Modern Tire Dealer - Performance Handbook 2020

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BUILD YOUR ‘RAVING FANS’ ENGINE: HOW TO BECOME THE ‘IT’ DEALER FOR UHP TIRES TPMS SERVICE FOR THOSE TRICKY SITUATIONS TIPS FOR SERVICING TIRES WITH SATIN WHEELS HOW TO READ A SIDEWALL

ON THE MOVE:

MOBILE INSTALLATION HELPS DEALERS SELL MORE UHP TIRES

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Ed i to rial

Social media: the new word-of-mouth FOLLOW THESE TIPS TO CREATE A FANATICAL FOLLOWING

By Mike Manges

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• Highlight your employees and their expertise. “Post a brief Facebook message about your top service technician and how he has special training and will take great care of your customers’ vehicles.”

• Spotlight work your dealership has done. Instagram, she says, is a good tool for this, since that social media channel is so photography-driven. “Post ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos of your customers’ tires, wheels and vehicles — with their permission.”

• Involve your audience. “Post questions like, ‘If you could have one dream car, what would it be?’ Hold a contest where you donate $200 toward a new set of custom wheels. Maybe you have a customer who owns three different sports cars? Would that person let you post photos of their vehicles?”

• Create and post videos about your dealership. “People tend to respond well to videos. But they should be short: 20 to 30 seconds. And you don’t need a professional videographer. If you have a decent cell phone, you’re golden. People don’t expect your videos to be incredibly polished. You can record something with your phone.”

Have you ever used services like Yelp or TripAdvisor to research a restaurant or hotel that you wanted to try, only to be turned off after reading negative customer comments?

Tire dealerships are not immune from this phenomenon, she says.

Dismissing online reviews “is a big mistake. You have to address every single comment, negative or positive — and most critically, the negative ones.”

The magnitude of the problem is almost irrelevant. “If someone has a complaint — even a small one, like ‘Your mechanic left dirty fingerprints on my car’ — you have to face it. Occasionally, you will see ridiculous complaints that you have no control over or just aren’t true. You have to address those, too.”

Always follow-up with a personal call.

“Seventy-five percent of the time, once you call and say, ‘I am so sorry. Here’s what happened. Will you give us an opportunity to make it right?’ people will take their negative posts down. Why? Because they were impressed that you took the time to deal with the problem.”

Above all, be genuine. “If you’re going to tout yourself as the dealer who truly cares about customers and their vehicles and doing the right thing, you have to not only talk the talk but also walk the walk.”

And the reality of your dealership — from the condition of your showroom to service counter etiquette — should match the image that you are trying to portray.

This is especially true when dealing with high-end UHP tire and wheel customers.

“From the moment that customer pulls onto your lot, they have to believe that you will take care of them.”

Remember good, old-fashioned wordof-mouth referrals? Social media amplifies word-of-mouth to the thousandth degree.

Make it work for you.

And be ready to respond quickly to online reviews.

If you have any questions or comments, please email me at mike.manges@bobit.com.

©GETTYIMAGES.COM/XXXX

n today’s hyper-connected world, there is no doubt that social media — if used correctly — can help boost your dealership’s profile, drive more traffic to your store and even help you secure repeat customers. The operative word here, however, is “can.”

Using social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter without a strategy can have a harmful effect on how your customers perceive both you and your business.

Ginger Griffin, a marketing professional with 25 years of experience helping independent tire dealers manage and grow their brands, has spent a great deal of time making sure her clients avoid negative, social media-driven outcomes.

According to Griffin, when used well, social media can help you cultivate a community of ardent fans.

Remember, the word “fan” is short for “fanatic.” That’s the degree of enthusiasm you want to see!

But first, it’s essential to understand what works and what doesn’t.

And that starts with understanding whom you are “talking” to.

“The first step is to think about your customer base — their age, their location and their income,” says Griffin. “What’s important to them?”

Consumers who can afford expensive, ultra-high performance tires “typically are more meticulous” about their vehicles.

They research big purchases. And they place a premium on establishing — and maintaining — relationships with their tire dealers.

“That’s why I recommend that you make your social media posts useful and meaningful,” says Griffin.

Promoting tire and wheel specials, service discounts and other things are important.

“But what’s more important is establishing a dialogue with your customers. You want to humanize your dealership.”

Dismissing online reviews “is a big mistake,” says social media expert Ginger Griffin. “You have to address every single comment, negative or positive.”

There are numerous ways to accomplish this, she notes:

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HOME OFFICE 3515 Massillon Rd., Suite 350 Uniontown, OH 44685 (330) 899-2200, fax (330) 899-2209 Website: www.moderntiredealer.com

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C on t e n t s

PUBLISHER

Editorial

Greg Smith, ext. 2212 Greg.Smith@bobit.com

Social media: the new wordof-mouth: Follow these tips to create a fanatical following

EDITORIAL

Editor: Mike Manges, ext. 2213 Mike.Manges@bobit.com Managing Editor: Lori L. Mavrigian, ext. 2216 Lori.Mavrigian@bobit.com Senior Editor & Digital Projects Editor: Joy Kopcha, ext. 2215 Joy.Kopcha@bobit.com Senior Editor: Ann Neal, ext. 2218 Ann.Neal@bobit.com

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On the move

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Mobile installation helps dealer sell more UHP tires

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‘Demand is going to be huge’

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Convenience of mobile installation is winning UHP tire sales in Kansas City

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Equipment options for mobile tire installation

SALES

South and Texas: Greg Smith Greg.Smith@bobit.com (330) 899-2200, ext. 2212 Midwest: Bob Marinez Bob.Marinez@bobit.com (330) 899-2200, ext. 2217 West Coast: Marianne Dyal /The Dyal Company Marianne.Dyal@bobit.com (706) 344-1388, mobile (619) 990-5536 Automotive Aftermarket: Dan Thornton djtinc@gmail.com (734) 676-9135, mobile (313) 410-0945 Classified Sales: Bob Marinez Bob.Marinez@bobit.com (330) 899-2200, ext. 2217 Reprint Sales: Karen Runion Karen.Runion@bobit.com (330) 899-2200, ext. 2210

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The goal is to ‘make it easy for the customer’

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Customized adventure LT tires, Jeep modifications are aftermarket specialty shops’ specialty

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Becoming the ‘it’ dealer for UHP tires

How to build a ‘raving fans’ machine

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Servicing tires with satin wheels

Five expert tips to prevent damage

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TPMS service for those tricky situations

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Performance Handbook 2020

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How to keep operative with custom wheels (when in doubt, contact the experts!)

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How to read a sidewall Page 40

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Mobile Tire Installation

On the move

MOBILE INSTALLATION HELPS DEALER SELL MORE UHP TIRES

By Mike Manges

“The more I started thinking about mobile tire installation, the more I realized that it’s something that sounds simple but nobody else really had it in our area,” says Sarkis Ohanian (right) owner of Sarkis Motors in Midway City, Calif., with GoMobile co-owner Joe Flores. Ohanian says mobile tire installation is helping his dealership secure more ultra-high performance tire sales.

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hen it comes to selecting a dealer, what qualities do ultra-high performance (UHP) tire buyers value the most? The ability to access a wide selection of highend tires and custom wheels? In-depth technical knowledge and expertise? A clean, orderly, professional presentation? Reassurance that their prized vehicles will be handled with kid gloves and the job will be done right the first time?

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The quick answer is “all of the above,” according to Sarkis Ohanian, owner of Sarkis Motors, a tire dealership in Midway City, Calif. But that’s not all.

Over the last several years, Ohanian, who also offers automotive service and body work at his single-store location, says another customer “must-have” has emerged: convenience.

That’s one of the reasons why Ohanian made the decision to specialize in UHP tires.

And it’s also why he has made a significant investment in mobile tire installation, a service that he says is driving even more UHP tire sales at his store.

“Convenience is why people will pay $30 for a hamburger delivery,” he says.

And it’s why a growing number of his customers are more than happy to pay extra for expert tire installation if it saves them from spending a Saturday afternoon at a traditional, brick-and-mortar tire store.

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A PROVEN DOOR-OPENER

Sarkis Motors was founded by Ohanian’s grandfather and namesake in the 1970s. The family-owned business quickly developed a reputation for its expertise in servicing — and providing body work for — expensive sports cars, which became its main line of revenue.

The store is located along a busy commercial strip just minutes from Interstate 405, a major thoroughfare that runs along the southern and western parts of the Greater Los Angeles area.

Ohanian — who took over from his father, Bob Ohanian, in 2014 — had not seriously considered adding tires to his store’s portfolio until several years ago, after he was approached by longtime friend and tire industry veteran Joe Flores.

“I noticed that 80% of the vehicles that Sarkis’ shop serviced on any given day were Mercedes sedans,” says Flores. “I asked, ‘What about tires?’ He said, ‘I don’t sell tires.’ I told him that by not selling tires, he was losing revenue from not only tire sales, but also installation and alignments.”

Flores’ timing was spot-on. Ohanian had been sending customers’ vehicles to nearby tire dealerships for new rubber — and, very often, alignment work — but was unhappy with the results.

“Anytime a car gets hit on the wheel, it will need realignment,” he says. “I’d have to send two guys, including myself, to the tire shop and then bring the car back. Nobody could get an alignment straight. And then we had to rebalance the tires on an old machine that we had. We were doing double the work for nothing.”

He was receptive to Flores’ pitch.

“It’s proven that if you bring people in with tires, it opens the door to virtually everything else,” notes Flores. “If a guy bashes his fender or needs an oil change, he will remember you for his tire needs. It can help your other businesses, and that’s what he realized.”

Working with Flores, Ohanian soon added tires to his line-up and hasn’t looked back. “I now see our business shifting to more of the tire side as cars become less and less serviceable,” he says. “Brakes are now lasting 60,000 miles. But every car on this planet needs tires.”

MOVING AND GROOVING

As the two continued to develop Sarkis Motors’ UHP tire business, they began to discuss another possibility: What if they could take the high-end tire buying experience Performance Handbook 2020

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Flores says it’s important to let the public know that you offer mobile tire installation.

A great way to do this, he notes, is to have a presence at local car club events. People “have no idea this service exists to the degree it does.”

directly to customers’ front doors? Flores already had experience in this area, having used a third-party mobile tire and wheel installation service when selling custom wheels to various car dealerships.

After watching the service provider in action, “my other partner, Derek Naidoo, and

‘WE SERVICE A LOT OF HIGH-END VEHICLES. THESE CUSTOMERS EXPECT SOMETHING SPECIAL.’ I decided that mobile is where the market was going,” he says. “We knew about the equipment involved and what was necessary to do it ourselves.”

They bought a Sprinter van and by January 2019, Flores and Naidoo’s mobile installation business — under the newly christened GoMobile banner — was up and running.

After some experimentation, they eventually settled on the right kind of equipment, including Gather Tool Co. Inc.’s ecube mobile tire servicing unit, which comes with a semi-automatic tire changer, a wheel balancer and a silent air compressor, all powered by a lithium-ion battery pack.

“We also added tire racks in the back of the van so operators could load and go.”

(A typical GoMobile van can carry up to 36

tires, he says.) Flores and Naidoo enrolled GoMobile as a preferred installer with online tire retailers, including Tire Rack, Discount Tire Direct and Tirescanner.com, to establish a connection to buyers whom they would not normally meet and help ensure a steady flow of business.

They developed a pricing structure (“we get typically between $125 and $150 per installation”) and a frequency target (“if we can do five jobs a day, we’re turning a nice profit”) to help optimize the return on their investment, which included hiring a skilled tire technician. They’re now franchising the GoMobile concept.

It didn’t take much convincing for Ohanian to jump on-board. “The more I started thinking about mobile installation, the more I realized that it’s something that sounds simple but nobody else really had it in our area,” he says.

Using the GoMobile formula, he bought and equipped the new Sprinter van, which now travels to customers’ homes and offices, where veteran tire technician Norris Simut installs expensive UHP tire and wheel packages at premium rates.

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

To run a successful mobile tire installation service, you need the following, according to Ohanian and Flores: A well-equipped, professional-looking van. Customers are sometimes surprised to

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Mobile Tire Installation

Veteran tire technician Norris Simut stands in front of Sarkis Motors’ GoMobile van.

Norris, who has performed up to 10 tire installations in one day, “isn’t just popping tires onto cars,” says Ohanian. “He’s explaining to customers what he’s doing and is teaching them what’s going on. We try to be as transparent as we can.”

see how pristine Ohanian’s GoMobile mobile van is. “It’s imbedded in me to have that high level of presentation because that’s how our shop is, as well,” he says. “We service a lot of high-end vehicles. These customers expect something special.”

Skilled technicians. “Our mobile installation technician, Norris, is really good,” says Ohanian. “He isn’t just popping tires onto cars. He’s explaining to customers what he’s doing and is teaching them what’s going on.

We’ve discovered that some people like to learn about wheel balancing and why they might need an alignment, and they also like to physically see that worn tire.” Mobile tire installation “drives them into our shop for alignment work and other things. And that’s how we capture them. We’re a long-term relationship shop. We’re not trying to sell customers anything they don’t need. We try to be as transparent as we can.”

A presence with multiple online tire retailers. “There are a lot of online sellers who are doing a good job of marketing themselves and they’re all looking for someone

‘I THINK SOME TRADITIONAL TIRE DEALERSHIPS LOOK AT MOBILE AS COMPETITION BUT IT’S ANYTHING BUT THAT.’

More consumers, including owners of high-end cars like these Porsches, are researching and buying tires online. Make sure your dealership’s mobile tire service is affiliated with online sellers, says Flores. “They’re all looking for someone to do installations.”

“Lots of towns have ‘cars and coffee’ events on Saturday or Sunday mornings,” says Flores. “If you can find out who the hosts are, contact them and see if you can attend one of their events. When people see our van, it’s an eye-opening experience for them.”

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to do installations for them,” notes Flores.

“The mobile platform is the perfect solution.” It’s important for mobile installation services to optimize their positioning on preferred installer lists, he says. “The people who use these services need a third-party, independent choice for installation.”

Grassroots connections. “Lots of towns have ‘cars and coffee’ events that take place on Saturday or Sunday mornings,” says Flores. “If you can find out who the hosts are, contact them and see if you can attend one of their events. When people see our GoMobile vans, it’s an eye-opening experience for them. ‘Wait, you can balance a tire in there?’ They have no idea this service exists to the full degree it does.”

Ask to perform on-the-spot installations for club members. “We’ll show up with the tires customers have ordered online, mount them, balance them and install them — typically in under an hour for most applications. We’ll sometimes work Performance Handbook 2020

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Mobile Tire Installation a full day at a weekend car club gathering.

This exposes us to hundreds of people in a day. It’s easy to find a group that is all about their cars. And they will spend more money than the average consumer to upgrade those vehicles.”

And make smart use of social media channels like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, he advises.

“You can post a picture of your van at an event, a photo of a new installation or a picture of a customer’s car. All of a sudden, you have hundreds of eyes on what you’re doing. Social media happens much faster than word-of-mouth ever did.”

CONVENIENCE IS KING

Sarkis Motors’ van is equipped with a Gaither ecube unit, a digital air pressure gauge, a retractable air hose and other tools, plus a rack of tires that customers have already purchased from online retailers. “Every car on this planet needs tires,” says Ohanian.

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While many mobile tire installation customers are well-heeled, almost all of them are “short on time,” says Flores. “They would rather have someone come to their home or office to change tires than spend two or three hours at a tire store.”

He urges dealers to look at mobile installation as an add-on service that will drive incremental UHP tire business — not something that will cannibalize existing sales.

“I think some traditional tire dealerships look at mobile as competition but it’s anything but that,” says Flores.

“It’s all about convenience. How do you make it easy for these customers? If you don’t offer mobile in addition to your brick-and-mortar store, they might look at other places for tires.

“This is just another way to reaffirm that you are committed to your customers. And the installation price you can get through mobile is often higher than what some brick-and-mortar locations get. It gives you an opportunity to charge more for what you do.”

And don’t discount the PR value, he adds. “We did an installation last week — four tires on a Lexus at an office park. Six people came out of their offices to see what we were doing. Every one of those people received a business card with our contact information.”

Ohanian has been so pleased with his mobile tire installation business that he’s thinking about offering other on-the-spot services. Right now, we’re limited to tire installation, but we’ll see where the format takes us,” he says. “Whatever we can provide safely on a mobile platform will be part of our future.”

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M o b i le

Tire

Installat io n

‘Demand is going to be huge’

CONVENIENCE OF MOBILE INSTALLATION IS WINNING UHP TIRE SALES IN KANSAS CITY

By Ann Neal

Chad Dearth says his mobile tire installation service has been growing like wildfire since he became a GoMobile franchisee serving the Kansas City area in November 2019. The service also includes the disposal of the customer’s old tires. Photo courtesy GoMobile Tires KC.

T

he latest trend for tire dealerships to work into their retail business strategy is mobile tire installation.

But traditional tire stores do not necessarily have to provide the service themselves in order to make the most of it.

Chad Dearth owns KC Trends Motorsports LLC in Overland Park, Kan. His single-store dealership specializes in custom wheels and ultra-high performance tires for cars, trucks and sport utility vehicles.

Dearth began offering mobile tire installation services in November 2019 under the name GoMobile Tires KC. (His mobile operation is a franchise of GoMobile.)

He counts traditional tire shops among his prospective customers.

“I’m a brick-and-mortar store owner,” says Dearth. “I know how tough it is. I know how hard it is to compete against the internet.”

GoMobile Tires KC is not competing with local tire stores for tire buyers, according to

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Dearth. Instead, GoMobile Tires KC gives tire retailers in the Kansas City area a way to provide tire installation services. Traditional tire stores that offer their customers mobile tire installation have a huge advantage, says Dearth. He compares it to offering a towing service for customers whose vehicles are broken down.

“They can now offer their customer mobile installation. The customer in turn pays the tire store for the tires and the labor.

The tire store dispatches our guys like they would dispatch a third-party tow truck.”

Upon dispatch, GoMobile Tires KC picks up the tires from the tire store, takes them to the customer’s location, performs the installation and disposes of the old tires.

“The tire store looks like a hero because they offered their customer mobile service,” says Dearth. “They made money and didn’t spend a dime on the mobile truck. We do it all for them, and we offer wholesale prices to the tire store, so they make money on

the labor.” Mobile tire installation service also gives traditional tire dealerships an edge over online tire retailers, he says.

“The tire store has a freed-up bay, a happy customer and the sale. That is huge to help brick-and-mortar compete with the online guys. The online retailers can’t offer that same-day service because the tires need to be shipped.”

GROWING LIKE WILDFIRE

Dearth says the mobile service has been growing “like wildfire” since he became a GoMobile franchisee in November.

Customers, especially women with young children, are “blown away” when they realize they do not have to wait for their vehicle to get serviced. “It gives them so many hours back in their day.”

Consumers do not have to change their buying habits to use the GoMobile service. They can buy from the traditional brick-and-mortar stores they’ve used in the Performance Handbook 2020

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M o b i le

Tire

Installat io n

past, the web company they use for their online shopping or directly from GoMobile, according to Dearth.

“I’ve been in the tire and wheel business for 27 years,” he says. “My forecast is that in the next five years you are going to see a dramatic decrease in traditional tire stores.

Once a customer experiences the ease and convenience of it, the demand for mobile is going to be huge.”

Just how much does this convenience cost a tire buyer? “To use our service over a traditional brick-and- mortar tire store is roughly between $5 to $10 more per tire.

So it’s very, very affordable.”

A ‘HARD-WORK PLAN’

Since launching the service, Dearth’s installers have not experienced any setbacks when servicing a vehicle. “There’s always room in a street, in a driveway or in a garage,” he says.

Dearth began researching mobile tire installation about four years ago. “The more I looked at it, the more I was excited about it, but when I put pen to paper, I still couldn’t make sense of it.”

Although he was cautious, Dearth was willing and ready to add the service.

“Mobile tire installation is the future,” he says. “We’re watching trends in different cities and comparing other industries, such as food service, to our industry. Millions of dollars a day are spent on getting fast food delivered. If you are getting your fast food delivered, why not get your tires delivered and installed?”

Dearth calculated he would need to perform four installations a day to turn a profit as a GoMobile franchisee.

“It’s as simple as four jobs a day and you’re profitable. Five to six jobs a day and you are making the van worthwhile. This isn’t a get-rich-quick plan. It’s a hard-work plan but with the industry being so new, being on the ground floor on the first five years of this mobile tire installation service is a huge deal.”

GoMobile Tires KC is housed in a 2019 Mercedes Sprinter van. “Customers love the vehicle,” he says. “They want to see it, and their kids want to look at it.”

What customers see is a full tire shop, according to Dearth. His technicians provide touchless tire mounting and balancing, computerized tire balancing, nitrogen fill, and complete tire pressure monitoring system service out of the van.

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“We’re going to make sure the customers’ tire pressure systems are up-to-date and reprogrammed and the tires are computerbalanced and mounted without damage.”

CONVENIENCE SELLS

Dearth established his brick-and-mortar tire store, KC Trends Motorsports, in 1993.

The dealership is located in Johnson County, whose residents are among the richest in Kansas.

The store’s niche is installing UHP tires and wheels for high-end vehicles. GoMobile Tires KC is designed to service all vehicles, from exotic cars to sedans fitted with passenger tires.

“In 27 years of selling tires, this is my first foray into what I call the normal tire market,” says Dearth. “My background is UHP and custom tire sizes and upgrades to vehicles. I am learning quickly about the marketing and the customer differentiation.”

‘IT’S AS SIMPLE AS FOUR JOBS A DAY AND YOU’RE PROFITABLE.’ Although Dearth is targeting owners of passenger cars and SUVs, drivers of high-end vehicles are also using GoMobile Tires KC. Dearth describes his traditional store as “a fun store” for customers who own a Porsche, Ferrari or similar supercar. But they want the convenience of GoMobile Tires KC for their daily driver Mercedes or their spouse’s luxury sport utility vehicle.

There are other customers who do not want to put unnecessary miles on their high-performance vehicles, he adds.

In addition, the GoMobile Tires KC van has fitted classic cars in the midst of restoration with UHP tires. “The owners used to have to put their cars on a trailer and tow them to us and back. So they are thrilled that we can come to their restoration shop.”

Insurance companies have also generated business for GoMobile Tires KC. Dearth’s store is listed as both a traditional and mobile installer for Tire Rack. That means the store’s name comes up when an insurance agent types a client’s address into Tire Rack’s online ordering system.

GoMobile Tires KC installs the tires at the client’s home and saves the insurance

company the tow bill. “It puts money back in the insurance company’s pockets and makes life easier for their customer,” says Dearth.

Fleets operated by plumbers, electricians and other local businesses have also used the mobile service. “Instead of losing a truck out of their fleet for hours a day, we can go to their lot before or after they are open or during business hours and change out the tires on one to 10 vehicles or more, right there,” says Dearth.

KEEP EVOLVING

So far, Dearth has relied on word-ofmouth and his Instagram social media platform to market GoMobile Tires KC. In addition to posting pictures, he is running ads on Instagram. He targets content to a specific audience with the paid ads.

“If I offer a Michelin Pilot Sport 4S UHP tire, my keywords are words like Porsche, Ferrari, luxury,” he says. “With the GoMobile content, the keywords are daycare, diapers, children, pregnancy, wife, family and church. We are completely redirecting our demographic for the mobile service versus the brick-and-mortar store, based on key words and searches that people who need more convenience would use.”

Today’s business environment requires a “get-with-the-times” mentality, he says.

Dearth expects to add at least two, and possibly three, vans for tire installation in 2020.

He is also considering offering additional mobile services, such as vans for installing tire accessories and for tinting windows.

“You’ve got to change or you are going to get left behind,” says Dearth. “You’ve got to keep evolving to keep your name and yourself fresh in the tire business. It’s a very hard, and very low profit, world out there, and you’ve got to be creative.”

Dearth is currently working with a couple of local tire dealerships to offer mobile installation and is trying to line up more.

“We are going to offer this to several more brick-and-mortar tire stores to let them know we are here to make them look better to their customers.”

What do tire dealers think of the van?

“When I open the van door and show them the beauty and technology that goes into each GoMobile truck, their eyes light up. These guys might have been 50 years in the tire business. When they see this pull up and they see the inside, they start smiling like little kids sometimes because they’ve never seen anything like it.”

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While Bush Specialty Vehicles is adding more space to customize mobile tire service vans like the one above, Gaither Tool is marketing the ecube, a compact, all-in-one machine (right) for those entering the mobile tire market. They say the ecube has attracted some unexpected customers, including mobile vehicle detailers.

Equipment options for mobile tire installation

THE GOAL IS TO ‘MAKE IT EASY FOR THE CUSTOMER’

By Joy Kopcha

T

he rising popularity of mobile tire installation begs the question: What equipment does a tire dealer need to expand into the new frontier of on-the-road passenger tire service?

We turned to a pair of mobile equipment providers for their expertise.

Gaither Tool Co. Inc. sells an all-in-one machine, the ecube. It’s a tire changer and tire balancer all in one. And it comes with its own power supply. The unit is compact and designed to fit in the back of a van, box truck or trailer.

Bush Specialty Vehicles Inc. outfits vehicles for all kinds of mobile businesses.

From food trucks to tool trucks to party vehicles and incident command centers, the company creates mobile workspaces across many industries, and has recently opened a 9,000-square-foot building in Performance Handbook 2020

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Ohio wholly dedicated to building mobile tire installation vans.

“I think mobile tire service, especially in the U.S., is still in its infancy,” says Daniel Brahler, product manager at Gaither Tool.

His father, Richard Brahler, president of Gaither Tool, agrees. Two years ago the company took its first version of the ecube to the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show. “We had a good response but nobody in brick-and-mortar was really interested.”

So Gaither, the exclusive distributor of the ecube in the U.S., suggested some tweaks to the manufacturer in Holland. In 2019 Gaither Tool took the ecube back to the SEMA Show with updates, including a version to be used in a trailer. And the reaction was different.

“I think it took a year to digest,” says

Two more things to know about mobile tire service Larry Vanover from Bush Specialty Vehicles offers two more points to consider while weighing the options of adding mobile tire service: 1. “Going mobile means you’ve got to make it easy for the customer.” That includes making it easy for customers to buy tires and request an appointment online.

2. If you’re going to implement more than one mobile vehicle, service routes need to be mapped out. It helps provide consumers with accurate appointment times, and helps technicians utilize their time well.

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Space and silence

Mobile tire installation machine gives techs what they need Gaither Tool Co. Inc. doesn’t build mobile installation vans. Instead, it provides the ecube, and other tools needed to service tires, in a mobile setting.

The ecube is a compact machine that has four pieces built into a single unit: tire changer, balancer, air compressor and a battery.

“From people who have used it and used regular shop machines (for mobile applications), when they compare them they realize they have so much more space for a tire rack,” Daniel Brahler says. “We feel like we’re filling that gap because no other company in the U.S. is offering an all-in-one unit specifically designed for mobile.”

Because the ecube combines multiple machines on one platform, an experienced tire technician will quickly find his or her motions have to change to complete the job. Richard Brahler says when talking to an experienced technician recently he asked the tech why making those adjustments was worth it.

He offered these benefits: Space: He could operate easily with the van doors closed without feeling claustrophobic. There was space to move.

Sound: It’s quiet since the air compressor is silent.

The unit itself provides some help to new tire installers. The machine’s touchscreen offers guidance and videos for trouble fitments users might experience.

For those focusing on tires, Richard Brahler says the ecube offers another benefit. Its small size allows a vehicle to haul more tires at a time. The company has been working with GoMobile Tires Inc. to maximize the tire storage in its vehicles that use the ecube.

Because the ecube has its own power source — a lithium battery pack — the van that houses the unit doesn’t have to keep its engine running during every service call. Daniel Brahler says users have realized fuel savings, and it’s also an environmental benefit.

Richard Brahler expects that more tire dealers in North America will offer mobile installation as an optional service since consumers are demanding more from their service providers.

“There’s been a change in the millennial mindset — and maybe not just millennials,” he says.

“Our time is so valuable to us, so if I can get that service done at my office or at home, I might take advantage of it, even if I might have to pay a little bit more.”

Richard. “The market is opening its eyes to see this as a viable option.”

Traditional brick-and-mortar tire dealers are seeing this as a potential profitable source.

“It’s a way to bring that customer back in (the store.) Once you do a tire change, or rotation, you make that connection. It may be a way to fill up an automotive bay, a tool to fill up the brick-and-mortar store,” says Richard.

OFFERING A TURNKEY OPTION

Customers of Bush Specialty Vehicles “come to us with a mobile vision,” says Larry Vanover, the company’s president.

The company’s current projects range from vehicles for grocery delivery to mobile laundry services. Bush Specialty Vehicles’ first mobile tire vehicles were built about six years ago in partnership with Sears Holdings Corp.

“That’s how we got started in the industry,” says Vanover. “We built their first vans and trucks. Their business plan was not only going to houses, but workplaces.”

He says Sears wanted to spend a day or

Mobile Service Evolved // Semi-Automatic Tire Changer 10”-24” // 2D Wheel Balancer // Silenced 15 Gallon 1.5 HP Compressor // 48V Smart Lithium-Ion Battery Bank // Ultra-Compact Space Saving Design Copyright © 2020 Gaither Tool Co., Inc. All rights reserved.

BB9L // Easy-to-use trigger release // Lightweight design saves your back and your time // Utilizes power over volume: Less really IS more // Anti-corrosion interior tank coating Covered by one or more U.S. patents, including: U.S. Patent 10,266,019 U.S. Patent 9,822,893 U.S. Patent 9,649,897 U.S. Patent 9,033,306 U.S. Patent 8,752,604 and other U.S. and foreign issued patents and pending patent applications listed at www.gaithertool.com

GAITHER TOOL CO., INC.

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Phone: 800.452.5010 Email: Sales@GaitherTool.com Website: GaitherTool.com Performance Handbook 2020

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two at a site, fill up the days with appointments and do bulk tire orders at a single location.

It was during the Sears project that Bush Specialty Vehicles was introduced to Hunter Engineering Co. — the maker of the tire service equipment Sears chose for its vans. Now Bush Specialty Vehicles builds the trucks that Hunter’s salespeople use to demonstrate the company’s equipment, as well as Hunter’s service vans. The two companies partnered again at the 2019 SEMA Show.

“What really drove our business was having a vehicle at the SEMA Show and some of the big tire manufacturers seeing us there,” Vanover says.

Vanover calls the company’s vehicles a “turnkey solution,” including a financing option through Bush Truck Leasing. And it’s an ergonomic one, he says.

After the technician steps out of the van, “the only time they go back in is to get the tires.”

The tools are accessible from the outside.

This speeds up the job because technicians

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Experienced tire technicians have to learn to adjust their usual movements while mounting and balancing tires with the ecube due to its size and design.

aren’t spending time moving in and out of the vehicle, he adds.

While the company can build a mobile tire shop inside either a van or box truck, Vanover says the majority of customers — at least 95% of them — choose vans.

(The Ford Transit and Mercedes Sprinter are popular options.) Buyers don’t want

to roll into residential subdivisions in big trucks, and the vans keep them under U.S. Department of Transportation rules that change if a vehicle exceeds 10,000 pounds.

Most vans can hold three or four sets of tires. Including the tire changer and balancer, Vanover says the equipment investment can start at about $100,000.

Performance Handbook 2020

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Customized adventure

LT TIRES, JEEP MODIFICATIONS ARE AFTERMARKET SHOPS’ SPECIALTY

By Ann Neal

Off-roading is a popular recreational sport that has boosted demand for tires capable of navigating harsh terrain, as well as street tires that combine a rugged off-road aesthetic with on-road performance. Photo courtesy Jeep.

M

ost of the people who walk into the Adventure Off-Road showroom in Huntington Beach, Calif., are eager to customize their newly purchased vehicles.

General Manager Dan Fresh and his team start with the tires.

Fresh says tires are the foundation of the vehicle. “The first thing we probably are going to do to a vehicle is put a lift kit on it. Wheels

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and tires are the bare minimum anyone is going to do to these vehicles. That’s probably why we sell as many tires as we do, because if somebody comes in, they are at least going to do wheels and tires.”

Tire sales have been up about 8% yearover-year the last four years at the aftermarket specialty shop, which was established six years ago. Fresh joined the store two years ago.

The shop’s most-often modified vehicles

by far are Jeeps, especially the new Jeep Gladiator and the regular Jeep Wrangler. That’s no surprise since the Adventure Off-Road store is located inside the Huntington Beach Chrysler Dodge store. Fresh’s 10-bay store also customizes half-ton and quarter-ton trucks and light trucks with dually tires.

When MTD spoke with Fresh, 10 vehicles were in the shop. Thirty customized vehicles are on the store’s lot at all times.

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Many Adventure Off-Road customers “want a unique look” for their Jeeps, says Dan Fresh, the company’s general manager. Photo courtesy Jeep.

THE PERSONAL TOUCH

Most Adventure Off-Road customers add height to their vehicles with lift kits and go to even larger tires. There are many options as several brands offer sizes for 35-, 37-, 38-, and even 40-inch rims.

Fresh says that most customers rely on his employees when choosing their tires, noting that his counter professionals have many years of experience. “Once they get some schooling from us, it makes it pretty easy for them to pick a tire,” he says.

Most Adventure Off-Road customers have two things in mind when they customize their vehicles.

“They want to improve the performance so when they do go off-road they aren’t hitting their skid plates. But also they want a unique look, and that’s one of the nice things about Jeeps. There are more parts for Jeeps than any other vehicle out there,so you can definitely build your own unique-looking vehicle.”

The primary tire brand at Adventure Off-Road is Falken. The brand is original equipment on Jeep Wranglers.

“It’s a simple fit, being it’s the OE tire and easy to explain to our clients why we went with that tire,” says Fresh.

As a member of off-road racing teams sponsored by Falken for the King of the Hammers race, Baja 1000 and other competitions, Fresh has a lot of experience with the brand.

“I race on that tire, so I can really speak to what the tire is all about. I can explain to (customers) why they would want to use an

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all-terrain tire if they are going be primarily on the street. If they are going to be doing a lot of off-road, I can explain to them why they would use a mud tire.”

Being part of a Jeep store is a great fit, says Fresh. “When somebody buys their Jeep – whether they want to buy one off the lot or build their own custom one – the store just introduces them to us. We can tell them exactly what it will cost, what we can do, show them around, and then they can finance it into the deal.”

Sales get a boost from the fact that more than 60% of Jeep owners buy something for their new vehicle within 90 days of purchasing it, according to research that Fresh has seen.

“That is unbelievably high,” he says.

Geography plays a role in Adventure OffRoad’s growth. “Huntington Beach is a great area. From where we are, you can go to the desert in two hours and to the mountains in two hours, and we’re on the beach. So there’s many things to do within a two-hour radius.”

KING OF THE OFF-ROAD

Jeep owners likewise make up the majority of customers at Sako Batanian’s customization shop. He owns Off-Road Kings by King’s Tire and Wheel in El Monte, Calif.

The Off-Road Kings shop is an offshoot of Batanian’s traditional tire stores. He owns two King’s Tire and Wheel Inc. locations. One is in El Monte and the other is in Long Beach.

High-performance and ultra-high performance tire sales and service make up the

majority of the business at the two stores.

When demand for custom builds, modifications and upgrades for off-road vehicles began to grow, Batanian saw an opportunity for his tire stores.

“I started to see the transition of demand for an off-road vehicle,” he says. “I had to take the opportunity and say, ‘Hey, I’m seeing this trend. Let me try to jump on it.’ We educated ourselves and trained ourselves to try to be the best off-road installers out there.”

The two King’s Tire and Wheel stores quickly built a reputation for quality in southern California’s off-road community.

“The demand just grew and grew,” he says. Batanian realized he would need to open a location dedicated to off-road vehicle customization.

“We were actually slowing ourselves down in being so open to working on every type of vehicle, from the UHP and the race cars to off-road (vehicles). Mixed together was kind of working against us so we opened a separate location that only serviced our off-road vehicles.”

LIKE A CONCIERGE SERVICE

Although all vehicles are welcome at Off-Road Kings, the shop is focused on Jeeps.

All customization, everything from tires to transmission work, is done in-house. “We take a brand-new Jeep, tear everything off, put on all-new and give it back to the customer.”

Batanian’s team works on four vehicles at a time, with customers placed on a two- to three-week waiting list.

Customers have high expectations and are willing to pay a premium to get the offroad vehicle of their dreams. Some have paid upward of $200,000 for a custom build.

“We’ve seen it as low as $2,000 or $3,000 on an older car, just to have a capable vehicle.

But there are a lot of higher-end customers in our business who spend a lot of money, and hence the opportunity.”

All members of Batanian’s team are ready to respond to a customer’s request. “We treat it like a concierge service, where we are always on-call to change anything,” he says.

The packages range from the vehicle’s suspension and body to leather seats and lights.

Marketing for Off-Road Kings has been solely word-of-mouth.

“The off-road community is very tightly knit in southern California. People will drive a hundred miles to have us work on their Jeep. Once they get the end result, it’s worth it for them.”

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Goodguys Tire & Auto Repair operates eight stores in the Fresno, Calif., area and has developed a very strong UHP tire buyer following over the years.

Becoming the ‘it’ dealer for UHP tires HOW TO BUILD A ‘RAVING FANS’ MACHINE

By Dan MacDonald

Y

ou’ve experienced it before. There is just something about mounting a new set of V-rated ultra-high performance (UHP) tires on a Porsche 911 or a new Corvette ZR1 that gets a tire dealer’s blood pumping.

“Serving our ultra-high performance customers is a ton of fun,” says Ray Ostrolecki, manager of Arandas Tire & Service, which operates three locations in Detroit. “It’s what gets me up in the morning. Besides that, the high performance (HP)/ultra-high performance (UHP)tire business is a great market segment for us.

It’s about 35% of our business and a major profit driver.”

The margins on UHP tires can deliver a double-digit profit margin bump over typical passenger car or light truck/SUV tires that carry lower, more typical speed ratings.

And with some UHP tires carrying lower mileage warranties than traditional, broadline tires, hard-driving, high-performance customers need to buy tires more often.

If you can win their business, these customers will be a steady source of highmargin, recurring revenue, according to

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Ostrolecki. That is especially true with so many owners of crossovers and smaller, sportier SUVs preferring H- and V-rated tires to deliver a tighter, more responsive driving experience.

Some 222.6 million passenger replacement tires were shipped in the U.S. last year, according to the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association.

In its February 2020 edition, Modern Tire Dealer estimated that H-rated tires comprised a total of 64 million units and V-rated and above passenger replacement tires totaled 60 million units.

Those lofty numbers mean that HP and, in particular, UHP tires can drive both higher margins and growth in unit sales.

If you’re not already aggressively going after the high-performance customer, you are leaving a lot of money on the table.

THE ‘GO-TO’ SOURCE

So how do you become the “it” dealership in your market for HP/UHP tires?

For Scott Shubin, owner of Goodguys Tire & Auto Repair in Fresno, Calif., it means being very intentional in your marketing and,

more importantly, delivering an exceptional customer experience every time.

Goodguys Tire operates eight stores in the Fresno area and has a very strong and growing business in the HP/UHP tire market segment.

“The UHP customer is usually very knowledgeable about their tires,” says Shubin.

“They use the internet for research, going to car forums and chatting with other owners about what tires have worked best. It’s so important that we have the knowledge and experience to give the very best advice about which tire will work the best for their vehicle. And we must be able to source it quickly.

“We also take into account the roads that customers drive on and the type of driving they do,” he adds.

“Not all roads are created equal, and the roads they drive may be right for one tire and not lead to a great experience with a different one.”

Shubin also says that training and using the best possible equipment are critically important to delivering a consistently exceptional customer experience.

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“People want to know if they can trust you,” says Scott Shubin, owner of Goodguys Tire. “If you consistently deliver that quality experience, it makes all the difference.” Shubin’s team asks probing questions to more thoroughly understand where their customers drive and what kind of driving they do.

“All of our stores have the latest tire equipment to service a wide variety of tires, including HP/UHP and run-flats,” he notes.

“We also have the latest alignment equipment that is updated with new specifications as they become available, so we can service a wide range of high-performance vehicles.

“We highlight our equipment and capabilities in our social media,” he continues.

“We have to get the alignment and set-up just right.

“These customers know instantly if their vehicle feels right or wrong. When you nail it, they tell their friends. That word-of-mouth drives new business.”

BUILD A RAVING FAN MACHINE

“Word-of-mouth is and always will be the best form of advertising,” says Scott Wozniak, an author, renowned leadership consultant and owner of Atlanta, Ga.-based Swoz Leadership, which helps companies create not just satisfied customers, but raving fans of their businesses.

“A raving fan is a different kind of customer,” he explains. “They aren’t just satisfied customers who are a little bit happier. They are customers who love your business and rave about your level of service and the quality of your product.”

Wozniak says raving are incredibly valuable for three key reasons: Performance Handbook 2020

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UHP tire customers do their research and know their tires. “It’s so important that we have the knowledge and experience to give the very best advice about which tire will work the best for their vehicle,” says Goodguys Tire’s Shubin. (Here, Steve Aiello from Goodguys Tire, left, talks with a customer.)

1. They buy more and they buy often.

2. They pay full price. They are not driven by discounts. They are driven by quality.

The more you discount, the fewer of these customers you attract. You have to decide if you are ideally suited to discount or go after high-ticket quality customers, like UHP tire buyers.

3. They tell other people to buy from you.

“People sometimes assume that building a ‘raving fans’ following is a magical or lucky thing or they just have the coolest product,” he says. In fact, building such a following requires a deliberate business strategy that any UHP tire dealer can execute if he or she is willing to build a “raving fans engine.” This consists of three elements: 1. Operational excellence. Wozniak says this is by far the most difficult and the most important part of the engine. “You have to be consistently excellent,” he says. “Being inconsistently excellent will earn you the same amount of trust as being consistently bad.”

According to Wozniak, you must consistently deliver excellence in communication, technical expertise, service and being on time, every time. That means being disciplined enough to not overbook or understaff your shop so you can deliver a top-quality experience on a consistent basis. It takes time and effort to build a shop for quality fanatics. “People

want to know if they can trust you. If you consistently deliver that quality experience, it makes all the difference. If you can do that, your customers will rave about you to their friends.”

2. Personalized service. Attention to detail matters, says Wozniak. Get to know your customers by name, always greet them with a smile and get to know their story. That’s the only way you can deliver personalized service.

That’s exactly what Shubin of Goodguys Tire says his dealership does. Shubin says that understanding his customer’s story, including where they drive and what kind of driving they do, can help his team dial in exactly the right product for the right vehicle.

It also makes his customers feel important every time they do business at his dealership.

3. Memorable moments. Delivering personalized service feeds directly into the creation of memorable moments, says Wozniak, who adds that it’s all about making the customer the “hero.” At Arandas Tire, Ostrolecki says this philosophy is central to his UHP tire customer marketing. When his dealership participates in the Detroit Autorama or other automotive showcase events, he often features a customer’s car in his company’s display. “Our customer’s love it,” says Ostrolecki. “They’re flattered that we want to brag about their car, but we can also deliver a quality message at the

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Dea le r

Prof il e same time. We talk about how we love to chase down that hard-to-find exotic tire and wheel package for our customers. It’s a winner for everyone.”

Wozniak says it helps to define who your raving fans are and what it really means to deliver operational excellence, provide personalized service and create memorable moments. Then figure out ways to measure it.

“I think you should keep track of how many times you asked about their personal stories, how often you deliver their car on time and how well you exceeded their expectations for quality.

“If you measure it, you can manage it and ultimately build a culture of excellence at your dealership.”

“Getting out to events is a great way to connect with new customers and build the credibility of our team,” says Arandas Tire & Service Manager Ray Ostrolecki (center), with tire techs Oscar Orozco, left, and Angel Melendez.

UHP tire buyers are a steady source of revenue for Arandas Tire, which draws loyal customers from all over the greater Detroit, Mich., area.

“We post about the work we do on our customers’ cars on Instagram at least once a week,” says Arandas Tire’s Ostrolecki, who is an avid user of social media.

24 MTDPH20_McDonald.indd 24

DRIVING NEW CUSTOMERS TO YOUR DOOR

While traditional marketing methods aren’t part of Wozniak’s raving fans engine, they certainly can play a key role in becoming the “it” dealership for UHP tires. Leading dealers know how to get in front of customers and build connections. And they typically don’t spend a fortune doing it. Here are four low-cost, high-impact grassroots strategies: 1. Fish where the fish are: Have a presence at local car events. HP/UHP tire customers love their cars and tires and enjoy being around other car lovers. Ostrolecki says he attends bigger aftermarket shows, but says he’s also found a lot of customers by having a presence at smaller, low-key “coffee and cars” events around his community. These events give him a chance to show off his own Dodge Charger with its special HP tire and wheel package or bring a customer’s car to show off. “Getting out to these events is a great way to connect with new customers and build the credibility of our team,” he says. “There’s a lot of value to being visible in the right places.”

2. Be social: Both Ostrolecki and Shubin are very active on social media channels, especially Facebook and Instagram. Shubin uses social media to promote the UHP tires that his dealership carries. “We target car enthusiasts with our posts and always showcase our experience and expertise.”

For Ostrolecki, social media provides a great way to tell great stories about his customers. “We post about the work we do on our customers’ cars on Instagram at least once a week,” he says. “We will post Performance Handbook 2020

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a great photo of the customer’s car and its tires and tag our customers, who then will re-post and tag us. We get a ton of likes and people re-sharing. It builds a buzz around our store.”

3. Make the web a key business driver: It’s all about your ability to stand out on Google. When someone does a Google search for “high-performance tires near me,” your dealership should be among the top three results. If not, you might be invisible to your future customers. If you need to pay someone to help you with search engine optimization, do it. Your site is the front porch to your business. Make it awesome.

Use great images of your store, showroom and team. Tell your story in a compelling way and make it simple to search for the tires they need. This is the most important, customer-facing marketing tool you have.

4. Manage your online reputation: If you aren’t monitoring and responding to reviews on Google and Yelp or the feedback posted

Arandas Tire even spotlights the special work it has done on customers’ Jeeps.

Going the extra mile Arandas Tire doubles as ‘the ultimate valet’

Amazon has changed the way everyone shops. With a few clicks, just about anything you want can be put in a box and delivered to your front door the next day. And it’s not just Amazon. Almost everyone is now in the delivery business.

Consumers often buy their tires online and have them shipped to their favorite dealership for installation. But the customer still has to drive his or her car to a dealership to have those tires installed.

Ray Ostrolecki, manager of Arandas Tire & Service in Detroit, Mich., says the dealership actually goes that extra mile for some of his ultra-high performance tire customers – literally. Arandas picks cars up at customers’ houses, drives them to a store, installs the tires they have purchased and then drops the car back off at their homes.

“I’m in Detroit and a lot of my UHP customers live in the suburbs, and their sports car is not their everyday car” Ostrolecki says. “So we make it effortless for them.

We pick up the car, do the work and deliver it back to their driveway. It’s the ultimate valet.”

Providing that kind of premium service sets his dealership apart from its competitors. “We want customers to feel special and providing this kind of convenience is a great way to do it.”

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The Arandas Tire booth at the 2017 Detroit Autorama show featured a custom UHP tire and wheel package the dealership installed on a customer’s 1963 Impala.

on your own social pages, you are risking the reputation of your business. Whether the review is good or bad, you need to be engaged and posting responses in a timely fashion.

If you get a great review, let that customer know how much you appreciate his or her business. If you get a negative review, respond online that you’re committed to fixing the problem. You also need to reach out to that customer offline and offer to do whatever it takes to fix the problem and make it right.

Ostrolecki, Shubin and other UHP tire dealers have proven there is a ton of opportunity to carve out a leadership posi-

tion when it comes to high-end tires, and Wozniak believes that’s especially true if you lean into operational excellence and provide the personalized service that leads to memorable moments.

Why settle for “satisfied customers” when you can build a powerful engine that creates raving fans of your tire dealership and makes you the unquestioned “it” dealership in your market for UHP tires?

Dan MacDonald is a freelance writer and former public relations director for Bridgestone Americas Inc. He founded MacDonald Communications, which focuses on public relations and digital marketing. He can be reached at (615) 681-5381 or dan@maccomm.net, website: www.maccomm.net.

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M o un ting/Bal anci ng

Servicing tires with satin wheels FIVE EXPERT TIPS TO PREVENT DAMAGE

By Joy Kopcha

I

t’s not always easy to spot a refinished wheel with the naked eye, but you can bet plenty of the vehicles rolling into your bays have them. And they bring with them a special risk.

“The refinished wheel is more susceptible to damage than a lot of the OE wheels are, depending on how it’s been finished,” says Jim Hudson, product specialist for Hunter Engineering Co. “The finishing process usually isn’t as good as the original equipment (wheels). The coating isn’t as hard or durable.”

That makes scratching a wheel all the more likely when a technician is performing any routine tire mount or balance job.

A few years ago, clad wheels were the cause of much consternation in the industry. Clad wheels have a metallic or chrome-like look, but the whole face of the wheel is actually made of plastic.

Hudson says clad wheels haven’t disappeared altogether, but they are less prevalent in 2020. The latest struggle comes with “satin” wheels. These alloy wheels have a different sheen and mostly look like brushed nickel.

The downside is that satin wheels show damage easily and are vulnerable to scratching. Painted wheels are also problematic, Hudson says.

“Paint is probably the worst finish for a wheel just because of the environment they’re exposed to. They’re on the road, in salt water, getting curb damage and getting tires changed on and off of them. A wheel lives a pretty hard life.”

The good news is there are steps technicians can take to minimize that damage.

Hudson provided five tips to prevent damage to refinished wheels, but really these are best practices that apply to mounting and balancing any tire on any wheel. “It boils down to caution,” Hudson says: 1. Make sure the mount and demount head on the wheel surfaces are clean. Hudson says debris can build up inside dried tire lube. “It’s usually that debris that’s causing the scratches, and not the actual head. The head is plastic.

Rock chips or dust that get ground into the dried bead lube can cause scratching.”

26 MTDPH20_MountingBalancing.indd 26

Hunter Engineering Co.’s Jim Hudson points to scratches on a satin wheel that wasn’t properly protected during service. Refinished wheels are more susceptible to damage.

Slipping a plastic protector — and keeping that protector in good condition — would have prevented the wheel damage shown in the upper photo.

2. Inspect the plastic inserts for the metal heads and make sure they’re not excessively worn. Every component that touches the wheel — from the inserts to bead levers, clamping jaws and side shovels — needs to

be in good condition. “All those components touch the wheel,” he says.

Typically they have plastic protectors, and keeping those in good shape is also important, says Hudson.

Performance Handbook 2020

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Untitled

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M o un ting/Bal anci ng 3. Set the mount and demount head slightly higher. Hudson says he learned this tip from watching Hunter’s Revolution tire changer work. “A favorite technique of mine is to push upward on the lower bead during top bead demount. That reduces the stress of the wheel surface. It requires a lower roller to do, and the Revolution actually does it automatically. It’s built into the process.”

(Any tire changer with a roller that can work

on the lower bead is able to do this. Hudson says Hunter’s Revolution, Auto34S and TC39 tire changers have the capability.)

“It takes a split second of extra time,” says Hudson. “There’s not really a time penalty to it. You just have to remember to do it.”

4. Avoid existing wheel damage when positioning the head. Technicians have programmed themselves to work around tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) when

mounting and demounting tires, says Hudson.

“A lot of times, technicians will want to save the TPMS. They’ll clock the TPMS and there might be some chipping or cracking or flaking at the spot of the wheel. That’s the worst possible place to start because you’re going to exacerbate that damage. That’s a recipe for damage, or for making the damage worse.

“If in doubt, drop the TPMS entirely, then mount and demount anywhere you can that’s not damaged,” Hudson says. “When you have a wheel that is painted or that is satin that you’re really trying to protect, TPMS isn’t the only thing to keep in mind. If you drop the TPMS, you’re guaranteed not to damage it, and you can make the adjustments you need to protect the wheel.”

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Jim Hudson is a product specialist at Hunter Engineering, and specifically works to develop new products in the company’s lineup of tire changers.

He recommends taking it a step further and inspecting the entire wheel. Look for any signs of damage, whether it’s a bent spot, low spot or high spot — and avoid those areas.“Sometimes you have to save the wheel as a whole. Take a holistic approach.”

5. Use flange plates. Flange plates are an under-used accessory, says Hudson. They can be used on any wheel — not just reverse wheels or clad wheels — on center clamp machines. The benefit is the flange plates “will completely eliminate centerboard damage” on any finished wheel.

Technicians might waffle on this, thinking that the use of flange plates costs them time, but Hudson says the time lost is minimal.

When switching pins from a five-bolt to a six-bolt wheel, it might take one extra minute. “But typically, I can clamp from the flange plate onto a wheel in 15 seconds of extra time. There’s no real excuse.”

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T PM S

TPMS service for those tricky situations HOW TO KEEP OPERATIVE WITH CUSTOM WHEELS (WHEN IN DOUBT, CONTACT THE EXPERTS!)

By Kevin Rohlwing

O

n September 1, 2007, the passenger and light truck tire industry changed forever when every vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 10,000 lbs. or less manufactured for sale in the United States was required to have a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS).

This marked the end of the phase-in period that started in 2005 when only 20% of new vehicles had to include TPMS. In the earliest days of TPMS, the main issue in service bays was technicians inadvertently breaking sensors. If a sensor is not in the correct position during the demount or mount process, it can be permanently damaged.

Then came the issue of sensor replacement. Clamp-in sensors have a hex nut with a collar to secure the valve stem assembly to the rim. That hex nut has a specific torque.

Under-torque leads to valve stem leaks.

And if over-torque is too extreme, the valve stem will break.

I learned the importance of hex nut torque producing one of the first TPMS service videos and had to replace a $180 sensor on a Lexus that we borrowed for filming. There were a lot of painful lessons learned between 2005 and 2010.

By 2011, things started to settle down.

Broken sensors were an occasional problem and most tire dealerships had at least one tool to reset or recalibrate TPMS. Then another change happened. As it became obvious that the complexity of domestic and import systems was not going to change, the focus shifted from understanding the process of servicing the TPMS system and sensors to understanding the legal ramifications if the TPMS does

30 MTDPH20_TPMS.indd 30

In the early days of TPMS, the importance of positioning the bead behind the sensor when mounting a tire made it a top priority for tire dealers. This is a fairly common practice today, but in the mid 2000s, it was a major change for technicians. If a sensor is not in the correct position during the mount or demount process, it can be damaged. Clamp-in sensors have a hex nut with a collar to secure the valve stem.

not work or the consumer refuses to pay for repairs.

The Tire Industry Association (TIA) reached out to numerous stakeholders to gather their concerns and then summarized them into some common scenarios faced by retailers in a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

All of them were focused on the “make inoperative” provision that applies to all safety systems governed by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS): 49 USC 30122 (B) A manufacturer, distributor, dealer, rental company, or motor vehicle repair business may not knowingly make inoperative any part of a device or element of design installed on or in a motor

vehicle or motor vehicle equipment in compliance with an applicable motor vehicle safety standard prescribed under this chapter unless the manufacturer, distributor, dealer, rental company, or repair business reasonably believes the vehicle or equipment will not be used (except for testing or a similar purpose during maintenance or repair) when the device or element is inoperative.

The key words are “knowingly make inoperative.” In the first scenario, TIA asked if a motorist was made aware of an inoperative TPMS sensor and declined to purchase a new one, does the service provider violate 49 USC 30122(b) by removing the damaged sensor and replacing it with a standard rubber snap-in valve stem?

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T PM S PHOTOS COURTESY OF TIA

Technicians must know the difference between a telltale that identifies a flat tire and a MIL that indicates that the TPMS system has become inoperative. Most telltales can be eliminated with an air pressure adjustment and/or a relearn procedure. The MIL could signal any one of a number of problems, from dead batteries to missing sensors. If technicians see a MIL when they start the car, the customer should be notified before any work is performed. It is critically important to keep customers informed.

NHTSA responded by basically saying an inoperative system prior to service is already inoperative, so the motor vehicle repair business would not violate the “make inoperative” provision by replacing an inoperative valve stem sensor with a standard rubber snap-in valve.

NHTSA also pointed out that disabling the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) on the instrument panel would violate 30122(b).

The second scenario started as a question about winter tire and wheel assemblies.

Retailers in snow tire country often sold a second set of tires and wheels so consumers could quickly and easily switch from one to the other. There were a lot of questions regarding the interpretation of “knowingly make inoperative” if the vehicle owner declined to purchase new sensors for the winter tire/wheel assemblies.

One camp suggested that the system would still operate if winter tires were installed without sensors because the driver would be notified that the tires were not being monitored. Again, it was acknowledged that disabling the telltale or MIL light on the instrument panel would be a violation, but in this case, the motorist made the decision to disable the TPMS by refusing to purchase new sensors. The other camp disagreed, so TIA proceeded to ask NHTSA for guidance.

The question was, “If a motorist purchases a set of aftermarket winter tires and wheels and declines to purchase new TPMS sensors, does the service provider violate 49 USC 30122(b) because they would be

32 MTDPH20_TPMS.indd 32

In this instance, breakage was caused by attempted removal of the valve core. I’m almost positive that the technician, in this case, did not know that removing the valve core would break the valve stem sensor. This is a textbook example of inadvertent damage. In a situation like this, it’s up to the customer to decide if they want to pay for repairs. And declines should be noted.

installing assemblies that knowingly make the system inoperative?” NHTSA replied by saying that if a vehicle has a functioning TPMS at the time a customer purchases aftermarket tire and wheels, the service provider would violate the “make inoperative” provision by installing them without sensors. According to NHTSA: To avoid a “make inoperative” violation, the service provider would need to decline to install the new tires and rims, use the TPMS sensors from the original wheels (if they are compatible), or convince the motorist to purchase new TPMS sensors and ensure that the sensors are properly integrated with the vehicle’s TPMS system. By removing tires and wheels with functioning TPMS sensors and replacing them with tires and wheel without TPMS sensors, the repair business has knowingly removed an essential part of the TPMS system. This is precisely the type of action that the “make inoperative” provision of 49 USC 30122(b) is intended to prohibit.

Of course, this creates an array of issues for the aftermarket tire and wheel industry.

Tire dealerships should make every effort to take the working sensors out of original equipment rims and install them in the aftermarket rims if the consumer refuses to purchase new sensors.

NHTSA was very clear when it said “use the TPMS sensors from the original wheels.”

NHTSA also included the caveat “if they are compatible,” because there will be circumstances when the original sensors

cannot be installed in the aftermarket rims.

In those instances, it would appear that the government is giving the industry some relief by recognizing that TPMS and aftermarket rims are not a one-size-fits-all proposition.

If the original TPMS sensor does not fit the contour of the rim and impedes the demounting, mounting and seating processes, then it should be easy to make the case that it is not compatible.

If the original TPMS sensor does fit the contour of the rim, then the technician has to make the effort to switch the sensors if the customer refuses to purchase new ones.

What happens when the tech goes to loosen the hex nut and the valve stem snaps? Does the service provider break the law if it isn’t replaced? And who pays for that?

The answer to those questions can be found in NHTSA’s response to the third scenario, when TIA asked for guidance on inadvertent damage to a non-defective sensor. This is where things got a little more complicated.

NHTSA said, “Generally, we would not consider inadvertent actions to violate the ‘make inoperative’ provision.”

In my opinion, it is nearly impossible for a technician to know prior to attempting to remove the hex nut that this action could cause the valve stem to break.

Anytime a valve stem snaps off when a tech tries to remove the hex nut, valve cap, valve stem, clip-on air chuck or air gauge, that qualifies as inadvertent damage, as far as I’m concerned.

At that point, the consumer should be Performance Handbook 2020

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Every vehicle manufacturer takes a different approach to TPMS. Tire dealerships must have the necessary tools, equipment and information to ensure that operational systems before servicing remain operational after servicing. If the system is inoperational when it arrives, it can be inoperational when it leaves, if the consumer refuses to pay for repairs. But make sure this is documented.

notified and advised of the repair costs. If they decline, then it should be noted on the invoice.

A simple comment like “sensor broke removing hex nut, customer refused replacement” will go a long way toward defending a tire dealership that is accused of violating 30122(b) when replacing an inadvertently damaged valve stem sensor with a standard rubber snap-in valve, in my opinion.

The same principle can be applied when the sensors from the original wheels are compatible with the aftermarket wheels yet, for whatever reason, the TPMS telltale or malfunction indicator lamp remains illuminated after they are installed.

There’s no way a technician can know if the system will operate as designed when the original sensors are transferred to the new wheels.

In these types of situations, I’m going to focus on the word “knowingly.” Every domestic and import vehicle manufacturer uses a different approach to TPMS that results in an array of operational capabilities and more importantly, limitations.

By law, a new vehicle must satisfy the requirements outlined by FMVSS 138 when

34 MTDPH20_TPMS.indd 34

it’s sold. After that, 49 USC 30122(b) takes over. If the technician installs the original sensors and goes through the appropriate relearn procedures, if needed, only to discover that the TPMS telltale or MIL remains illuminated, then I believe they have fulfilled their obligation to make it operative.

There is no way anyone can absolutely “know” if the original sensors will work in aftermarket wheels, but the service provider should still make the effort to install them and relearn the system.

Ultimately, it’s up to the vehicle manufacturer to decide what the TPMS can and cannot do. One thing the vehicle manufacturer will never do is allow the underinflation threshold to be adjusted lower. The whole purpose of TPMS is to warn the driver when one or more tires are significantly underinflated by illuminating a telltale on the instrument panel. The infamous yellow “horseshoe with an exclamation point” is a sign that the inflation pressure needs attention.

FMVSS 138 sets the threshold at 25% of the placard pressure, so a vehicle with original equipment tires that require 32 psi

would have a threshold of 24 psi. When the inflation pressure in the tire reaches 24 psi, the TPMS telltale will illuminate. The “make inoperative” provision applies to this, as well, so disabling the TPMS telltale on the instrument panel would be a direct violation of 49 USC 30122(b).

From a liability standpoint, most of the laws that are applied to the motor vehicle repair business are fairly clear. If the TPMS is knowingly made inoperative, then a violation of federal law has occurred. When damage is inadvertent and makes the system inoperative, then it’s up to the consumer to decide if they want to pay for repairs. If they decline, it should be noted somewhere in the paperwork.

When selling aftermarket wheel packages, the salesperson must explain the options regarding TPMS so the consumer can choose to buy new sensors or have the original sensors transferred to the new wheels.

From there, the technician must attempt to install the old sensors or install new ones.

If the original sensors are incompatible, then they cannot be installed. This should be noted on the invoice.

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T PM S new wheels, then the installer is obligated to install and attempt to relearn the system if necessary.

One area that is not always clear when it comes to aftermarket wheels and TPMS is the underinflation threshold. I’m not a lawyer, but I’ve been around enough good ones on my side and against me to know that the legal profession thrives on shades of gray.

Most of the “make inoperative” issues are black and white. Don’t disable the telltale.

If it works before servicing, it should work after the service is complete. Technicians cannot know that inadvertent damage will occur, so they are not knowingly making the TPMS inoperative when something breaks and the consumer refuses to pay for repairs.

If the original sensors fit the aftermarket wheels, then they must be transferred or replaced with new sensors.

The shades of gray that continue to concern me are related to the underinflation threshold. When a higher pressure for the plus-fitment tire is necessary, the

36 MTDPH20_TPMS.indd 36

TPMS underinflation warning will still be based on the original equipment inflation pressure. Using the previous example with a 32 psi placard pressure, a plus-size tire on an aftermarket rim that requires 40 psi would technically require a underinflation threshold of 30 psi.

If the threshold remains at the original 24 psi, the operational status of the TPMS could come into question.

I don’t believe the “make inoperative” provision applies to these situations, but that won’t stop the plaintiff from alleging that the retailer knowingly made the TPMS inoperative by installing a larger tire size that changed the threshold for the warning.

If the tire fails as the result of underinflation and it results in an accident, the victim could look to blame everything and everyone they can remotely prove as a contributing factor or cause.

However, when the consumer is made aware of the TPMS limitations that were the result of their decision to purchase and install an aftermarket tire and wheel package, then the servicing tire dealership

has an important tool for their defense.I believe the most effective protection is a combination of communication and effort: • First, the installer has to make the motorist aware of the inflation pressure adjustment. The best practice would be to put a secondary placard on the vehicle with the new size and inflation pressure(s), if you can find the stickers.

• At the same time, some vehicles allow adjustments to the underinflation threshold with the proper scan tool, so installers need to at least check to see if it can be changed. If it can, then the underinflation threshold should be adjusted and the consumer informed. If it cannot, then the motorist needs to be made aware that the underinflation threshold is still based on the inflation pressure of the original equipment tire, so a TPMS telltale in those instances would reflect an underinflated tire below the federal minimum.

Given the wide range of systems and capabilities, retailers cannot be expected to

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T PM S definitively ensure that the TPMS is fully operational in accordance with FMVSS 138 every time that aftermarket wheels are installed.

As evidenced by NHTSA’s responses to TIA questions years ago, the words “knowingly make inoperative” can be interpreted in different ways.

In my opinion, it’s all about intent. Did the motor vehicle repair business intentionally disable the TPMS? If there was no intention to disable the TPMS within the parameters that have already been established, then the retailer should be on firm legal ground if they make the effort to transfer the original sensors and relearn the system when the customer refuses to purchase new sensors.

Finally, I would advise tire dealers to consult their legal counsel and/or insurance company regarding TPMS and aftermarket wheels because their opinions matter the most in the unfortunate event of an accident. ■

Got a question about TPMS? Expert advice is available

The following tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) providers offer technical service and expertise and are ready to advse in the event of TPMS-related questions:

31 Inc. 31inc.com (800) 438-3302

Bartec USA Bartecusa.com (866) 407-8767

Airtech TPMS Airtechtpms.com (714) 375-TPMS

Continental VDO/RediSensor Redi-sensor.com (800) 564-5066

Alligator Alligator-sensit.com (855) 573-6748 ATEQ Ateq-tpms.com (734) 838-6119

Hamaton TPMS Hamaton-tpms.com (888) 588-7039

Autel Autel.com (802) 862-1500

Kevin Rohlwing is the Tire Industry Association’s senior vice president of training.

Dill Air Control Systems Dillvalves.com (800) 815-3455

Huf Baolong Electronics North America Corp.

Bh-sens.com (414) 365-8175 Regitar USA Regitar.com (334) 244-1901 Schrader TPMS Solutions Schradertpms.com (800) 288-1804 Standard Motor Products Inc. Smpcorp.com (804) 862-1500

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R ea d i ng

Tires

Speed ratings

How to read a sidewall

USE THIS GUIDE TO EDUCATE CUSTOMERS The information on the sidewall of a standard passenger or light truck tire might be confusing to the average tire buyer. Take an opportunity to educate your customers about the letters and numbers there, and what they mean.

All tires have speed ratings, and any with at least an S-speed rating is considered a performance tire.

Performance tire speed rating/ maximum speed (in miles per hour) S = 112 Family sedans and vans T = 118 Family sedans and vans H = 130 Sport sedans and coupes V = 149 Sport sedans, coupes and sports cars W = 168 Exotic sports cars Y = 186 Exotic sports cars (Y) = >186 Exotic sports cars Z = 149 Exotic sports cars When Z-speed rated tires were first introduced, they were thought to reflect the highest tire speed rating that would ever be required, in excess of 240 km/h or 149 mph.

While Z-speed rated tires are capable of speeds in excess of 149 mph, how far above 149 mph was not identified.

That ultimately caused the automotive industry to add W- and Y-speed ratings, as shown in the above speed rating chart, to identify the tires that meet the needs of vehicles that have very high, top-speed capabilities.

ART COURTESY OF WWW.TIRERACK.COM

Example size: 225/45R17 91V Identification of tire age

Example: XX B3 ABCD 2719

Consumers might ask, “When was this tire made?”

To determine when the tire was produced, check out the manufacturers’ vehicle identification numbers (VIN) stamped into the sidewall.

Find the Tire Identification Numbers (TIN), which identify when the tire was made.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) requires that Tire Identification Numbers be a combination of the letters DOT, followed by eight to 13 letters and/or numbers that identify the manufacturing location (XX), tire size code (B3) and manufacturer’s code (ABCD), along with the week and year the tire was manufactured. The first two numbers identify the week (27) and the final two numbers identify the year of manufacture (19).

This tire was produced in the 27th month of 2019.

SOURCE: WWW.TIRERACK.COM

40 MTDPH20_ReadingATire.indd 40

225 = The first three numbers (225/45R17) are the tire’s indicated section width in millimeters, measured from sidewall to sidewall.

45 = The second pair of numbers (225/45R17) is the tire’s aspect ratio or profile.

This is a percentage representing the ratio of the sidewall’s section height to the tire’s section width.

R = Radial construction 17 = This number (225/45R17) is the diameter of the wheel in inches.

91 = Load index – here 1,356 pounds V = Speed rating – here a maximum speed of 149 mph Performance Handbook 2020

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For The Life Of The Tool

KIT INCLUDES Rubber Valve Stems Included

READ / RELEARN ALL KNOWN SENSORS 4 MX-SENSOR PROGRAMMING METHODS FREE SOFTWARE UPDATES FOR LIFE EXCLUSIVE TPMS STATUS SCREEN TIRE PRESSURE PLACARD VALUE RESET DISPLAY RELEARN PROCEDURES OBD RELEARN ON DOMESTIC VEHICLES CLONE SENSOR IDS VIA OBDII KEY FOB SIGNAL TEST PROGRAM MULTIPLE MX-SENSORS EASY - TO - USE TOOL NAVIGATION

MAINTENANCE SERVICE + COMPLETE TPMS SERVICE

Part# 700040

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

KIT INCLUDES Rubber Valve Stems Included

WIRELESS MA XIVCI MINI

INCLUDES WIRELESS BLUETOOTH VCI MORE THAN 20 MAINTENANCE SERVICE OPTIONS AUTOSCAN ALL VEHICLE SYSTEMS PRINT DIAGNOSTIC HEALTH REPORTS EXCLUSIVE TPMS STATUS SCREEN OBDII AUTOVIN 2006+ OE LEVEL COVERAGE WEEKLY UPDATES REMOTE REPAIR SUPPORT TOOL LOG IN DATA LOGS TO AUTEL ENGINEERS TING I/M READINESS & EMISSIONS TESTING

1- S K U

RUB B E R / A LU MINU M

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• 99% Vehicle Coverage • Re-Programmable Sensors

Phone: (855) 288-3587 • USSUPPORT@AUTEL.COM AUTEL.COM • MAXITPMS.COM • MAXISYSADAS.COM

EASY - TO - USE TOOL NAVIGATION

INVE NTO TO RY

• Maximum Signal Strength • Meets All SAE Standards

Follow Us @AutelTools

© 2020 Autel U.S., All Rights Reserved

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YOUR PERFORMANCE {Connect to BlackburnsWheelFinder.com}

Sign up for a Free Account Today • OEM Steel and Alloy wheels for Foreign and Domestic light trucks and automobiles • Immediate shipping nationwide

OEM Wheel Solutions

• The most complete online inventory of OEM wheels

Empower Your Search

blackburnswheelfinder.com 800-981-8321

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LTRA HIGH L SEASON U

AL

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PERFORMA

TE TIRE S “ULTIMA E IZ IL T A U MACHO SUPER SILIC O D H E T C C U E M IR THE AND “D E, BETTER GY (UTT)” RESISTANC G IN L L O TECHNOLO R APPED ELIVER LOW LIFE ALL WR D D A TO E R )” T S S R TO E (D G TIRE. BUILT N AND LON E C IO T N C A A M R R T O T WE PERF FORMANCE LTRA-HIGH DING PER N A M E UP IN AN U D TIONS HE MOST DS EXPECTA E E C X E O SATISIFY T CAR CH THE DRIFT UCHO MA N M O , S E R IT E R IV O DR R FAV W A DRIVE A PRO! AND IS NO E DRIV LIKE .

IT U C IR C RACING *

CLUDED

Y IN D WARRANT ROAD HAZAR

GER M PASSEN IU M E R P N TIRE ALL SEASO PREMIUM A IS E, 7 OOTH RID MO RC-1 S M S O C A E R H E T LIV ANCE. ED TO DE PERFORM D N A ENGINEER T R E DESIGN , COMFO V E O IS O O R N G W LO OND WET UE DIAM ON BOTH L O R T N THE UNIQ O C IVERING SUPERIOR L AS DEL L E W PROVIDES S S A ROADS MS OF IT R Y O R F D E D H N T A IN ECURIT Y OPERTIES. ADDED S R P G IN N A OPL ANTI-HYDR ED NT Y INCLUD A R R A W D R ROAD HAZA *SELECT SIZES ONLY. VISIT COSMO TIRES.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION.

COSMOTIRES.COM

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1.844.COSMOGO

@COSMOTIRES

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9010 N. Royal Ln. Suite 100 (855) 575-FURY

IRVING, TX 75063 (469) 464-3607

T R A C T I O N

F O R

L I F E

sales@furyoffroadtires.com

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2 Interchangeable Adaptor Heads Y Head: (cradles round and square axles) Round Head: (cradles u-bolts and flat surfaces)

// Comes with 2 interchangeable adaptor heads

GT-20MS MSR-01 MSY-01

// Maintains the center of gravity while lifting // Dramatically reduces the chance of vehicle drops // Makes jack positioning easy

Copyright Š 2019 Gaither Tool Co., Inc. All rights reserved.

U.S. PAT Number: 10,214,399

BB12L // World’s most powerful bead seaters // Easy-to-use trigger release // Lightweight design saves your back and your time // Utilizes power over volume: Less really IS more

BB9L

// Anti-corrosion interior tank coating

GB-38L

BB6L

Our Most Powerful Bead Seater Perfect for large OTR Tires

Covered by one or more U.S. patents, including: U.S. Patent 10,266,019 U.S. Patent 9,822,893 U.S. Patent 9,649,897 U.S. Patent 9,033,306 U.S. Patent 8,752,604 and other U.S. and foreign issued patents and pending patent applications listed at www.gaithertool.com

GAITHER TOOL CO., INC.

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Phone: 800.452.5010 Email: Sales@GaitherTool.com Website: GaitherTool.com

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Show case 2020 PRODUCT SHOWCASE

CUV/SUV TOURING Drivers count on versatility and dependability, from crosscountry road trips to trips to the store. The Nexen Roadian GTX touring tire meets this need and exceeds expectations.

Drivers want a long tread life. They want all-season traction.

They want the best mileage and a comfortable ride.

On every count, the new Roadian GTX delivers.

SIZE RANGE: 17" – 22" | UTQG: 600/680 A A SPEED RATING: H, T, V & W MILEAGE WARRANTY: 70,000 miles ROAD HAZARD: First 2/32" or 1 year ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE: 36 months FREE TRIAL: 45 days or 500 miles

SIZE RANGE: 15" – 22" | SPEED RATING: Q

OFF-ROAD The Roadian MTX features an aggressive design that is extremely versatile for on- and off-road driving. Each tire boasts a dual sidewall design that allows you to customize the look of the tire on your vehicle.

MILEAGE WARRANTY: N/A | ROAD HAZARD: N/A | ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE: 36 months FREE TRIAL: 45 days or 500 miles

SIZE RANGE: 15" – 22" | UTQG: 560 A B (P) Metric | SPEED RATING: R, S, T & H

ALL TERRAIN An aggressive tread pattern that conquers any terrain thrown its way. Designed to keep gravel out, optimize mud extraction and prevent impact damage. Trusted Original Equipment on the Ram 3500.

MILEAGE WARRANTY: (P) 50,000 miles / (LT) 40,000 miles | ROAD HAZARD: First 2/32" or 1 year ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE: 36 months | FREE TRIAL: 45 days or 500 miles

SIZE RANGE: 16" – 20" | UTQG: 500 AA A/560 A A | SPEED RATING: H, W & Y

ULTRA HIGH PERFORMANCE ALL SEASON Designed for the discretionary driver of sports cars, luxury coupes and performance sedans looking for superior traction in dry and wet conditions.

MILEAGE WARRANTY: 50,000 miles | ROAD HAZARD: First 2/32" or 1 year ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE: 36 months | FREE TRIAL: 45 days or 500 miles

SIZE RANGE: 16" – 24" | UTQG: 300 AA A | SPEED RATING: W & Y

ULTRA HIGH PERFORMANCE SUMMER Perfect fit for sports car applications or for the driver who wants a little more performance out of their standard vehicle. Excels at braking and cornering performance.

MILEAGE WARRANTY: 25,000 miles | ROAD HAZARD: First 2/32" or 1 year ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE: 36 months | FREE TRIAL: 45 days or 500 miles

SIZE RANGE: 14" – 19" | UTQG: 440/500/560/600 A A | SPEED RATING: T, H, V & W

GRAND TOURING ALL SEASON The N’Priz AH8 is designed for family sedans that require all-year traction in dry, wet and light snow conditions. Performance in light snow conditions is superior to its predecessor, the CP672.

MILEAGE WARRANTY: 70,000 miles | ROAD HAZARD: First 2/32" or 1 year ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE: 36 months | FREE TRIAL: 45 days or 500 miles

21073 Pathfinder Road, Suite 100, Diamond Bar, CA 91765

NexenTireUSA.com

P: (800) 576-3936 | F: (909) 923-3991

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FOR OUR ENTIRE LINEUP & WARRANTY DETAILS VISIT DELINTETIRES.COM.

FOR FACTORY DIRECT & WAREHOUSE PROGRAMS CALL 305.621.5101. VISIT DELINTETIRES.COM #DELINTETIRES

PRE MIUM

HIGHWAY

SEE OUR ENTIRE LINEUP & WARRANTY DETAILS AT LANDSAILTIRES.COM.

LS388 TOURING

LS588 CUV

LS588 UHP

FOR FACTORY DIRECT & WAREHOUSE PROGRAMS CALL 305.621.5101. VISIT LANDSAILTIRES.COM #LANDSAILTIRES

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ONLINE OR IN PRINT!

Online Version is Updated Throughout the Year and Includes these Extra Tools: Reverse Lookup by Tire Size Reverse Lookup by Bolt Pattern Plus Size Tire Calculator Minus Size Tire Calculator Offset/Backspace Calculator

SELL MORE TIRES. SELL MORE WHEELS. GET THE GUIDE! This year’s 504 Page Printing Contains Fitments From All Previous Editions for O. E. and Plus Sizes for Both Current and Vintage Vehicles & Includes: Bolt Pattern Hub Diameter Offset Range Lug Nut/Bolt Sizes Bolt Pattern Conversion Installation Guidelines

OE Tire Sizes Plus Tire Sizes Physical Tire Dimensions Min/Max Rim Widths Performance Ratings Load Index Table

FOR INFORMATION ON OUR PRODUCTS AND TO ORDER ONLINE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT

www.PlusSizingGuide.com

Bulk Discounts Available For More Info Contact Wheel Consultants, Inc. 310-357-7293 or email: sales@plussizingguide.com

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Then you’re looking for DSP 20 Group.

ATTEND A MEETING.

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Americus Rugged A/T® OEM factory wheels Our online portal EveryRim.com features a live inventory, wholesale pricing, and easy ordering. We stock thousands of stock factory original used, new take-off, reconditioned, and new replica alloy and steel wheels. Along with nationwide shipping, we provide one- to two-day delivery to most of the West. Quick quotes to buy or sell wheels can be obtained through our RimText system. Simply text pictures of wheels to 951-RimText (951-746-8398). Call us at (800) 383-7974.

1-800EVERYRIM OEM Wheels www.EveryRim.com/MTD

The Americus Rugged A/T is our next generation aggressive all-terrain tire designed for your everyday commute and your off-road adventures. With advanced 3D siping technology and rigid interior tread blocks, the Rugged A/T provides exceptional handling on wet and dry surfaces, while the massive and studdable shoulder lugs drive through mud, snow and ice with ease. Carrying a 45,000-mile limited tread wear protection and our no questions asked, 25/365 free replacement limited protection policy on all sizes.

AMERICAN OMNI TRADING www.american-omni.com

Atturo AZ850 high-performance tire The Atturo AZ850 is specifically engineered to take advantage of the increasing power and handling demands of the modern SUV and CUV market. Providing high performance without sacrificing style, the AZ850 is an affordable, high-quality alternative to OE tires. It features an asymmetric tread pattern with different inside and outside contours that achieves optimum balance by evenly distributing the pressure of the contact surface for enhanced comfort and handling.

ATTURO TIRES www.atturo.com

Web application software

Complete TPMS Solution Autel provides a Complete TPMS Solution as the only manufacturer offering high quality TPMS sensors and powerful TPMS tools to deliver the highest level of vehicle coverage. The 1-Sensor combines 315 MHz and 433 MHz frequencies as 1-SKU sensor inventory and press release interchangeable valve stems save installation time.

The TS508, TS508WF and TS608 feature the exclusive TPMS Status Screen: a single screen full system status check to easily and quickly pinpoint system faults to instantly determine the service needed.

The TS508WF and TS608 provide software updates via Wi-Fi. AUTEL www.autel.com

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“Bartec has always led the industry in providing critical inspection data directly from our TPMS tools. As we introduce more wireless functionality, managing this data can be very challenging,” the company notes. “The Bartec Service Center makes it possible to control and manage the Bartec tools in use! From remote tool setup, to data collection and inspection data, the Service Center makes sharing vehicle data with customers easy and fast. Service Center also makes it possible for better tool and business management. The Service Center can run on various platforms including desktops, tablets and mobile phones and is easily paired to existing Bartec tools like the Tech400Pro, Tech300Pro and Tech200Pro for seamless vehicle inspection and customer interaction.”

BARTEC USA www.bartecusa.com/service-center

Blackburn OEM Wheel Solutions Blackburn OEM Wheel Solutions saves you time and improves your bottom line when your customers need factory OEM wheels, hubcaps or center caps. The Blackburn WheelFinder website displays an easy navigation menu which allows you to search their live inventory and find the right part in a matter of seconds. You can view availability, pricing and place orders 24/7.

Blackburn’s 95% fill ratio and inventory of over 100,000 parts allow for same-day shipping if the order is placed by 6:30 p.m. EST. The company offers free ground shipping, nationwide. Register for a free account at: www.blackburnswheelfinder.com.

BLACKBURN OEM WHEEL SOLUTIONS www.blackburnwheels.com Performance Handbook 2020

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Delinte performance lineup Continental — ExtremeContact™ Sport Continental built the ExtremeContact™ Sport tire with you, the car enthusiast, in mind. This dynamic, ultra-high performance street tire is engineered for extreme grip in dry and wet conditions. Our SportPlus™ Technology delivers you improved tread life, enhanced grip on wet roads, and precise steering for maximum control… a tire For What You Do. CONTINENTAL TIRE THE AMERICAS LLC www.continentaltire.com

Cosmo Mucho Macho Cosmo’s all-season Mucho Macho tire utilizes “Ultimate Tire Technology (UTT)” and “Directed Super Silica (DSS)” to deliver low rolling resistance, better wet traction and longer tread life all wrapped in an ultra-high performance tire, backed by a road hazard warranty. Built to satisfy the most demanding performance drivers, Mucho Macho exceeds expectations and is now a driver favorite on the drift racing circuit. Drive like a pro!

COSMO TIRES www.cosmotires.com

Delinte’s relentless approach to performance tires boasts one of the largest staggered fitment lineups of any tire brand. The DS8 is an all-season (50K) UHP tire built with three levels of engineered traction, the DS8’s big block tread patterns maximize traction. The D7 (40K) is an allseason UHP tire engineered with a D-Tech Silica Compound which provides top level traction for high-end sports machines. The DH2 (50K) touring tire has an asymmetrical tread design that allows for easy rotation without changes in traction or sound.

The uniquely designed grooves trap air, minimizing road noise. The DH2 is a reliable go-to for OEM replacement.

DELINTE TIRES www.delintetires.com

Gaither Moore-Safe Jack

Fury Country Hunter M/T 2 New for 2020: A low noise tread design providing a lower void-to-block pattern ratio in the middle of the tread. This promotes better handling and a quieter ride for everyday highway use. A high turn-up cap plus a 3-ply construction assures excellent durability, reliable impact resistance, and decisive handling. An open shoulder design creates the bold new look, with the aggressive tread design. The open shoulders deliver greater traction and better grip on soft surfaces. Extreme traction in the most extreme conditions with the outside tread design offers enthusiasts the confidence in off-road traction they desire. Currently offering 19 sizes with more planned. Visit our online size chart for current sizes available.

FURY OFFROAD TIRE www.furyoffroad.com Performance Handbook 2020

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The threat of damage and bodily harm from falling multi-ton vehicles is all too real. Gaither Tool Co. has introduced the Moore-Safe Jack, designed from the ground up to be the world’s safest jack. The Moore-Safe utilizes interchangeable heads to securely cradle vehicle undercarriage components. This dramatically reduces the chance of slippage due to misplacement or a shifting load. The result is a remarkably stable bottle jack that maintains its center of gravity in even the most unfavorable of conditions. The Moore-Safe’s patented design features two interchangeable mounting heads. A “Y” head for round and square surfaces as well as a “round” head that can cradle U-bolts and provide a wide footprint for flat surfaces. Both can be easily swapped out in seconds without the need for tools. Contact your equipment supplier today or visit https://www. gaithertool.com/products/new-products/ moore-safe-jack/ GAITHER TOOL CO. INC. www.gaithertool.com

General — G-MAX™ RS The G-MAX™ RS is a stylish, ultra-high performance tire designed for maximum grip on dry and wet roads giving you the inspiring performance you’re looking for. Smart Technologies make anywhere possible by providing exceptional handling, rain or shine. And visual wear alerts notify you of your tread depth.The G-MAX™ RS is truly a smarter tire for a smarter driver.

GENERAL TIRE www.generaltire.com

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GoMobile online GoMobile Tires is a new niche in a multibillion-dollar tire industry that is changing the way people buy tires. Shop for your new tires online from your computer, tablet or phone for the best deals on tires and wheels. We eliminate the need for customers to spend hours waiting around in a conventional tire shop. If you’re looking for a reliable mobile tire service company to partner with your business, look no further.

GOMOBILE TIRES www.gomobiletires.com

Klever R/T (KR601) Roadtour® 855 SPE The Hercules Roadtour 855 SPE luxury touring tire does more than get drivers from point A to point B; it gets them there safely, comfortably and quietly. Whether it’s a sedan, crossover or minivan, the Hercules Roadtour 855 SPE is the perfect all-in-one solution, delivering all-season traction, crisp handling and a quiet ride.

And it’s all backed by an outstanding 85,000-mile coverage plan, 45-day trial, road hazard protection and workmanship and materials coverage.

HERCULES TIRE www.herculestire.com

The Kenda Klever R/T was designed to conquer rough terrain without sacrificing the ride and comfort of an A/T tire.

Combining our triple threat 3-ply sidewall for exceptional durability and an optimized tread design with a superior all-weather compound, makes the Klever R/T the right solution for 4x4 owners on the road, in the dirt or in any off-road environment. The Klever R/T is ready for snow and pinned for winter studs. Aggressively styled, strong upper sidewall tread blocks assist with typically difficult mud, sand and gravel environments while the construction provides long lasting wear with reasonable ride and noise on-road.

KENDA TIRES USA www.kendatire.com

Beautiful black wheel locks, lug nuts and lug bolts Kumho Road Venture MT71 The Kumho Road Venture MT71 features an aggressive tread and sidewall design with a high-void pattern that features a zigzag configuration to provide maximum traction. The reinforced tread block provides enhanced handling performance both on and off the road along with an innovative tread compound which facilitates cut and chip resistance. The MT71 is currently available in 23 sizes ranging from 15-inch to 20-inch rim fitments with more options to follow in the near future to fully satisfy every off-road enthusiast.

KUMHO TIRE USA INC. www.kumhotireusa.com

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McGard’s lug nuts with a black chrome finish have a deep reflective look that will enhance the look of any wheel. Use them on black wheels for a monochromatic look or on silver or chrome wheels for a contrasting look, the company suggests.

McGard lug nuts, lug bolts and SplineDrive lug nuts are guaranteed for life not to chip, peel or rust. The company’s wheel lock design is easy to use and provides “the best theft protection in the world,” says McGard. Lug nuts and wheel locks are available in Wheel Installation Kits, which include everything you need to install your new wheels in one convenient package.

They are also available in bright chrome.

MCGARD LLC www.mcgard.com

Patagonia X/T The Patagonia X/T is designed to tackle your on and off-road adventures. A cutand-chip resistant compound with a 3-ply sidewall is utilized for enhanced durability in rough conditions, with alternating open shoulders providing additional biting edges for superior traction. Alternating stepdown grooves provide enhanced stability on and off-road, while the tread pattern is optimized for a quieter ride. The Patagonia X/T is available in up to 40-inch sizes with a 40,000-mile limited warranty.

MILESTAR TIRES www.milestartires.com Performance Handbook 2020

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Nexen Roadian GTX Crossovers and SUVs are more popular than ever. Drivers count on their versatility and dependability. The Nexen Roadian GTX touring tire meets this need and exceeds expectations with 34 sizes and 90% market coverage. It features a 70,000-mileage tread wear warranty, 36 months of roadside assistance, a 45-day/500-mile free trial, and 1 year or 2/32-inch road hazard warranty. On every count, the all new Roadian GTX delivers.

NEXEN TIRE USA www.nexentireusa.com

D at a fi l e

NitroFill E-170 nitrogen generator The NitroFill E-170 is the standard against which all other automotive nitrogen generation systems are measured. With more units in service than most other models and manufacturers combined, the NitroFill E-170 has earned a reputation for unrivaled performance and durability. We have made the fastest, most efficient and easiest to use system by upgrading our patented design and technology to provide quicker conversions and an amazing 13.5 cfm output!

NITROFILL www.nitrofill.com

Add the industry’s leading automotive visualizer to your website or display it in your showroom. Select a vehicle, browse recommended products, and then visualize wheel, tire and suspension modifications.

Customers can request a quote or add products to their cart via one of our eCommerce integrations. The Visualizer utilizes our massive collection of fitment data, which is also available in our FitGuide, a free online tool for fitment data, OE sizes, plus and minus sizing, and more.

RIDESTYLER www.ridestyler.com

Vredestein Hypertrac All Season Sailun Inspire allseason touring tire The all-new Sailun Inspire is the ultimate all-season touring tire designed for a wide range of popular compacts, sedans, crossovers and SUVs. Quiet, comfortable and secure, the Sailun Inspire offers unmatched levels of ride quality and driver confidence with advanced SertaGrip™ compound and all-new SilentTread™ pattern. It is available in a wide range of 14- through 19-inch sizes with a worry-free limited tread life protection warranty.

SAILUN TIRE AMERICAS www.gosailun.com Performance Handbook 2020

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The Hypertrac All Season tire is the latest ultra-high performance offering from Vredestein. With superior wet capabilities, 50,000 miles of tread life, and a 100-day guarantee, your customers will feel confident in every condition thrown at them.

The Hypertrac line covers 38 of the most popular sizes for those looking for tires for their premium luxury high performance vehicles, and provides peace of mind for your customers in all seasons.

VREDESTEIN TIRES INC. www.vredestein.com

Online tire and wheel guide The Ultimate Wheel & Tire Plus Sizing Guide is offering an “online edition.” It is updated throughout the year with tire and wheel fitments for both OE and plus sizes for current and vintage vehicles. Your subscription features reverse lookups by tire size, bolt pattern/offset, and a wheel brand name finder. Plus and minus tire calculators are included for customized fitments.

For more information, call (310) 357-7293.

ULTIMATE WHEEL & TIRE PLUS SIZING GUIDE www.plussizinguide.com

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Bartec USA LLC 1-800EveryRim OEM Wheels

10278 Florence Ave. Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670 (800) 383-7974, text 951-RimText (746-8398) Chase Potter, mgr.

Products: Brokers of OEM wheels; used, new take-offs, reconditioned. Buy/sell alloy and steel. www.EveryRim.com/MTD

American Omni Trading

1221 Park West Green Dr. Katy, TX 77493 (281) 600-TIRE (8473) FAX: (281) 600-8475 Chris Brackin, pres.

Products: UHP tires; radial passenger, light truck and medium truck tires; OTR tires; industrial and farm tires. www.american-omni.com

Atturo Tires

3250 North Oak Grove Ave. Waukegan, IL 60087 (855) 879-8548 Email: dealer@atturo.com Products: Atturo Tires is dedicated to the growing light truck (4x4), SUV and crossover segments of the market, designing and distributing stylishly aggressive tires built to fit the performance needs for both on-road and off-road. www.atturo.com

Autel

175 Central Ave., Suite 200 Farmingdale, NY 11735 (855) 288-3587 Email: USsupport@autel.com Products: Cutting edge diagnostic technology for all aspects of automotive repair. Products include ADAS calibration systems, key programming tablets, diagnostic scanners, DIY code readers, service and maintenance tools, and TPMS tools and sensors.

Social media: @AutelTools www.Autel.com, www.MaxiTPMS.com, www.MaxiSYSADAS.com

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44231 Phoenix Dr. Sterling Heights, MI 48314 Sales support: (855) 877-9732 Technical support: (866) 407-8767 FAX: (586) 323-3801 Scot Holloway, CEO, Steve Long, dir. of sls.

Products: Solutions for better automotive service. TPMS service tools that perform high-end TPMS service including new sensor relearns, DTC scan, placard calibration, blank sensor program and vehicle relearns. Quick service tools for electronic parking brakes, oil light reset, and new battery relearns.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wearetpms Twitter: https://twitter.com/bartecusa Google+: TPMSTOOL YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TPMSTOOL www.bartecusa.com

Blackburn OEM Wheel Solutions

1001 Paster Court Macedonia, OH 44056 (800) 981-8321 Todd Deranek, v.p. of sls. & mktg.

Products: New, used and reconditioned factory OEM wheels, hubcaps and center caps available in steel, chrome, chrome clad and alloy for foreign and domestic light trucks and automobiles. Live inventory on www.blackburnswheelfinder.com. www.blackburnwheels.com

Continental Tire

Continental Tire the Americas LLC 1830 MacMillan Park Dr. Fort Mill, SC 29707 (800) 847-3349 FAX: (704) 587-6555 Jochen Etzel, CEO Products: Ultra-high performance tires, passenger tires, light truck tires, medium/ heavy truck tires, commercial tires, motorcycle tires, bicycle and specialty tires.

Twitter: @continentaltire Instagram: @continental_tire Facebook: facebook.com/continentaltire www.continentaltire.com

Cosmo Tires

7500 NW 35th Terrace Miami, FL 33122 (844) COSMO-GO Products: UHP tires, passenger tires, light truck tires, medium/heavy truck tires, commercial tires.

Instagram: @cosmotires Twitter: @cosmotires Facebook: facebook.com/cosmotires www.cosmotires.com

Fury Tires

9010 North Royal Lane, Suite 100 Irving, TX 75063 (855) 575-FURY (3879) Contact: sales@furyoffroadtires.com Products: Our innovative engineering and technology delivers unique experiences by breaking new ground and setting the bar. Our products are tested on and off-road daily, ensuring only the best make it to market. Fury’s hard goods are aimed to provide the same intensity and passion you encounter on the uncharted intersection of everyday life. Fury’s armed and ready to fulfill all your off-road needs.

From light truck to heavy duty and offroad performance, our Country Hunter line consists of rugged terrain R/T, mud terrain M/T, and UTV enthusiast alike. www.furytires.com

Gaither Tool Co. Inc.

2255 W. Morton Ave. Jacksonville, IL 62650 (217) 245-0545 FAX: (217) 245-0940 Products: Gaither manufactures equipment for demounting, mounting, inflating and repairing tubeless tires, as well as a complete line of professional lifting equipment. Brands: Gaither, Winntec, ecube. www.gaithertool.com

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Kenda Tires USA General Tire

Continental Tire the Americas LLC 1830 MacMillan Park Dr. Fort Mill, SC 29707 (800) 847-3349 FAX: (704) 587-6555 Jochen Etzel, CEO Products: ultra-high performance tires, passenger tires, light truck tires, off-road tires, medium/heavy truck tires, commercial tires.

Twitter: @generaltire Instagram: @general_tire Facebook: facebook.com/generaltire www.generaltire.com

7095 Americana Pkwy.

Reynoldsburg, OH 43068 (614) 866-9803 FAX: (614) 866-9805 Products: Ultra-high performance tires, passenger tires, light truck tires including all-season highway, all-terrain (A/T), rugged-terrain (R/T), and mud-terrain (M/T), SUV/CUV tires, specialty tires, trailer tires, ATV tires, motorcycle tires, golf cart tires, ag/farm tires and bicycle tires. www.kendatire.com

Nexen Tire USA

21073 Pathfinder Rd., Suite 100 Diamond Bar, CA 91765 (800) 576-3936 FAX: (909) 923-3991 John Hagan, exec. v.p. of sls.

Products: Ultra-high performance tires, high performance tires, light truck/ SUV tires and passenger tires. www.nexentireusa.com

NitroFill Kumho Tire USA Inc.

GoMobile Tires

15142 Beach Blvd.

Midway, CA 92655 (714) 719-2338 Joe Flores, pres.

Products: Mobile tire services franchise partner. www.gomobiletires.com

133 Peachtree St. NE, Suite 2800 Atlanta, GA 30303 Yong Sik Shin, American Business Division Products: High performance tires, light truck tires, medium/heavy truck tires, passenger tires, performance tires, racing tires, RV and specialty tires. www.kumhotireusa.com

RideStyler - Automotive Software McGard LLC

Hercules Tire

1995 Tiffin Ave., Suite 205 Findlay, OH 45840 (800) 677-9535 Email: info@herculestire.com Products: Ultra-high performance tires, passenger tires, light truck tires, off-road tires, medium/heavy truck tires, commercial tires.

Twitter: @herculestires Instagram: @herculestires Facebook:Â facebook.com/herculestires www.herculestire.com

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1520 S Powerline Rd. Deerfield Beach, FL 33442 (877) 246-3455 Products: Manufacturer of nitrogen generation and inflation equipment and a premier provider of tire related supplemental products. www.nitrofill.com

3875 California Rd. Orchard Park, NY 14127 (800) 669-6887 or (716) 662-8980 FAX: (716) 662-8985 Durham McCauley, CEO; Peter McCauley, pres.; John Mondo, v.p. sls. & mktg.; Kevin Halt, v.p. sls. Japan, Asia & Oceania; Chris Smith, dir. of OEM sls.

Products: Wheel accessories including wheel locks, lug nuts, lug bolts, spare tire locks.

Vehicle security products including tailgate locks and door locks for Jeep. www.mcgard.com

19767 SW 72nd Ave., Suite 105 Tualatin, OR 97062 (844) 394-8994 Contact: Steven Campbell, dir., mktg.

Products: Fitment data, visualization, augmented reality, eCommerce, website plugins, API, custom web design and development. www.ridestyler.com

Sailun Tire Americas

1 Kenview Blvd., Suite 300 Brampton, Ontario, Canada L6T 5E6 (855) 499-3240 or (289) 499-3240 FAX: (905) 792-8583 Email: info@GoSailun.com Products: Ultra-high-performance tires, passenger tires, light truck tires, off-road tires, medium/heavy truck tires and commercial tires exclusively distributed by TBC Corp. www.GoSailun.com

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Sentury Tire USA

3850 West 108 St., Suite 1 Hialeah, FL 33018 (305) 621-5101 Maxwell Wee, exec. v.p.

Passenger: Ultra-high performance, CUV and passenger touring tires.

Light truck: mud terrain, rough terrain, all-terrain, snow, premium HT tires. Brands: Delinte, GroundSpeed, Landsail, Sentury and Pantera. www.senturytireusa.com

Tireco Inc.

Dire ct o r y Products: Ultra-high performance tires, passenger car tires, light truck and SUV tires, commercial light truck tires, commercial tires, specialty tires and wheels. www.tireco.com

Vredestein Tires Inc.

1175 Peachtree St. NE, 10th Floor Atlanta, GA 30361 (770) 302-2163 FAX: 770) 234-4158 Contact: Chet Plewacki, g.m. sls.

Products: High-performance tires, passenger tires, classic tires, ag/farm tires, industrial tires, lawn/garden tires. www.vredestein.com

Wheel Consultants Inc.

2537-D Pacific Coast Hwy., #330 Torrance, CA 90505 (310) 357-7293 FAX: (310) 427-7199 Joe Findeis, pres.

Products: The Ultimate Wheel & Tire Plus Sizing Guide. Contains fitments for cars, trucks, SUVs and crossovers.

Current and vintage vehicle fitment applications. Specifications and data for original equipment and plus sizes.

Available in print and digital formats. www.plussizingguide.com

500 W. 190th St., Suite 600 Gardena, CA 90248 (310) 767-7990 Andrew Hoit, v.p., sls. & mktg.

Ad

I n dex

WHEN YOU CONTACT ONE OF OUR ADVERTISERS PLEASE BE SURE TO MENTION YOU SAW THEIR AD IN MODERN TIRE DEALER ADVERTISER

PAGE

WEBSITE

1-800EveryRim OEM Wheels

38

www.everyrim.com/MTD

American Omni Trading

39

www.thunderertireusa.com

Atturo Tires

29

www.atturo.com

AUTEL

31

www.autel.com

Bartec USA

35

www.bartecusa.com

Blackburn OEM Wheel Solutions

21

www.blackburnswheelfinder.com

Continental Tire

7

www.continentaltire.com

Cosmo Tires

15

www.cosmotires.com

Fury Tires

36

www.furytires.com

Gaither Tool Company Inc.

14

www.gaithertool.com

General Tire

33

www.generaltire.com

GoMobile Tires

16

www.gomobiletires.com

Hercules Tire

19

www.herculestires.com

Kenda Tires USA

IBC

automotive.kendatire.com

Kumho Tire USA Inc.

3

www.kumhotireusa.com

McGard LLC

28

www.mcgard.com

Nexen Tire America Inc.

IFC

www.nexentireusa.com

NitroFill LLC

37

www.nitrofill.com

RideStyler—Automotive Software

OBC

www.ridestyler.com

Sailun Tire Americas

9

www.gosailun.com

Sentury Tire

27

www.delintetires.com

Vredestein Tires

11

www.vredestein.com

Wheel Consultants Inc.

17

www.plussizingguide.com

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