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Cooper Tires has been confirmed as the sole supplier of rubber for Western Power Distribution’s fleet of Ford Ranger 4×4 vehicles. The fleet of 80 vehicles will be fitted with Cooper Discoverer ST tyres, helping WPD to service its 2.5 million customers in South West England and Wales. The contract is Cooper’s first with a major UK utility company.
The UK’s first independent magazine run-flat tyre test has named the Bridgestone Turanza ER300 RFT as “Best Buy 2006.” The extremely close results placed Continental’s PremiumContact SSR second, with Michelin’s Primacy HP ZP third overall. All three tyres were V-rated 205/55 R16 sidewall reinforced style run-flats. The test car was a BMW 320i. Auto Express carried out the assessment as part of its annual tyre test, with experts assessing some of the biggest names in run-flats in a variety of disciplines including wet handling, rolling resistance, and dry handling.
Naming the ER300 RFT as its “Best Buy 2006,” Auto Express said the tyre was “the best performer in the wet and matched its rivals elsewhere”. The tyre finished top in half of the 10 tests, beating the Continental and Michelin run-flats in straight aquaplaning, curved aquaplaning and wet cornering. The Turanza was also named the top performer in rolling resistance and was the cheapest tyre tested.
The Continental tyre also performed well, winning tests for wet braking, wet handling, dry braking and interior noise. The PremiumContact performed particular well in the dry braking test, stopping 3.4 metres ahead of Bridgestone and about two metres earlier than the Michelin tyre. And with interior noise measured at 67.3 decibels the Premium Contact was found to be about 10 per cent quieter than the next best Michelin tyre.
Michelin scored well in noise (5 per cent quieter than Bridgestone) and wet braking, but failed to win a single test in the Auto Express report. Following on from a 15th place result in Auto Express’ standard tyre test, Michelin managers must be disappointed. On this subject a Michelin spokesman told Tyres & Accessories that the company did not believe the Auto Express run-flat results were consistent with other independent research. According to Michelin research conducted at MIRA, and by the TUV in both Germany and the Czech Republic contradicts Auto Express findings.
Bridgestone Delighted
“We’re obviously delighted to have been given the top rating,” said Andy Lane, marketing manager with Bridgestone UK. “We have worked hard for many years to develop a run-flat tyre that offers consumers the best in performance, safety and comfort, and this test shows that we’re the best at doing just that.”
To reinforce its commitment to the technology, Bridgestone UK – which won the NTDA’s Product Innovation Award for its run-flats last year – has increased the level of investment in its RFT training programme throughout 2006.
Looking forward, Andy Lane believes this infrastructure is vital, if dealers are to cope with the number of run-flat tyres already on the market – estimated to be 750,000 by Auto Express.
“As a result,” said Lane, “dealers will have to ensure that their fitters are fully trained to replace the tyres. The technology has already evolved in the last few years, to the extent that our RFT tyres are now fitted as standard on several vehicles.”
The 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix marked the end of an era as Michelin bowed out of Formula One for the second time in the company’s history. However, the possibility of a future return to motor racing’s premier series has not been ruled out. In fact, reading between the lines, it seems that this is the manufacturer’s intention if the sport’s rules are changed.
The Clermont-Ferrand-based company has competed in 216 world championship grand prix, initially from 1977-1984 and more recently from 2001-2006. During that time it scored 102 victories with seven teams and 20 drivers en route to amassing five drivers championship titles and constructors titles. And, according to Michelin, this is the reason for leaving Formula 1. “Michelin…believes that competition improves the breed,” the company said in a press statement.
Michelin has had a considerable impact on Formula One since its returned in 2001 – so much so that it was supplying 70 per cent of the field by 2005 and had other potential clients queuing up. The same year the manufacturer confirmed that 2006 would be its final campaign in F1.
Michelin considers it performance during its second run in Formula 1 to have been a great success, despite the embarrassment of the US Grand Prix disaster in 2005. Michelin puts its low points down to “the changing nature of the sport,” indirectly commenting that the tyre regulations were altered at the end of 2004 and again one year later, but adding: each time Michelin “responded effectively”. Renault proved as much by sweeping to a championship double in 2005 and repeating that feat during the season just past.
The final straw for Michelin was FIA’s decision to have a single tyre supplier from 2008 – a decision that Michelin said “dilutes an element of the cutting-edge competition the sport is supposed to represent.” Michelin thus opted to pull out at the end of the 2006 campaign.
As Michelin’s motorsport director Frédéric Henry-Biabaud says: “F1 is supposed to be competition in its purest form and you eliminate a key part of that if you remove the rivalry between tyre manufacturers. I don’t see the appeal in participating in a series on those terms. We compete in F1 to prove we are able to give our partner teams a performance edge. If you are in the sport on your own, people will talk about tyres only if some kind of problem arises. As Edouard Michelin used to say: ‘In an arena where its motorsport products finish simultaneously first and last, there is no marketing value.”
The effort that goes into a sport like Formula 1 is truly phenomenal. Nick Shorrock, a 30-year Michelin veteran and recent F1 programme director, has overseen 27 race victories since becoming the company’s Formula One director at the beginning of the 2005 season.
“Throughout the whole of 2005 we ran two different types of front casing and five rears during race weekends. This year, as we have tried to meet teams’ individual needs, we have used six front casings and 15 rears and have tested about 150 different compounds and 65 casings. We’ve also brought more than 60 compounds to the 18 races, about twice as many as we used in 2005. I think those figures reflect our more focused approach,” Shorrock explained, commenting: “This has been a fantastic, competitive season – and very rewarding for the company as a whole. Tyres contribute an awful lot to an F1 car’s overall performance and that has been very apparent throughout another successful, title-winning campaign.”
Michelin scored its first F1 victory on January 29 1978 when Carlos Reutemann dominated the Brazilian GP in Rio de Janeiro. The 102nd and most recent fell to Fernando Alonso and Renault in Japan, more than 28 years later. Michelin might be bowing out of F1 but it will remain fiercely committed to other forms of motorsport. Will the Bibendum logo grace grand prix racing ever again? Not in the foreseeable future, perhaps, but this isn’t an industry in which one says “never.”
Michelin happy with new MotoGP rules
Despite Michelin’s dissatisfaction with F1 rules, the manufacturer says new regulations aimed at maintaining competition between tyre manufacturers in the MotoGP World Championship have received its backing. The rules, concerning tyres and testing, come into effect on January 1 2007 and the tyre regulations were formulated following discussions among the three tyre manufacturers involved in MotoGP.
Despite the fact that these represent the first restrictions to be introduced to Grand Prix motorcycle racing, Michelin welcomes their introduction. Says Nicolas Goubert, director of motorcycle racing: “We are happy with the new rules”. Bearing in mind Michelin’s recent refusal to submit a tender for a single tyre supply contract for Formula 1, Goubert makes it plain what Michelin’s attitude is towards competition, saying: “The tyre agreement is a very good agreement, especially if you look at what is happening in other major Motorsport championships, particularly in Formula One switching to a single tyre maker rule.”
“The most important aspect of the new rules is that they ensure we will be able to continue competing with other tyre companies. Carmelo Ezpeleta (CEO of Dorna, the MotoGP rights holders) played a major role in this, he asked the tyre companies to come up with a compromise that would be acceptable to all of us because he wanted different tyre brands to continue fighting on the racetrack.”
When Pro-Align moved to its new premises near Silverstone at the beginning of this year its signalled something of a step change for the growing business. With plush new offices and technical/training areas the company has invested in quality premises with a view to long-term growth. Since then, Pro-Align’s management report that this year’s sales have grown, with a significant number of the company’s recently expanded range of tyre changers and wheel balancers being sold to tyre specialists rather than to bodyshops or general service garages. However, when Tyres & Accessories made the trip to motorsport’s historic heartland to meet with managing director, Paul Beurain, the spotlight was on the Hunter SmartWeight balancing system Pro-Align is currently marketing.
Ever wanted to save money on workshop consumables like balancing weights? Judging by the number of people who said they wanted to bend the rules when European regulations banned lead weights earlier this year – quite a few of you! The good news is that, according to Hunter and Pro-Align, the SmartWeight balancing system claims to save tyre specialists as much as £3000 a year on zinc balancing weights by employing a new balancing algorithm. The clever thing is that this calculation claims to do a better job of balancing a wheel assemblies’ static and couple forces than traditional balancers do at the moment.
It does this by measuring and correcting both forces, looking at each one individually, effectively using each to balance the other, while keeping both well within vehicle manufacturer guideline tolerances. This development represents quite a leap forward as far as balancing calculations are concerned because, prior to Hunter’s development of the SmartWeight algorithm, most balancers are workeding in the same way – exclusively measuring the static and dynamic forces and applying the same tolerance to both.forces and trying to resolve the problem this way. In short SmartWeight’s mathematical cleverness means less weights, which costs dealers less money.
As I suggested earlier, the idea of saving money on the cost of balancing weights is particularly appealing following this year’s lead weight ban. The price of the mostly zinc replacement weights has proved to be more than a little eratic in the last 12 months. Of course this isn’t the weight manufacturers’ fault but rather the fluctuating zinc trading market price. Either way, the net result is the same for anyone balancing a lot wheels – it only means more expense. Consequently any balancing kit that can reduce the amount that needs to be spent on weights must be a welcome development.
According to the case studies that T&A has seen, a retailer balancing 150 wheels a week, using an average of 55 grams of balancing weights that cost £12 per kilo could save 35 per cent (£1802) on weights by the end of the year. A larger operation balancing 200 wheels a week, using weights that cost the same could save £2402 (35 per cent). At this rate the larger shop could find its machine paying for itself by the beginning of the second year of usage (based on a zinc price increase of 20 per cent).
So far Hunter is the only manufacturer producing a commercially available system capable of balancing by first viewing static and dynamic forces individually, ahead of selecting balance weights and location to bring both forces to within tolerance both the dynamic and couple forces. But if the equipment proves to be as successful as Hunter says it is, it is unlikely to be long before the other wheel balancing equipment manufacturers are producing their own versions.
A question of balance
The Hunter GSP9200 and GSP9700 balancers Pro-Align distributes both incorporate the patented SmartWeight software, but can also operate using traditional calculations so users can compare the results. The machines are pitched at the mid-range to premium customer and are priced accordingly. However, according to Pro-Align managing director, Paul Beaurain the machines earn back their price tags surprisingly quickly. In addition to the weight (and therefore cost) savings detailed above, Beaurain claims the machines make the task of balancing a wheel up to 30 per cent quicker.
Based on a field test of over 7000 tyre/wheel assemblies, Hunter researchers found that clip-weight corrections were an average of 20 per cent quicker, while clip-tape and tape-tape corrections were completed 30 and 35 per cent faster respectively. In practice some satisfied customers found that their tyre fitters were bypassing their traditional machine in favour of the SmartWeight enable balancer.
One of the most interesting features of both the GSP9200 and GSP9700 balancers is that they feature a data screen, detailing information about the balancing spins the machine has done. What the information stored here seems to reveal is that these machines are particular effective at saving weight on 15-17 and 18-20-inch sizes. As these sizes often feature the most expensive and attractive alloy wheels, using fewer weights has real aesthetic benefits. And a good looking wheel is another plus-point worth paying for, from the end-consumer’s perspective.
Pro-Align’s premium balancing option is the GSP9700. In addition to the weight saving features described above the 9700 goes “far beyond the traditional functions of a wheel balancer” and includes a rolling “road force measurement system” designed to identify radial force vibration and pull problems. As a result the Hunter vibration control unit is apparently installed at every Bentley dealer in the UK. On hearing about this premium balancer, five PorscheBentley dealers even went as far as ordering units ahead of official approvalrequirement from the German owned manufacturer to do so.
The GSP9200 is aimed at those tyre dealerships that aren’t quite at the level of your average Bentley dealer. It features all the same SmartWeight balancing software, with a few less of the premium extras – namely the rolling road. However, the GSP9200 still includes useful features like automatic weight mode detection (this is automatically selected depending on the place the operator puts the machine’s dataset positioning arm), adhesive weight placement laser and servo stop and servo push drive control, to name a few.
Tyre changers
In addition to innovative range of wheel balancers, Pro-Align also sells tyre changers such as the Hunter TCX 550 and TCX 525 models and the GA 220 budget tyre changer. The TCX 525 is designed for high volume work and has an inside clamping capability of 13-24 inches. Outside clamping stretches from 11-22 inches. On top of these standard features, a BPS Bbead Ppress Ssystem, wheel lift and PAX kit can be added as options. The TCX 550 premium tyre changer offers tabletop clamping from 12 to 28-inch rims, interchangeable quick release tool heads, and a two-speed motor.
Ehrhardt Reifen + Autoservice was founded 60 years ago, soon after World War II in Wulften, Germany, now the company is celebrating 20 years as a Bandag dealership. Owner and general manager Rolf Ehrhardt already represents the third generation of the family. The Ehrhardt Group runs 26 commercial outlets scattered over the federal states of Niedersachsen, Thüringen, Sachsen-Anhalt, and Hessen. The company ranks among the largest distributors of automotive parts in the region. In addition to a wide range of tyres for cars, trucks, OTR and AG, Ehrhardt sells and services batteries, exhausts, brakes and rims.
Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic and Omsk region Governor Leonid Polezhayev commissioned a new tyre production line at the Matador-Omskshina joint venture on Wednesday 8 November. JV Director General Stefan Prokop told the Itar-Tass news agency that in 2005 the main shareholders, Matador and Sibur-Russian Tyres (50:50 partners), approved the joint development and modernisation of the enterprise and envisaged more than 1.5 billion roubles in investment.
Research by Kwik-Fit(1) found that more than half (56 per cent) of UK motorists admit to driving too close to the vehicle in front – a contributory factor in 7 per cent(2) of road accidents in Britain last year. The Highway Code(3) provides clear rules on the distance that drivers should leave between themselves and the vehicle in front yet when tested, 9o per cent of motorists underestimated the distance required to stop a car at 30, 50 and 70mph.
BMW Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld has told motorsport reporters that overtaking will be more difficult when F1 runs solely on Bridgestone tyres next season. “Overtaking always used to be difficult in Formula One and I think its going to remain difficult,” he said, adding: “When you’ve got different tyres, it’s more probable that the cars will take different turns at different speeds. In consideration of this fact, I expect the overtaking to become slightly more difficult.” The new F1 season is set to get underway in Australia in March, with the competitive difference of the tyres being eradicated by the fact that all 22 drivers will be running on the same rubber.
When Pro-Align moved to its new premises near Silverstone at the beginning of this year its signalled something of a step change for the growing business. With plush new offices and technical/training areas the company has invested in quality premises with a view to long-term growth. Since then, Pro-Align’s management report that this year’s sales have grown, with a significant number of the company’s recently expanded range of tyre changers and wheel balancers being sold to tyre specialists rather than to bodyshops or general service garages. However, when Tyres & Accessories made the trip to motorsport’s historic heartland to meet with managing director, Paul Beurain, the spotlight was on the Hunter SmartWeight balancing system Pro-Align is currently marketing.
Northwich-based Roberts Bakery has appointed ATS Euromaster as its sole commercial vehicle tyre services provider, responsible for a 90-strong fleet, which includes car-derived vans, rigids and tractor units and trailers. The new agreement will see ATS Euromaster’s truck centre in Warrington fit Michelin tyres across the Roberts Bakery fleet – replacing a previous Bridgestone policy which was managed by a local independent tyre dealer.
“We wanted higher service levels from our supplier and ATS Euromaster was able to offer a range of additional benefits,” says Nick Crank, Transport Manager at Roberts Bakery. “These include fortnightly fleet checks, together with the ability to regroove and turn tyres on the rim to ensure maximum mileage performance.
Pirelli & C. SpA, the parent company of the tyre manufacturer, reported a loss in its third quarter after writing down the value of its investment in Telecom Italia SpA, Italy’s largest phone company. The net loss, excluding some items, was 1.6 billion euros ($2 billion), compared with net income of 105.8 million euros ($135 million) a year earlier.
(Las Vegas/Tire Review) Michelin North America’s BFGoodrich tyre group will be extra busy at this year’s SEMA Show, offering everything from celebrities and show cars to a TV show appearance at the Overhaulin’ display. The BFGoodrich Tires booth at SEMA will host top personalities from action sports, competitive drifting and rockcrawling as they sign autographs for fans, while a wide-range of specialty vehicles will be on display.
“The SEMA show is always an event that we look forward to every year because it provides a great showcase for BFGoodrich,” said Kaz Holley, brand director for BFGoodrich Tires. “Featuring some of the best talent in the world of motorsports, the hottest vehicles around and our presence at Overhaulin’, BFGoodrich will be the hottest brand at SEMA 2006.”
BFGoodrich’s award winning g-Force profiler has proved unstoppable at this year’s FIA World Rally Championship. BFGoodrich has swept the board winning every round in every country so far, but you have to remember the company supplies tyres to five out of the six teams in the event. Either way, the WRC demands a broad spectrum of tyre types and, as such, BFGoodrich has produced variations of the g-Force Profiler, capable of taking on every type of terrain encountered. With the mass of the car rarely distributed evenly on all four wheels at the same time, the battle is to control the tyre pressure.
BFGoodrich’s award winning g-Force profiler has proved unstoppable at this year’s FIA World Rally Championship. BFGoodrich has swept the board winning every round in every country so far, but you have to remember the company supplies tyres to five out of the six teams in the event.
The 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix marked the end of an era as Michelin bowed out of Formula One for the second time in the company’s history. However, the possibility of a future return to motor racing’s premier series has not been ruled out. In fact, reading between the lines, it seems that this is the manufacturer’s intention if the sport’s rules are changed.
The Clermont-Ferrand-based company has competed in 216 world championship grand prix, initially from 1977-1984 and more recently from 2001-2006. During that time it scored 102 victories with seven teams and 20 drivers en route to amassing five drivers championship titles and constructors titles. And, according to Michelin, this is the reason for leaving Formula 1. “Michelin…believes that competition improves the breed,” the company said in a press statement.
Toyo has re-affirmed it’s continued support of Motorsport at every level today with the release of it’s list of sponsored events and championships for 2007. According to company representatives, Toyo believe in putting their money where their mouth is, covering everything from grass roots club racers up to International heavyweights.
In racing, nothing matters more than control. When your race series consists mainly of irreplaceable six-figure classics, it becomes a pre-requisite. With this in mind, Toyo points out that the control tyre for the ’07 Aston Martin Owners Club Championship is the critically acclaimed Proxes R888.
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