Accuride Corp. has broadened the availability of its enhanced finish for aluminum wheels. The process results in a semi-polished appearance on unpolished wheels, and is now available across the company’s aluminum wheel product line, excluding small diameter trailer wheels. (Tire Review/Akron)
Aeroplane manufacturer Bombardier has selected Dunlop Aircraft Tyres as original equipment supplier for its new 100-seat CRJ1000 Next Gen regional jet. Dunlop Aircraft tyres, one of two approved suppliers for the CRJ1000, will manufacture and retread the tyres at its facility in Birmingham – a site the company notes is ideally located to provide excellent support for the jet’s initial customers.
According to Dunlop Aircraft Tyres, the deal to supply CRJ1000 nose and main wheel tyres builds on its long-standing relationship with Bombardier. This includes supplying the entire Dash 8 range and, under a supplemental type certificate (STC), all other CRJ variants. The CRJ is, comments the tyre maker, the best-selling family of regional jets; more than 1,500 have already been delivered.
Kei Racing has released the latest of four designs from their all-new 2009 Collection. Fresh from their factory comes a multispoke design intended for a multitude of fitments. The stunning Daito comes in two finishes. Either a highly polished machined face contrasted against flawless gloss black details or stunning Hyper-Silver. 17 and 18 sizes are available in nearly all 4 and 5 stud pattern fitments, covering nearly all Jap, Euro, Tuner and Prestige models. Prices start at just £138.83 for the 17-inch version.
Evo Corse has released its ‘Dakar’ wheel into the aftermarket. According to the company, the 16 x 7-inch wheel has also proven its worth on the Land Rovers of the British Army in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Each wheel is low pressure cast in a permanent steel mould from A356 Primary aluminium alloy, before being receiving a T6 heat treatment to avoid imperfections. The wheels are then CNC machined both front and rear to get the precise spoke profile and to eliminate any possible imbalance. The Dakar is specified up to a load index of 1500kg per corner, meaning that light armoured applications and full loads are both safely within Evo Corse’s stringent design criteria.
Hayes Lemmerz Werke GmbH, the German based subsidiary of the international steel and aluminium wheel manufacturer, has been awarded a certificate of achievement from DAF Trucks N.V. and Leyland Trucks in recognition of the quality of the products delivered to the two companies. The certificate, states Hayes Lemmerz, recognises that the company consistently met or exceeded quality performance requirements for the parts supplied by Hayes to DAF and Leyland in 2008.
Dave Molyneux’s Avon shod Suzuki has given the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer its very first three-wheeled victory at the Isle of Man TT. Molyneux and passenger Daniel Sayle’s victory with A&J Racing Suzuki brings Molyneux’s TT win tally to 14, and marks the 20th anniversary of his first victory on the island.
“The Avons worked brilliantly and were a pleasure to use,” Molyneux commented. “I was delighted to use Avons this year, as I’ve not used them since 1993 when I won on them. In fact my first race win at the TT in 1989 was on Avons too!
Firestone has responded to the communications and complexity challenges of the agricultural tyre market by setting up a new website embedded in the Farmers’ Weekly magazine website. In its first full month the link was seen over 180,000 times, according to the company. Barry Coleman, Firestone’s UK agricultural product manager stated: “I’m delighted with the interest the new website has generated. It’s very interesting to see what farmers are actually looking for. The most visited area of the site is Tips and Downloads, where farmers can find advice about things like hydro inflation, tyre pressures and wheel alignment.” The site can be viewed at the following address: http://fwi.firstlightera.com/EN/Microsites/1/Firestone/
Avon Tyres has announced the launch of its new website, which the company says is “designed to help car and motorcycle owners choose the perfect tyre.” The homepage features sidebars for its four and two wheel products, each allowing visitors to navigate to information on their desired products quickly. The site was designed, says Avon, in order to help users to browse through Avon’s entire product range quickly and easily, as well as locating their nearest dealer. It also possesses an educational facet, with a technical information section.
Snap-on Equipment has appointed Viking International as the new distributor of John Bean garage equipment for the tyre trade in Scotland. The garage equipment manufacturer stated that Viking International’s position as a leading tyre distributor and its customer-focussed approach make it “the ideal match” for John Bean’s stated aim to provide the tyre industry with reliable and user-friendly equipment.
Customers visiting Viking International’s Glasgow warehouse can try before they buy at a dedicated John Bean demonstration area equipped with a b9455 wheel balancer and a T5000 tyre changer. The b9455 wheel balancer features a number of panted innovations, including virtual imaging, an adhesive wheel weight clamp and a split weight mode enabling stick-on weights to be hidden behind adjacent spokes on alloy rims. The T5000 tyre changer incorporates a double-acting bead breaker cylinder, a self-centring four-jaw chuck for fast and accurate clamping and pedal-controlled tyre inflation via air ports in the clamping jaws.
The entry deadline is fast approaching for the 2009 Tire Review Top Shop Awards presented by Ammco/Coats. Now in its third year, entries will be accepted until midnight on 10 July, 2009. Entry forms and information are now available via the Top Shop Awards Web site at www.tirereviewtopshopaward.com. Complete entries can be made right online. US and Canadian dealers can nominate their own businesses, or others can nominate tyre dealer businesses. The entry process is simple: Those making the nomination need to provide basic information about the dealership being nominated and write a short (300-word maximum) essay explaining why that dealership should be considered.
From there, all entrants will be reviewed and a group of semi-finalists selected. Those semi-finalists will be asked to provide additional information for judging. A panel of judges, including industry professionals and a member of the Tire Review staff, will select the four finalists and, ultimately, the 2009 Top Shop Award winner.
The awards are as outstanding as the dealers selected:
• The Grand Prize Winner will receive a Coats APX90 tyre changer, $1,500 in cash, airfare and hotel for two (2 nights/3 days) to the 2009 SEMA Show, a feature story in the October issue of Tire Review, and a Top Shop trophy to display in their dealership.
• Three Finalists will each receive a Coats 1250-3DV tyre/wheel balancer (featuring on-board training), $500 in cash, a feature story in the October issue and a specially designed finalist trophy. (Tire Review/Akron)
Sealey have just launched a new ½” Square Drive Limited Torque Air Impact Wrench into their Power Tool range. The SA6035 Impact Wrench features an innovative pin clutch design which limits output torque, preventing over-tightening that can result in wheel/wheel fixing damage. The limited torque allows final tightening of nuts with a calibrated torque wrench to manufacturer’s specification, making this tool ideal for professional tyre shops.
Full torque is still transmitted in reverse direction for rapid fixing removal and anodised fixings enable easy identification as a limited torque wrench when amongst other models. The SA6035 is currently on offer at a special price in Sealey’s Power Tool promotion and comes with a free ½” Square Drive Calibrated Micrometer Torque Wrench.
The patented Easy 3D wheel aligner from Beissbarth is the first of its kind and, says the company, offers workshops a completely new 3D wheel alignment method, comprising highly accurate cameras and an integrated reference system to ensure reliable results. Classic features of the Easy 3D include easy use, reliable technology that is robust and easily mobile – suitable for use with any lifting platform or wheel alignment pit.
Using the Easy 3D, one workshop technician needs roughly seven minutes to carry out precise wheel alignment on a car. This represents a time saving of 50 per cent compared with conventional devices. Accuracy is ensured by the use of two high-precision cameras per wheel. The sensors can be positioned wherever convenient in the workshop without time-consuming calibration. The Easy 3D wheel aligner is suitable for aligning all types of cars, through to light transporters and commercial vehicles. The standard indicators enable vehicles with a wheelbase of up to 340 centimetres to be aligned. With the larger rear indicators available as optional equipment, vehicles with a wheelbase of up to 430 centimetres can be aligned.
Wolfrace has introduced the first two wheels in the new Wolfrace GB range of alloys; the Lugano and Ravenna. Lugano is a striking directional ‘turbine’ design with 10 sculpted blades and finished in gloss black with a polished surface. The Lugano is available in 5 stud fitments in sizes 7.5×16″ 7.5×17″ and 8.0×18″.
The new Ravenna is a multi-spoke wheel; each concave spoke is treated to the gloss black finish with a durable polished face. The Ravenna is available in four and five-stud fitments and suits a wide range of vehicle thanks to its various size options – 7.5×16″ 8.0×17″ 8.0×18″ and 8.5×19″. Like all Wolfrace GB wheels, the Lugano and Ravenna are made in Germany and have TÜV certification.
With the recession biting and more of the aftermarket looking to wheel alignment servicing to generate revenue and increase profit margins, Pro-Align is its new Hunter HawkEye ‘Special’ alignment system at an economical price. The idea is to increase access to premium quality products by offering an entry-level model at a competitive price.
The HawkEye Special is very similar to the Hunter HawkEye 100 model, with the only real difference being it uses a two camera system instead of the four camera system of its sibling. The camera lift system offers versatility enabling the HawkEye Special to operate at variable adjustment height. With the console mounted on the main column, the system remains compact, offering great space savings in the workshop whilst not compromising on quality and accuracy of alignment readings as well as offering the valuable ‘before’ and ‘after’ colour customer printouts. According to the Hunter HawkEye imaging provides low cost of ownership through the use of its polycarbonate HEX targets and the cameras being mounted out of harms way.
Agricultural tyre manufacturer Trelleborg has expanded its European sales team. Stepping into the position of product manager for the Galaxy brand is 29-year old business administration graduate Milos Odavic, who will be responsible for the brand’s distribution and positioning within the company’s product portfolio. Odavic’s duties also see him acting as the original equipment market customer contact person, and also as the replacement market contact for Germany and Switzerland.
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