Sports Wheels from ProLine
ProLine Wheels have unveiled their all-new 2007 sports well line up. Three all new designs have been released, in high gloss or carbon matt finishes, as well as several new finishes for current wheel designs.
Wheels
ProLine Wheels have unveiled their all-new 2007 sports well line up. Three all new designs have been released, in high gloss or carbon matt finishes, as well as several new finishes for current wheel designs.
Last year, IMI the maker of truck balancing powder, Equal, launched a product aimed at the passenger car market. XactBalance, distributed in the UK by Rema-Tip Top, is a new style of dynamic balancing weight and is aimed at premium level fitments.
Lebanese tyre shop consumables manufacturer, Hatco, can only be described as unique. Since 1984 Hatco has grown to become a prominent tyre repair and consumables company and aims “at becoming a global leader in manufacturing, marketing, and distributing tyre repair materials, tools and accessories that keep wheels rolling”.
In January 2007 Alcar UK, a respected distributor of wheels and tyres, will appear at the Aftermarket Show for the eighth year running. “The Aftermarket Show is an event that has really, over the years, become recognised as the industry event. The UK aftermarket is pretty fragmented these days but this is the event that works for us because it brings so many different people and businesses together,” said Alcar UK sales and marketing director, Kevin Greer.
(Akron/Tire Review) Stamford Tires & Wheels announced that Jim Seidel, the former Continental Tire North America executive who joined the company last Autumn, has left the company. Seidel, who departed 1 December, was in charge of sales and operations.
In the last month the subject of metrification has caused something of stir. But if the reports that such a blanket conversion would cost billions are true, it is easy to see why. The furore all boils down to a new proposed EU directive designed to standardise all measurements to the metric system – and in so doing literally decimate inches. EU directive 80/181 also seeks to do away with the kind of imperial/metric dual markings that are currently commonplace with supermarket weights and alcoholic drink quantities for example. According to reports, the threatened legislation aiming to ban all non-metric measurements is scheduled for introduction in 2010 – only three years away.
If the share price of its parent company is anything to go by, speciality tyre specialist, Carlisle Tire & Wheel, is having a successful time of it in the growing niche segment. Between year-end 2005 and the close of trading on 31 October Carlisle Companies’ share price has increased 21 per cent from $69.15 to $83.69.
Carlisle used November’s SEMA show to highlight a number of new products within the ATV/Utility vehicle, ST Trailer and Industrial segments. And, further to this aim, the company’s new 2007 product catalogue is available now. The company also dedicated a section of its booth to its growing Carlisle Certified Dealer (CCD) network.
Kirkby Tyres has been involved in tyre and wheel wholesaling and distribution since 1958, building up a reputation for comprehensive stockholding, economic pricing and dependable delivery. For many years, Kirkby was associated mainly with the Alliance brand of agricultural and earthmover tyres, but in recent years the company has added to its portfolio, notably with brands from China, joining Alliance and all major brands from Europe, the USA and Japan. Kirkby operates from a five-acre site in Liverpool and has a daily delivery service on the UK mainland, for quantities up to and including container loads.
North Hants Tyres bills itself as Europe’s largest distributor of American and Vintage tyres and wheels. In February this year the company moved to new premises as it had out grown its old warehouse quite considerately. The new premises are located in Aldershot, Hampshire with a 25,000 square foot warehouse. North Hants offers over 15,000 tyres in stock from the earliest crossply to the latest radial and over 3,000 wheels, and every month several containers are received with new stock from the USA at competitive prices.
The Bavarian design team at Loder1899 has successfully combined the comfort of a luxury vehicle with the dynamic power of a racecar. The result is a fresh take on the Aston Martin Vantage V8 with a top speed of 280 km/h, acceleration of 0-100 km/h in 4.9 seconds and new titanium suspension system. Loder1899 is one of the German distributors of the Kahn Design RS-V wheel line in 9×20 and 11×20 inch for Aston Martin V8, Aston Martin DB9, Bentley GT, Mercedes SL, VW Phaeton and Audi A8. This exclusive set of wheels is available starting from 7,000 euros.
As Maxxis’ profile in the PCR market develops, the company is continuing to develop solutions for a series of specialist applications, including high-speed trailers, ATV, turf machinery and small implements.
When it comes to ATVs, Maxxis claims to set the standard for tough, durable tyres that offer superior traction on all terrains. Firmly established as the choice of champions, Maxxis ATV tyres combine excellent puncture resistance qualities with tread that is designed for maximum grip and performance, meeting the needs of both recreational riders and competitive racers alike.
Apollo Tyres Ltd has launched the Apollo Acelere Sportz – a premium V-speed rated tubeless car radial for the rapidly-growing range of premium and luxury cars. Acelere Sportz is India’s first complete range of asymmetric tyres, incorporating many performance, aesthetic, fuel efficiency and safety features.
This premium tyre can be fitted to a wide range of sedans and is an addition to the growing Acelere range of tubeless tyres, catering to the new generation of automobiles on Indian roads. Currently, Apollo commands a 15 per cent share of the tubeless radial market, and, with Acelere Sportz this is expected to grow to 20 per cent in a year’s time.
Early in November Tiger Wheels announced restructuring plans, which would see the company divest its entire shareholding in South African retailer Tiger Wheel & Tyre and wholesale tyre businesses in the UK and SA. These businesses would list on the JSE (Johannesburg Stock Exchange) as Tiger Automotive Limited (TAL). The move would spell the end of the interdependent relationship between the company’s German-based subsidiary and aluminium wheel producer ATS Beteiligungsgesellschaft (ATS) and the after-market retail and wholesale operations.
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.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has directed the Pawan Ruia group, promoters of Dunlop and Falcon Tyres, to make open offers for both the, reports Business Standard. The regulator has also directed the company to pay interest of 10 per cent to the shareholders as penalty from February 2006, over and above the offer price for violation of the takeover code by the promoters.
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