After buying your dream car, you would have definitely spent quite a fair bit of money and time choosing rims that look good and are of good quality as well. You would not like to see your beautiful rims get destroyed and hard earned money be wasted just by being lazy and looking after the rims properly.

If you have a common sense at all, you would want to protect what you have invested a lot of time and on your rims. Everyone wishes their investment looking as good as the day it was purchased. However, wishing does not come early, again time and manual labor has to be put in otherwise as time passes the rims would become rusty, scratched and dirty. With a bit of cleaning know-how and care, your rims and wheels would keep on looking beautiful all the time.

The most important thing is not to be lazy. Then again it depends on the place and type of weather environment you live in. Well, wherever you are, you must make it a po0int to clean your rims at least once a week. Nowadays the internet holds a wealth of information. You can find information about products that are available like for e.g. waxes, polishes, creams, sprays to keep your rims looking good. There are also a lot of online forums which specialize in specific vehicle types where you can ask questions. It would not take you long to become an expert on the types of products or method to be used to clean your rims and wheels to keep them looking as good as the day they were purchased.

You cannot wash your rims the same way as you would wash your vehicle. Your rims have to be given special individual attention. The rims must be cleaned one at a time as leaving the clear standing on the rims for too long a time will do more damage then good.

Another thing to consider is where your car is parked all the time. The safest and best place to park your vehicle would be at a multi-storey car-park, garage or indoor parking lot. This would be ideal but not always possible.  Environment can cause a lot of damage to your vehicle especially your rims and wheels like dust, heavy rains. Vandalism is also a hazard that needs to be considered.

Another thing to consider is the type of material that you use to clean your wheels and rims. Rough material can cause scratched to the rims. Use soft flannel or cotton cloth or even a sponge or alternatively ask the car accessories dealers as to the best type of brushes that can be used to clean rims.

One other thing you’ll want to consider is the material that you use to wipe down and clean your rims. Avoid using rough materials that may scratch the rims but instead stick to soft cotton clothes or ask around about brushes specifically designed for cleaning car rims.

If you want heads to turn when you drive by, make sure they turn for the right reasons i.e. to admire your vehicle and not to be astonished by the bad condition of your entire vehicle.

Hey have you heard of the A.I.D.A Profit Formula, Well what are you waiting for click here and you will never look back again.

Till I see you the next time, drive safely.

Gurdip

Barack Obama the current President of the United States has lambasted Detroit’s Big 3 automakers again for manufacturing SUVs. He attacked the car companies for making the “mistake” of investing in SUVs and large trucks instead of producing more fuel-efficient vehicles. (Extract of article: Obama initiates Car Wars By Michelle Malkin  •  September 23, 2008 11:58 AM

Hi There, Welcome Back!!

Today I would be talking about the durability of tires. What is the relationship between performance and durability of tyres?

Durability of tires has various aspects, but the most fundamental is to make tyres that do not ‘break. For instance, in the 24-hour Le Mans racing, cars speed the famous straight of Eunodiere at over 350 kilometers per hour. Here, heavy loads are applied to tyres, such as centrifugal force, aerodynamic down force, and heat generated from running. Therefore, tires must be developed so that they can endure such harsh conditions. Bridgestone supplies racing tyres which have passed several driving conditions created by the high speed drum testing machine at speeds of 400 to 500 km per hour.

500 km per hour is extremely fast! I suppose this is because tires must guarantee high durability in supporting racing cars running at ultra high speed.

Natural rubber will deteriorate, just by being exposed to mere light or air. Rubber used for tyres is even more apt to deteriorate as it has constant inputs, such as heat generated through running and road-contact. Therefore, it is important to improve durability of the rubber itself, along with the structure of tires. Specifically, we make a microanalysis of the rubber and design molecules in order to enhance durability to fight against the dispensation of Nature, such as abrasion and deterioration. Moreover, the tread is designed to an optimal thickness in order to prevent it from being blistered by generated or accumulated heat. If the tread is too thick, then it will be too pliable and affect steering. If it is too thin, the life of tyres will be shortened due to abrasion.

Aha! There is more to the development of tires than what we see on the surface.

But, is performance of tyres related to their durability?

Yes, the two are related. As explained earlier, over-steering is a situation in which the rear tires slide more than the front. In such a case, rear tyres are apt to become heated above proper temperature range, which causes grip to weaken due to degradation of rubber in terms of molecules. This results in the so-called ‘heat-drip,’ which affects durability, an important performance of tires. In an under-steering situation, this problem occurs in front tyres instead. In this way, the steering characteristics of a racing car and durability of its tyres are deeply related. Since, it is impossible to strike a complete balance between front and rear tires and attain a perfect steering, in order to minimize the loss of durability of tyres, anti-aging agent is added to the rubber so that the characteristics of the rubber, or compound, are maintained.

That’s all from me today, be sure to check out the great offers and various sites on my blog and don’t forget to get your free e-books that are featured here,

Take care and see you the next time.

Gurdip

Hi Dear Friends,

The world today is going thru very trying times. First the recession and now Swine Flu.

This has really frightening every body & with this being said to be worse than Sars, it is like battling with an invisible enemy. Well! all we can do is keep high hygiene standards and for time being avoid places. We can only ride this thru and not it effect us especially when we are out on the roads. Look for something interesting to do or read like what I am sharing with you here.

Maintaining the good look of your vehicle can be very challenging at times. It always takes time and patience but the end results are always worth the trouble taken. Cleaning of your vehicle can be broken into three parts, namely, the body, wheels & rims and the interior of your vehicle.

Your vehicle’s wheel rims play a very important part in the overall look of your vehicle. Imagine you have a shiny, clean beautiful vehicle body but your wheel rims are all scratched, dented and dirty.

Not only does it spoil the image of your vehicle but it can be very expensive to replace. Wheel rims should be cared for to prevent damage. In the long run, it would be more worth the time and effort taken.

Let’s find out some ways in which we can care for our vehicle rims.

In this critical time of recession, it is important to take care of and maintain whatever things we use. Be it electrical or otherwise. With not much extra cash flowing around, it would become a heavy burden if we have to fork out extra money to buy new things to replace old ones which we did not keep in high or even basic maintenance level in the first place.

Make sure you wash your wheel rims. If you are the type of person who runs the car thru a car wash instead of hand wash, your wheel rims will never be clean. This is one part of your car that does not benefit from a car wash.

All it takes is soap, water and a cloth or brush. Clean every little area and corners of your rims.  After washing make sure you dry them otherwise when you drive off, dirt would be attracted onto the rims. It would get stuck to the rims because of the water.

Spraying tire shine on your tyres always leaves a residue on your rims. Make sure to clean off the residue once you have finished.

Unlike the previous one in which you cannot prevent dirt from being attracted to your rims, this next way is definitely in your hands.

It only takes some tolerance, patience and careful driving and it would go a long way in saving you money and unnecessary headaches. While driving do not take corners too close to the curb.

You may ask, ‘What’s wrong with that?” Well not only do you damage the curb but end up scratching or even denting your rims. What about potholes. As far as possible avoid potholes. Hitting potholes would definitely damage tires, rims, undercarriage or even the  axle (if you are going at a great speed).

Always drive carefully. Accidents can be avoided if you drive within the speed limit, remain alert to everything that is going on around you and concentrate on driving. A lot of time, money, pain and heartache can be avoided.

However, if you really need to get your wheel rims repaired, always get it done from the experts. Either your vehicle agent or authorized workshops. You might be spending a bit more money but you would have the peace of mind that you would be getting top service and genuine parts provided. Don’t forget your life and the lives of your loved ones is at stake.

So always remember prevention is better than cure as sometimes there is no chance for cure but remorse and a heavy burden of guilty conscience.

Happy Safe driving and don’t forget the numerous offers that I have for you here at my blog site.

Gurdip

Hi Friends,                                                                                                        

Welcome back to my new look Blog. Looks Good, Right?                             

Up to this point, we have been looking at the grip of tires for the view of structure of tires and rubber. But the question that some of you will ask is “Does the grip of the tires have any relation to the steering of a vehicle in any way?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

I asked Mr. Hamashima about this relationship.     

How important is the grip of tyres to steering? 

“Well” he explains, “If tyres do not grip, you can not steer. This proves how greatly grip is related to steering. Imagine driving on ice. Tyres will not grip and you can not even start the car, nor can you make a turn or stop.

In F1 racing, tyres must have firm grip so that drivers can have proper steering. Moreover, characteristics of steering performance may change depending on the balance between the grip of front and rear tyres.

When making a turn, if front tyres have a stronger grip than rear tyres, front tyres will be taken in too much toward the inside of the corner, which is over-steering. On the other hand, if grip of rear tyres were stronger than front tyres, rear tyres will push out the front, causing under-steering. In F1 racing, because rear tyres are normally wider than front tyres, strengthening the grip which most likely results in an under-steering situation. Proper grip balance between front and rear must be achieved, based on this understanding.”

Currently, grooved tyres are used in F1 racing, which have less area of contact with road surface and weaker grip than former slick tyres. These grooved tyres must have greatly influenced steering performances.

He continues, “It was difficult at the beginning. Grooved tyres made steering unstable, not only due to their weaker grip, but also because blocks on tread were flexible. If hard rubber were used to avoid such flexibility, then the grip will be weakened. Yet again, using soft rubber to attain better grip would cause the blocks on tread to become too flexible, resulting in poor steering performance.

In order to solve these two contradicting problems, a type of rubber that is firm enough yet provides strong grip was developed. Lack of grip of front tyres due to their narrower width compared to rear tyres, was solved by upsizing the external diameter, in addition to improving the rubber quality.”

We often see mechanics checking the air pressure of tyres throughout the race. Does this have anything to do with grip and steering?

Yes, definitely. That is an important point. As I have explained in my previous blog referring to “structure,” tires can display their performances only when they are pumped up with air. Yet, area of contact with road surface will be reduced if tyres are over inflated, which causes loss of grip. On the other hand, if not enough air is admitted, tyres can not properly support the machine although grip power may increase. This may lead to trouble. Therefore, the inner air pressure of tyres must be set within proper levels. Top drivers of F1 and Formula Nippon series all have a keen awareness, in that they are able to sense the difference in grip or steering performance, even by a slight change in air pressure of 0.05kgf/cm2.”

I hope you have enjoyed reading this issue as much as I have preparing it. Do stay on at my site and check my new and hopefully improved blog. Feel free to comment on anything that you like or don’t like or what you would like me to talk about in my next blogs.

Drive safely and I will see you soon.

Cheers.

Gurdip

Dear Friends,

My sincere apologies for not coming back since end of last year. This New Year has been very hectic for me. So many things coming down on me at the same time and with the whole world falling into recession, I have been taking various courses to upgrade myself. (Whatever little extra money made is always welcome).

Well enough said about me, here is a very interesting article about why despite vehicles tires being made of rubber, they still tend to slip during wet weather.

Majority of races are conducted irregardless of wet weather. Racing drivers normally say, ‘Driving on a rainy day is like driving on ice’.

Today, I asked Mr. Hamashima about grip of tyres when driving on wet roads.

I’m sure many of you, at one time or another, have been shocked as to how easily you have slipped on a steel plate or the platform and stairs of a subway station while walking in rubber sole shoes on a rainy day. Well, the same thing happens to tyres.

The mechanism of slipping is at work when water forms an extremely thin film between the rubber sole or tyres and the road surface, causing frictional force to weaken.”

When trying to wipe away water on a tile floor using a rubber squeegee with all your might, it is difficult to push the squeegee forward if it is wide, but relatively easy if narrow. This is due to water resistance. In the same way, racing tires, which are wider in comparison to regular tires, have a larger resistance against water. Also, because racing cars are light in weight, the water raises the tyres from the road surface. This is a phenomenon called “hydro planning,” a phrase often used as a warning for high-speed driving on wet roads.

So then, how is grip secured under such conditions?

Water must be drained through tread pattern so that water does not sneak under tyres and form a film. This prevents tyres from rising and allows them to stay in contact with the road. Tread pattern must be designed taking account of how quickly water underneath tires can be drained and maintaining a low water resistance. Moreover, the components of tread rubber for wet tires are different from that for dry tires in order to enhance frictional force on wet surfaces. For instance, masking tape does not easily stick to wet surface. So, rubber that sticks better on wet road surface is used to increase friction. Also, as previously explained, good grip is attained through the proper balance between rubber and structure. Therefore, structurally, rubber must be designed so that tyres are able to firmly hold the wet road surface with low friction.

So, tread pattern of rain tyres plays the role of a drain, preventing, as much as possible, water films to be formed. Last year, Bridgestone completed the development of “hydro simulation” system, which made possible the simulation of drainage process and efficiency on the computer. This technology has enabled drainage tests, only possible through actual driving in the past, to be conducted on the computer, and greatly enhanced the speed of development of wet tyres. F1 wet tyres, introduced from this race season, were also designed using this “hydro simulation” technology, and both Ferrari and McLaren cooperated in the actual driving tests to verify the relativity of data obtained by simulation and through actual driving.

That’s all for now but I promise that I will be back with more exciting articles real soon & this time I mean it. Before I sign off here is a Great Offer that you would not be able to resist.

Bye for now and drive safely.

Cheers!!!

Previously we spoke of the Mechanisms of Tyres and today we will bring the topic further by talking about the structure of tyres.  When we speak of tyres, we tend to focus on the topic of tread rubber, which we discussed in the previous issue, but the structure of such black and round tyres is also an important factor that determines performance. One may imagine the framework of a building when speaking of structure, but in the case of tyres it is slightly different, as tyres have air inside and must be pliable in order to maintain supple rides. Try to picture the roof of a dome stadium. The roof of a dome stadium is not only made with the material forming the roof, but also with a framework on which this material is placed. This is similar to how tyres are structured. You may not be able to get a clear picture with this description, so I asked Mr. Hamashima to explain the structure of tyres, which may be rather difficult to understand.  

“First, if tyres, which support regular cars or racing cars, were made only of rubber, they would be too soft like a balloon and unable to properly support such cars. Unlike buildings, tyres can not be framed with hard material such as steel. So instead, steel wires or synthetic fibers such as nylon or polyester wrapped with rubber are used for the framework of tyres. These wires or fibers should be placed properly on the tread or the side of the tyres to prevent tyres from becoming too soft like a balloon.”

Tires, which I thought were just black and round, are not just made of rubber, but are structured with various material to keep air firm and support cars, just like making balloons stronger by wrapping Scotch tape or masking tape around them.

Now, how is this related to grip?

“As I explained in the previous issue,” Mr. Hamashima continued, “tread rubber is what touches the road surface, and under severe racing conditions, it is important to structure tires stiff enough so that rubber of tread can display its best performance. We tend to think that grip depends on the softness or hardness of rubber, but in fact, if tread rubber was not structured properly, tyres can not correctly hold the road surface, which may cause uneven abrasion and loss of traction. This time, try to imagine a brick of Konniyaku jelly when thinking of tyres. Too much traction (grip) will deform the jelly and cause the edge to curl, but if you insert toothpicks into the brick jelly from both ends and make it stronger the jelly will not be curled. Perhaps this will help you get a better picture of how tyres firmly grasp the road surface.’

Does this mean that grip power can not be attained unless there is a good balance between tread rubber and structure of tyres?

“Right. Also, the structure of tires should be tuned to attain best grip, depending on the friction coefficient of each circuit, i.e., whether or not the road surface is slippery. When walking on a frozen road in the winter, you are likely to stumble if you walk with your legs stretched, but if you use your knees as cushion, then you is less likely to slip. In the same way, if you use tyres that are too hard on a very slippery road, you can not attain the desired grip no matter how much the rubber tries to hold the road. Moreover, because winning is the ultimate goal in racing, it is also required to select a newly invented light weight material for tyres and to solve heat problems to meet the required performance.” It was thought that grip depended only on the hardness of tread rubber, which is often described by terms such as, “soft compound” or “hard compound.” However, best grip can only be achieved by the perfect combination of tread rubber and structure.  I hope this issue has been equally enlightening for you as it was for me. Wow! The year is fast drawing to an end & I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my faithful readers MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR. May the new year bring Joy, Love & Success to you and your loved ones.  Wait before I go here is a Great Offer that you will not be able to resist. Bye for now & drive safely. See you next year.    CHEERS!!! 

After my last blog of 12Nov08, and starting from this issue, I would like to ask Mr. Hamashima about the mechanism of tyres. In order to create grip force, the rubber of the tread, which touches the road surface, appears to be most important.

So, I asked Mr. Hamashima to comment a little on “rubber.” Is the rubber used for racing tyres different from that used on regular tyres?” Also, I asked, “Does the rubber determine grip power?” Mr. Hamashima immediately responded, “Rubber is not the only factor that increases grip power.” I was a bit surprised, but Mr. Hamashima continued, ” The grip power of tyres depends on the total balance between rubber and the structure of tyres. No matter how much power the rubber may have to catch the road surface, if the structure of the tire is too soft, then it can not bring forth the grip power to support the machine.” I see! Not only the rubber itself, but also the balance between structure and rubber determine grip power. 

He continues, ” However, the performance of rubber is, of course, important for the requirement of grip. Moreover, the rubber used for regular tires used on public roads is basically the same as that used for racing tyres.” So then, what is the difference? “Rubber used for tires generally contains carbon and oil (mechanical oil = spindle oil), and the hardness or softness of the rubber will be determined by the amount of these two ingredients. When compared with regular tyres, the rubber of racing tyres contains more carbon and oil. Yet, this is not enough to keep the rubber from becoming loose. Therefore, sulfur is added to make the rubber steadier.

Explained simply, just imagine when one is making soba noodles. If 100% soba powder is used, it is too dry, so flour is added as a thickener in order to knead the soba dough. Sulfur acts as the flour in the case of making tires. ?It is interesting that rubber for tyres requires a thickener. Even more interesting was that “Rubber is matured after rubber; carbon; oil and sulfur are mixed together and kneaded. Of course it differs depending on the quantity of each ingredient, but approximately, the rubber must be set for about 1/2 day and one has to wait for it to mature.” So, within this process of maturity, rubber, carbon and oil are completely mixed and combined together by sulfur in terms of molecules. In addition to the example of soba noodles making, one must wait until rubber of tyres is matured, just like one has to do so until dough is fermented when making good bread. This was totally new to me. 

I hope you have enjoyed this issue, In the next issue we will discuss the physical structure of tyres as I had mentioned in this article earlier. So stay tuned my faithful readers.

Oh Yes!!!, In parting I leave you with a MONEY SAVING OFFER that you will not be able to resist. Bye for now.

Dear Friends,

 As a follow-up to my blog dated 28Oct08, I asked Mr. Hamashima a naive question: ‘Are some drivers better or worse in the way they use their tyres?’ This question can only be asked to people at Bridgestone, as they are acquainted with all drivers. We may see a glimpse of drivers’ personalities, not readily seen on TV. It is true that regulars to the podium are indeed different. As per the previous issue, racing tyres possess two opposing functions: grip performance and abrasion performance. Too much emphasis on grip causes early abrasion and too much emphasis on abrasion decreases grip power. While racing tyres are designed so that these two functions are well balanced, the user, i.e., the driver must handle them based on thorough understanding of their features. Naturally, there are both “good” and “bad” ways of handling tires, and as you see from recent TV broadcasts, whether or not tires are used well or badly is one of the major factors that determines the win or lose of a race. Meanwhile, I asked Mr. Hamashima, ‘Which affects tyres more: the difference in characteristics of cars of each team, or the difference in how drivers use their tyres?’ The answer was the latter, so it goes that faster drivers are better in using tyres. To me, this was a rather unexpected response, as I thought it depended on the characteristics of cars. What did you think? So then, which driver handles tires properly based on his good understanding of their performance?
‘Hakkinnen is known for his showy driving and aggressive attacks. Naturally, the more aggressive you are, the faster the tyres will wear out. Consequently, you may have to suffer in the latter half of the race.’ Yet, to my surprise, Mr. Hamashima continued, ‘While Hakkinnen appears to be aggressive, in reality, he does not go beyond the limits. He knows how to handle his tyres.’

I hope you will enjoy the next issue even more, as we will be going into more technical issues. See you next time! To all my faithful readers, here is an MONEY SAVING OFFER you will not be able to resist especially in this time of recession

Dear Faithful Readers,

My sincere apologies as I was not able to update my blog since 02Sep08 due to personal commitments. Well!! I am back & roaring to go.

Last issue (12Aug), we heard the basics of racing tyres from Mr. Hamashima. We will continue from there and hopefully, move up a step further.

Do you know the average mileage life expectancy of F1 tyres? Of course, you may be able to guess from the number of times tyres on racing cars are changed during a single race, but basically it is around 200km. In the last issue, we discussed various differences between ordinary tyres and racing tyres, but again, we see a major difference. As you know, 200km is only a distance of a round trip between Tokyo and Gotenba on Tomei Expressway. So then, why is it 200km? In a simple phrase: “It is because grip performance has precedence over abrasion performance.” As a matter of fact, tires have to deliver a high power from the engine that could be over 1000 horse-power to the road surface, while enduring centrifugal force in ultra high speed cornering. Under such harsh circumstances, it is no wonder that priority is given to grip performance.

So, I asked how such grip power is obtained. He mentioned that first, “bite” on the road surface is most important, which can be achieved by using soft rubber. Rubber has the tendency of becoming softer in warm temperature, while it becomes harder in cold temperature, which causes difficulty in displaying its original features. So tyres are developed to attain best grip power at an appropriate temperature, which is reached by the heat created through running.

By the way, do you have any idea what this appropriate temperature would be? Amazing, but it is 80 degrees C to 100 degrees C! Say that it was 100 degrees C, you would be severely burnt if you touched them with bare hands! Moreover, are you not worried that rubber might melt at such high temperature? You are right! In a sense, the rubber is melted. The more rubber melts, the softer it becomes and this stickiness is what brings about a strong grip power. Isn’t it a wonder that they can run for 200km under such conditions? Although I had assumed that the temperature of tires had to be at a certain level, as I often saw tires being wrapped in a warmer at the starting grid, I didn’t imagine it would be so high.

Likewise the previous issue, we learned many surprising details. Next time, I would like to ask how tyre grips are used differently according to each driver. See you next time!

To all my faithful readers, here is an MONEY SAVING OFFER you will not be able to resist especially in this time of recession.

Hi Friends,

Alvin’s blogging coaching program is finally
LIVE online! And he is giving away lots of
attractive bonuses!

Here’s the link:

http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=808596

Alvin will also be offering a free blog
setup for only the 1st 30 people who
sign up for the online coaching program!

And they are really running out fast!
Head on to the link now to grab the
special bonuses!

http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=808596

best regards,
Gurdip

P.S. I seen lots of offers on blogging but I have
yet to see anything like what Alvin has to offer
do remember to head on to the link below on the
2nd Sep at 10am EDT

http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=808596