Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Wheels and Tires

There is a huge selection of auto parts and car accessories that you can use to personalize your vehicle. We spend a lot of time in our vehicles, so it make sense to make it as comfortable and appealing as possible. The possibilities are almost endless, so where should you start?
It is always wise to look for the most value. I will affectionately define value as "a lot of bang for the buck." How can we get the most value out of customizing our vehicles? I like to start with the interior for several reasons. 1) You spend a lot of time in your car. 2) Interior accessories are typically less expensive than exterior accessories. 3) The results of some well chosen interior accessories can drastically improve your driving experience.
We can begin with some dash trim. There are lots of varieties out there, ranging from carbon fiber, wood grain, aluminum, and vinyl. Vinyl kits are relatively inexpensive, and can really complement the exterior of the car if you choose to match colors. You can also choose a vinyl dash kit that has a carbon fiber, aluminum or wood grain look to it for a fraction of the cost. This upgrade alone will create a new and exciting environment. These kits can be purchased for around $100.00.
Next, you can look at shift knobs and pedals. These are also a cool upgrade, and come in a variety of styles. Match these to your dash trim for an added appeal. Shift knobs can come lit with L.E.Ds for a really dramatic look. Pedals and shift knobs can both be found for less than $100.00 for both.
The next place we can turn is to the gauges. There are also some good options here, such as reverse white face gauges, digital gauges, and designer gauges. Keep the existing color scheme going and you will find yourself driving a new exotic version on your old car.
With all these in place, lets turn our attention to some aluminum floor mats. These floor mats can really add value to your vehicle by giving you a custom finish and protecting your existing carpet. Once these are installed, put a little neon underneath the dash to glow off of the floor mats. Match the neon colors to your dash trim and other accessories, and sit back and enjoy what will feel like a new ride!
The interior modifications are by far the most personally gratifying since we spend a lot of time in our cars. Dont overlook the appeal of a good set of wheels and tires though. Although they are expensive, they can also really transform your car. The results will give you a majestic modification.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Featured Wheels This Week:

Rennen - Spoke Chrome 18x8 Wheels / Rims and Tires Package



Package includes:
4 wheels with 4 tires
Balancing and Mounting
Lug Nuts
Hub Rings
4 Center CapsTire: Nankang NS II 245/45R18 100Y (other tires available as special order)General: The Spoke รข€“ Actually Sixteen Of Them
This is a staggered single cast rim with sixteen spokes of solid metal. This is both stronger as well as lighter than the standard cast metal rim. What that means is that it is lighter on the steering and by doing away with almost fifty percent of the weight it is lighter on the tires, literally.
The Spoke is one of the few custom wheels that make the vehicle look muscular and make the handling of the vehicle more efficient. They actually improve braking and steering due to the reduced weight of the rim.
Install the Spoke if you want to have a larger than original tire on your car or give the car the masculine look. If you desire the black finish spoke it will add class to your car and matches with the color of the tire or the chrome finish, which will offer the mirror effect due to the finely polished steel that can reflect light in all its majesty.
Rennen introduced the Spoke after years of research over all possible terrain. When most other manufacturers rims gave way and cracked under the pressure of testing the Spoke kept going. It is guaranteed to last the lifetime of the vehicle that it adorns.
The Wheels and Tires Package includes:
Balancing and Mounting
Lug Nuts
Hub Rings
4 Center Caps


Visit our online store for a full line of auto parts and accessories, or to pick out your Wheels and Tires!

Introducing the Rubber to the Road

Are you looking into a set of performance tires, and need some more info to make an informed decision? Here is a crash course on tires provided by our friends at www.howstuffworks.com.


Tire Type
The P designates that the tire is a passenger vehicle tire. Some other designations are LT for light truck, and T for temporary, or spare tires.
Tire Width
The 235 is the width of the tire in millimeters (mm), measured from sidewall to sidewall. Since this measure is affected by the width of the rim, the measurement is for the tire when it is on its intended rim size.
Aspect Ratio
This number tells you the height of the tire, from the bead to the top of the tread. This is described as a percentage of the tire width. In our example, the aspect ratio is 75, so the tire's height is 75 percent of its width, or 176.25 mm ( .75 x 235 = 176.25 mm, or 6.94 in). The smaller the aspect ratio, the wider the tire in relation to its height.
High performance tires usually have a lower aspect ratio than other tires. This is because tires with a lower aspect ratio provide better lateral stability. When a car goes around a turn lateral forces are generated and the tire must resist these forces. Tires with a lower profile have shorter, stiffer sidewalls so they resist cornering forces better.
Tire Construction
The R designates that the tire was made using radial construction. This is the most common type of tire construction. Older tires were made using diagonal bias (D) or bias belted (B) construction. A separate note indicates how many plies make up the sidewall of the tire and the tread.
Rim Diameter
This number specifies, in inches, the wheel rim diameter the tire is designed for.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Passenger car tires also have a grade on them as part of the uniform tire quality grading (UTQG) system. You can check the UTQG rating for your tires on this page maintained by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Your tire's UTQG rating tells you three things:
Tread Wear:
This number comes from testing the tire in controlled conditions on a government test track. The higher the number, the longer you can expect the tread to last. Since no one will drive his or her car on exactly the same surfaces and at the same speeds as the government test track, the number is not an accurate indicator of how long your tread will actually last. It's a good relative measure, however: You can expect a tire with a larger number to last longer than one with a smaller number.
Traction:
Tire traction is rated AA, A, B or C, with AA at the top of the scale. This rating is based on the tire's ability to stop a car on wet concrete and asphalt. It does not indicate the tire's cornering ability. According to this NHTSA page, the Firestone Wilderness AT and Radial ATX II tires that have been in the news have a traction rating of B. Temperature: The tire temperature ratings are A, B or C. The rating is a measure of how well the tire dissipates heat and how well it handles the buildup of heat. The temperature grade applies to a properly inflated tire that is not overloaded. Underinflation, overloading or excessive speed can lead to more heat buildup. Excessive heat buildup can cause tires to wear out faster, or could even lead to tire failure. According to this NHTSA page, the Firestone Wilderness AT and Radial ATX II tires have a temperature rating of C. Service DescriptionThe service description consists of two things:
Load Ratings:
The load rating is a number that correlates to the maximum rated load for that tire. A higher number indicates that the tire has a higher load capacity. The rating "105," for example, corresponds to a load capacity of 2039 pounds (924.87 kg). A separate note on the tire indicates the load rating at a given inflation pressure. Speed Rating: The letter that follows the load rating indicates the maximum speed allowable for this tire (as long as the weight is at or below the rated load). For instance, S indicates that the tire can handle speeds up to 112 mph (180.246 kph). See the chart on this page for all the ratings.
Calculating the Tire Diameter
Now that we know what these numbers mean, we can calculate the overall diameter of a tire. We multiply the tire width by the aspect ratio to get the height of the tire.
Tire height = 235 x 75 percent = 176.25 mm (6.94 in)Then we add twice the tire height to the rim diameter.
2 x 6.94 in + 15 inches = 28.9 in (733.8 mm) This is the unloaded diameter; as soon as any weight is put on the tire, the diameter will decrease.

Take a look at the tire coding below:

And here is the Speed Rating Chart
There are a lot of things to consider when upgrading your tires. We will be adding mor info on this in the upcoming posts, so in the mean time stay TUNED!

Check out our Wheels and Tires at Majestic Modifications.