Point of View: Same or Different?
This is the time of year when many tool manufacturers spend their weekends talking to an important segment of their business, the mobile tool distributors. I was walking one of the shows recently with a relative newcomer to the business. He lowered his voice and whispered to me, “Why do shop owners let more than
Hot Tips From Hot Rod Builders
Sometimes the best opportunities are cleverly hidden in plain view. As one example, when Chris Lafferty of Lafferty Engine Creations was asked why he opted to expand beyond race engines into the hot rod and muscle car arenas, he snorted, “Just look outside.” His North Carolina facility sits squarely in the middle of both NASCAR
Tire Tech Update: Front to Rear Size Differences Require Special Knowledge
Some of the top tire dealers I’ve encountered are those who elect to understand virtually everything they can about a tire, its performance level, its construction features, its overall diameter and its OE assigned position. This includes corner-by-corner knowledge, as well as being front-to-rear axle savvy. When we drive past a tire dealership that has a BMW, a Lamborghini, a Corvette and a Ford Cobra parked on the lot, we take notice ….
Tech Tip: Don’t Let TPWS Problems Leave You Flat
The Tire Pressure Warning System (TPWS) on certain 2004 and 2005 Lexus models won’t turn off even after a tire has been repaired. Once a repair is made, the system needs to be re-initialized. During initialization, the Tire Pressure Warning System, located within the ABS or Skid Control ECU, learns the tire sizes from rotational speeds and resonance frequencies. Once the system has initialized ….
Tech Feature: Keeping Up with TPMS Technology
We’re at 100% TPMS compliance now. Are we having fun yet? To keep customers in your shop, plan on investing in diagnostic scanners and software, not to mention a serious investment in personnel who have an aptitude for technology. Just this week, I had a friend who owns a local tire store call me regarding what to do about an ….
Management: Vehicle Maintenance Equals Increased Fuel Efficiency
With gas prices inching above the current national average of $3 a gallon for regular gasoline, the news of a vehicle that achieves 130-150 mpg would be music to anyone’s ears. Enter the highly fuel-efficient Loremo concept car. The German automaker plans to begin production of the car for European markets in 2009 and for the U.S. a year later ….
707 hp/520 kW and a Top Speed of 348 km/h: Ferrari F430 RACE from NOVITEC ROSSO
At the heart of the snow-white racer featuring triple-design black stripes lies the NOVITEC ROSSO twin-supercharger engine in its latest evolutionary stage – RACE. Up to now, the eight-cylinder, four-valve engine with a displacement of 4,308 ccm and mechanical NOVITEC ROSSO twin superchargers produced 656 hp/482 kW ….
Editor’s Notebook: No Brainer! Vehicle Maintenance = Increased Fuel Efficiency
With gas prices inching above the current national average of $3 a gallon for regular gasoline, the news of a vehicle that achieves 130-150 mpg would be music to anyone’s ears. Enter the highly fuel-efficient Loremo concept car. The German automaker plans to begin production of the car for European markets in 2009 (base model
News Update
MAHLE Clevite Celebrates First NASCAR Win With New Decal At 2008 Daytona 500 When Ryan Newman took the checkered flag at the 2008 Daytona 500, it was also a milestone event for MAHLE Clevite, Inc. It marked the first time the company’s new MAHLE white decal entered Victory Lane in NASCAR competition. The company announced
Tech Tip: TPMS Compliance Calls for New Products
The tire industry is now well into a new era. It may not rival the radial age, but the epoch already is memorable and some say forgettable. It’s the TPMS era. While most participants know that the groundwork was laid several years ago ….