved with technology are the wheels. Wheel alignments were common in the past, but in new vehicles it is only seldom necessary. Often only when you feel that your car is pulling to the left or to the right. Another different issue is the tire pressure. Tires should be kept inflated according to the recommendations of their manufactured.

Furthermore, check specifically your vehicle's manual to keep your car tuned, but save on unnecessary and sometimes expensive services.

Original automotive content: Automotive Blog

Common Car Care Misconceptions

Winter Tires

Winter is the harshest season for your vehicle and the most dangerous for you as a driver. Your car will be exposed to snow, ice, rain, slush, freezing temperatures, and road salt.  On top of that, many of us will be driving thousands of miles over the Christmas holidays under unpredictable road conditions.

For your security, the single most important item is to use winter tires, (aka snow tires). No matter how carefully you drive, not using winter tires on snow, ice, or slush will increase your chance of spending some time in the car repair shop or worse.

Winter tires not only guarantee that you will be able to brake securely, but also that your car won't loose grip accelerating or driving around corners.

All-season tires (those marked 'M+S' or 'M&S') are appropriate under most conditions. Just remember that these tires stiffen and loose grip under extremely low temperatures. If you have to drive under those conditions, remember to keep a longer security distance from the vehicle in front of you. However, if you are security minded, just change your summer tires before the first snow has fallen. They are clearly a little bit cheaper than having two sets of tires (for winter and for summer). However, I doubt that it represent a true saving. All-season tires wear more than normal summer tires and have less grip than normal winter tires. And in the case of an accident, the saving is definitely gone.

Some SUV drivers make the mistake of thinking that since they have large wheels with wide tires, they don't need winter tires. Actually, only tires explicitly marked as winter tires (or all-season) are suitable for snow and ice. Otherwise, no matter how aggressive the profile of your tire may be, you will have to mount new tires on your vehicle. Winter tires are not only different in their profile, but also on the rubber they are made from.

And last but not least, don't try to save a couple of bucks putting winter tires only on the traction wheels. Your car need the same kind of tires on all its wheels. If you mix tires with different attributes, your car may exhibit an unpredictable braking pattern, even if you have the most advances security features like ESP (Electronic stability control).

Original automotive content: Automotive Blog

Winter Tires: Don’t Lose Grip In Winter

Car Maintenance

Some of us drive to work each day. Then we come home and go shopping or go out for a night on the town. So that means we put on a lot of miles on our vehicles. Then there are others who work from home or just don't drive as much. When you put a lot of miles on your car you have to do maintenance more often.  Things like oil changes and replacing air filters is a common thing.

Some people who do not put a lot of miles on their cars think they can just skip almost all maintenance. This is far from the truth. Sure you won't have to change your oil as often but other parts on your car will still need to be maintained.

One thing you need to do is keep your tires inflated. Regardless of how much you drive your car your tires need to stay at the rated pressure. If you do not keep your tires at the rated pressure they can wear in the wrong places. Have you ever seen car tires that are wearing on the outer edges? This can be caused by more than just a bad front end alignment. It could also be because they have ran them either pumped up too hard or they are running them too soft. Keeping your car tires inflated properly also will give you the better fuel mileage. A flat tire can make you lose fuel economy.

You also need to check your tires for wear and tear. A tire may look good from far away but up close you may see signs it needs replacing. If I tire starts to get weather cracks in the sidewalls and in the tread badly then you need to replace it. It does not matter how much tread is left on the tire if they are either old are starting to look bad replace them for your own safety.

Another thing you need to keep up with is your battery. If you do not drive your car hardly any and it just sits there then you need to either keep a eye out on it once a month or you need to disconnect the terminals
from the battery so they cant corrode. Even when you use your car your battery can corrode and sometimes does. You can use a baking soda and water mix to help remove acid buildup on the battery posts. Just make it sorta thick but make it runny enough so you can poor it on the terminals. Then get a brush and brush off the acid.

The last thing you should check is the fluid levels in your vehicle. You need to check your oil and transmission fluid often. This can tell you if they are low and if your car has a leak or is using oil. If you just had your oil changed and a month later your oil is low then you need to have your car looked at.

Maintaining your car is important for your own safety and the safety of others on the road. If you keep your car maintained you can lengthen the life on your car by a long ways.  This maintenance becomes especially important if you plan on storing your car for the winter.

Original automotive content: Automotive Blog

Less Miles Does Not Mean Less Maintenance