60 minute read
Tire pressure management: The next step
from Modern Tire Dealer - June 2018
by EndeavorBusinessMedia-VehicleRepairGroup
system will not only address under-inflated tires but also over-inflated tires.
“It can automatically provide air to a tire found to be below the preset target pressure, and it can respond to changes in ambient temperature by relieving air from a trailer tire found to be above a preset upper threshold,” she says. “Tiremaax Pro can also equalize tire pressures across all wheel positions. All of this is done automatically, with no driver intervention required.”
Even more capabilities are coming. For instance, Dana Ltd. intends to introduce an active-inflation component to a TPMS next year.
“Similar systems have been in place on trailers for several years now,” says Steve Slesinski, Dana’s director of product planning for the commercial vehicle market. “But with a trailer axle, you’re basically routing the system though a big, hollow, tube. Power unit axles and their gearing are much more complex to design around. But we’ll have a viable solution for tractors and feel that the industry will respond and accept this technology as it did with trailer systems.”
Slesinski says Dana’s research shows that fleets typically experience one unplanned “tire event” a year per truck at a cost of around $700 for service and repairs. “And that’s without factoring in an additional $500 to $1,000 in downtime costs.”
Trey Thompson, digital solutions field engineering leader for Continental Tire the Americas LLC, says many tire pressure management systems today are stand-alone systems with no ability to aggregate data, see data history, or view the data remotely. But, he adds, connectivity will be more and more common in the future.
MANAGING THE DATA Of course, being able to get more real-time data about your tires can be overwhelming if you can’t identify “actionable” information you can use in the shop.
Peggy Fisher, president of TireStamp Inc., says her company and others are well aware of the need to streamline information coming into fleets.
She says tire pressure monitoring and management systems will integrate further with telematics systems in the future, eventually allowing fleets to have improved visibility and control over developing tire situations. With that in mind, she recommends fleets take into account what kind of data they will be able to access.
Continental’s new ContiPressureCheck system uses remote sensor readings to collect data and transmit it to any fleet location on the planet for evaluation.
To help, Fisher says TireStamp has an app that allows technicians and managers to check on a vehicle on demand. Managers can use this app to:
• see where the vehicle is, • see what service it needs, and • prioritize the service that is conducted at that location.
“We also provide the fleet with several useful reports that do not overwhelm with too much data,” she adds.
Likewise, Hargrave says PressurePro has integrated its system with PeopleNet, Omnitracs, Geotab and other telematics providers, as well as RS232 and CANbus (J1939) abilities. “In doing so,” she says, “we’re able to easily integrate our technology and read via tethering or vehicle networks to provide complete and easy-to-use integration options along with our advanced analyzation tools, including our newly released Automated Data Logger software, so users can analyze tire performance data and recognize tire performance trends and patterns.”
Continental can integrate its ContiPressureCheck TPMS with PeopleNet or Zonar so users of those telematic platforms can view tire data inside their telematics portal. But it has gone beyond that with its new ContiConnect remote tire monitoring platform, which allows tire data to be accessed remotely by back office personnel every time trucks return to the fleet yard.
“The yard reader station collects the data and passes it to a web portal, where the data can be viewed from anywhere in the world,” Thompson says. The web portal features audible and visual alerts if a tire experiences low pressure or high temperature; it also can trigger text message and email notifications of the alert.
“This notification capability means that a fleet manager, maintenance personnel, or tire service provider can be alerted to the problem even if they are not constantly monitoring the web portal,” he says.
“While significantly more data is becoming available across the trucking industry, customers are becoming less interested in having it reported to them,” says Judith Monte, vice president of marketing for Aperia Technologies Inc., which makes the Halo automatic tire inflation system. “The future of tire management is not about reporting data to customers, but transforming data into insights and automatically taking action on them.”
Monte says the most advanced TPMS solutions today provide insights to fleet managers to be able to take action, but the future is enabling fleets to streamline operations by automatically taking that action on the data on their behalf.
ZAT Method revisited
HOW TO CULTIVATE CRITICAL CUSTOMER FEEDBACK
By Wayne Williams
ustomers need tires and service, and you need to sell
Cthem. Most of the time it’s pretty easy. A customer walks into your store and says, “I need four of your best for less,” and boom, it’s done! You ask, “Would you like road hazard protection and an alignment?” And they say, “Sure. Why not?” without even asking the price. Life is good.
Other times, it’s a bit more work. But not really. Customers either buy or they don’t. I think it’s hard for a customer to walk out of a store. They know you sell tires and service, and they have demonstrated a level of trust just by showing up. When you really stop and think about it, it’s actually difficult to lose a customer who’s standing at your counter unless they’re asking for work you or your team is not qualified to perform.
Customers need to know that you care, and they need to feel levels of trust before they authorize you to work on their vehicle. When making a sales pitch or presentation, it’s important to glean information from the customer. It’s important to know that the customer is “tracking” with you. One way of doing this, of course, is by asking questions and listening for clues. I call it “the ZAT Method.”
The ZAT Method was originally birthed from a training exercise years ago when we were looking to fine-tune and improve our in-bound phone script for quoting tire prices over the phone. I introduced you to the ZAT Method way back in 2011. I noted that when quoting tire prices over the phone, you can’t read the caller’s body language, so we decided to add a simple question to the phone script. The question was, “How’s that sound?”
The thought was that midway through the call, we would ask the customer to give us some feedback by asking, “How’s that sound?” Of course, when you say it fast and repeatedly, it comes out “How’s ZAT sound?” We adopted it, and it worked. Anytime your customer gives you additional feedback, it’s valuable.
I’m going to expand a bit more on the ZAT Method today and add three simple components.
Atomization: Break it down. Personalization: Make it personal. Summarization: Put a bow on it.
The definition of atomization: To treat as made up of many discrete units.
This was the original thought when we were developing the phone script. As a sales person and potential customer move through the phone script, there are certain segments or “units” that must be done in order. This is so critical to building trust and confidence and closing the sale. Atomization is breaking down the goal (making a sale) before the actual engagement, being prepared and confident.
I am not a fan of strict scripts, but we must realize that callers or visitors have their own personal pathway to purchase, and as counter sales staff, we must have our own personal pathway to close. These pathways must successfully intersect to consummate a successful sale and customer experience.
I’m suggesting that you not only prepare, but that you develop your best personal solution by atomizing how you present. Break it down, first for yourself, then with customers in mind. Once you break it down, break it down again and again until you are highly confident of your ability to execute at new higher levels.
Secondly, personalization: Make it personal. Everything I read today about customer service references the concept of personalized service. The first and most important piece of personalization is using the customer’s name. To get your customer’s name, you must first offer yours. “Good morning. My name is Wayne. May I have your name?”
Use their name, but don’t overuse it (sounds phony). Speak to their concerns and needs. One customer might be price driven. Make sure you make price comparisons.
A price is only high or low by comparison. Some customers are more concerned about warranty.
Again, speak thoroughly to their concerns seeking to gain understanding of how the customer is tracking by asking, “How’s ZAT sound?”
Thirdly, summarization: Once you’ve broken it down and are prepared, once you have personally met the customer needs and concerns, it’s time to close the sale. It’s time to summarize and close.
Summarization is a soft landing as opposed to a hard close. Both work, but in today’s environment and sensitivities, it’s better to summarize and close in harmony and agreement.
The ZAT Method is actually about discovery and assistance. In discovering how the customer is tracking, understanding, and feeling, we can make the necessary adjustments during our presentation and address the areas that matter most to each individual customer, increasing our conversation rate and customer satisfaction. How’s ZAT sound?
Wayne Williams is president of Wayne Williams Marketing, a marketing and branding company with emphasis on retail “counter intelligence.” Located in La Habra, Calif., he can be reached via email at wayne@waynewilliamsmarketing.com.
By John Stone
Are all-season tires the solution to the summer/ winter situation in the UK?
lthough at the moment the UK remains part of Europe,
Athe country’s attitude toward the benefits of having both winter and summer tires fitted to their vehicles during the course of a year could not be more different than their colleagues in Europe.
Unlike their European counterparts, UK drivers just do not see the value in changing their tires from summer into winter tread patterns and back into summer tires, and really the very unpredictable weather conditions throughout the country are the major reason. As the conditions in the winter months are not generally severe and sometimes the number of really hot days can be counted on one hand, drivers see no reason to change their tires.
I am aware of the frustration this (some would say) misguided approach causes enterprising UK tire dealers who just cannot convince their customers of the benefits of following the lead in Europe where tire storage between the seasons is becoming big business.
I recently spoke with a sales manager at a leading tire manufacturer who explained, “UK drivers remain reluctantly hesitant to switch their tires to suit a particular weather season and we have so far failed to convince and educate our customers about how important it is to have the correct compounds fitted when driving in differing weather conditions.
“Even now the UK tire industry as a whole continues to promote the well-worn message that it isn’t just about driving on snow, but the precise way that rubber performs in low temperatures and on a cold, rainy day, drivers just do not realize that the rubber compound of a summer tire will never perform as well because of the difference in the compound,” he said.
It is also interesting to note that enterprising retail operations have over the past couple of years introduced a “tire hotel” service to store drivers’ summer and winter tire between seasons, which has been established in Europe for a number of years now. However, this gesture has mainly fallen on deaf ears as many motorists mistakenly believe it to be a gimmick to just sell more tires.
This totally “blinkered” attitude to winter and summer tires in the UK is why the market has tried so hard in the past few years to introduce and market all-season tires as a positive alternative to winter and summer tires. I have noticed that a growing amount of manufacturers, wholesaler/distributors and retailers are increasing promoting their stocks of all-season brands with a message that all-season tires have exactly the same markings as winter tires giving them a high standard of grip while the tread patterns are also suitable for summer tire driving.
All-season tires are marketed in the UK as a positive alternative to winter and summer tires. Cooper Tire and Rubber Co. recently unveiled its Discoverer AT3 family of tires at The Tire Cologne international trade show in Cologne, Germany. The line, which includes three distinct all-season, all-terrain tires for SUVs and light-duty pickups as well as medium- to heavy-duty trucks, will be available for consumers later this summer.
At the moment the all-season market appears to be gradually growing year-on-year but it still has a long way to go before establishing itself as popular answer to the UK winter/summer tire scenario.
BREAKING NEWS As I write this column for the June edition, it has just been announced that the European Union (EU) will be applying anti-dumping duties to certain truck and bus tires that are produced in China when entering the European Union.
The Official Journal of the EU (Volume 61) which was published recently, states that as per Commission Regulation (EU) 2018/683 of May 4, 2018, provisional anti-dumping duties of between 52.85 euros and 82.17 euros per tire will be levied on new and retreaded tires for buses and commercial vehicles with a load index exceeding 121, which currently falls within CN codes 4011 20 90 and ex 4012 12 00 (TARIC code 4012120010), and originating in China.
This news is not unexpected and there have been rumours of its introduction during the past few months. Now it is official and Europe has finally joined North America with anti-dumping duties.
I am sure this latest development will be followed by a number of reactions and comments throughout the UK and Europe from both sides.
Therefore, it goes without saying that my next column for July will center around these new anti-dumping levies and bring readers up-to-date with the current situation.
John Stone has been working within the global tire industry for the past 27 years. In 2004 he launched his own consulting company, Sapphire Media Service, which caters to business media clients around the globe. Stone also writes for tire and automotive-related publications in Europe, South Africa and Asia.
May 30 - June 30, 2018 Consumer Promotion
Do, delegate, delay or dump
LEARNING HOW TO SPEND YOUR TIME EFFICIENTLY
By Dennis McCarron
t’s been said in this column before that “time is the new world
Icurrency.” Time is the only truly finite, or limited, resource to a human being. You can never create it, like you can wealth. Time only ticks away; it never increases.
In the next few years, the focus is increasingly on efficiency, which by definition is to accomplish something with the least waste of time. Running a business is fraught with time wasters.
Employees may come to you with problems they can readily solve on their own, customers may want to speak “just to you” about getting their oil changed, and vendors always want face time to sell you the latest gadgets. Let’s talk about spending your time like the precious commodity it is.
DO Do items for small business owners are the critical tasks of keeping the business alive. Think of Do items as the oxygen for the business. These are important, urgent, and must be priorities each and every day. What is a Do item? Do items are things that only the owner can accomplish whether they be decisions about cash flow, making payroll clear on time, or monitoring the systems that make the company hum – or in crisis, crash. Do items are also the things that owners have a passion for. Getting your motor running is vital to the long-term success of the business. Owners should prioritize these tasks over everything else in their day and 80% of an owner’s time each day should be spent on Do items. When possible, begin these items first or as early in the day as possible so that decisions can be made in other areas of the company.
DELEGATE Delegation is the art of assigning work to others in the company that will benefit the company (someone doing work for you) and the person doing the work (it expands their skill set, grows their influence, challenges them, and increases their worth to the company).
Delegated work is often work small business owners keep to themselves because they have a belief that “only I can do this right/fast/on time.” That is often true. The only reason it’s true is because the owner hasn’t allowed someone else to learn the task.
Delegated work is important. But it’s not mission critical, and
that is what separates a Do item the owner is passionate about and a Delegate item. It’s something the owner can do, but should allow others within the company to grow into. If it gets messed up, the owner can correct, or spend the time teaching how to correct it.
Delegation’s first step, handing over the power and authority to someone else to do the work as they see fit, is often the hardest step. “Will they do it as well as I do it?” “Will they do each step the same was as I do?” are often the questions holding us back from delegating.
The questions we should be asking ourselves are “Is the end result going to be the same?” “Are the same methods generally going to be used?” and, just as importantly, “Will this free-up crucial time for me to be doing other important work?”
DELAY These are items that are not critical to the businesses success, yet have potential to improve it. They simply aren’t important enough today to be chewing into your time (which should be spent on a Do or teaching Delegated items.
Delay items often hang around our minds, maybe sometimes causing some anxiety because we can’t seem to get around to making a decision. Sometimes we need more information, sometimes we don’t have all the resources. Sometimes, we just don’t have the impetus to make the call. Either way, the best way to handle delay items to make a call on when you will make a call. Get it off your plate, and onto your calendar.
The decision should be how long can I put this off until it rises to the level of necessity? It might even simply rise to Delegate. Either way, stop letting a hundred minor decisions consume your day, and just push them out on the calendar so you can focus on the things that matter: the people and the assets of the organization.
DUMP How many things do you do every single day that if you stopped doing, nothing would happen? That report that you make or read every day and email out? Does anyone read it anymore? Are you doing something today that you are simply do because you have always done it?
This category is important because often our day is consumed by many little things that don’t add up to accomplishing any real results that affect the business. Often, they seem important but it’s usually just a legacy item.
When was the last time you looked at what you do every day and took something off the list? Too often, we simply continuously add things to our daily routine, and we end up sloppily trying to accomplish too many things, when in fact, if we focused on what truly mattered and handled the urgent and important things with quality, that would add more to our bottom line.
Dennis McCarron is executive director of Dealer Strategic Planning Inc., a company that manages multiple tire dealer 20 Groups in the U.S. (www.dsp-20group. com). To contact McCarron, email him at dennis@dsp-20group.com.
*Based on a 2016 brand study by a major industry publication
©2018 CMA, LLC.
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Focus on Industry BELLE TIRE: 100 stores is the ‘tip of the iceberg’
DEALER HAS ALL HANDS ON DECK IN INDIANA
By Joy Kopcha
n the midst of a major expansion blitz in
Ithe state of Indiana, Belle Tire Distributors Inc. hit a milestone. The Michiganbased tire dealer opened its 100th store.
On April 30 Belle Tire opened its doors in Kokomo, Ind., and on May 12 company executives gathered for the store’s official grand opening celebration.
But in an interview with Modern Tire
Dealer, Belle Tire President Don Barnes
III says the company isn’t taking a break from its long-term growth plans to dwell on the achievement.
“It’s an exciting milestone for us. I don’t want to underplay it, but what really excites us is we feel this is the tip of the iceberg.
“We’re excited to continue to build out the rest of Indiana, as well as look for future growth in markets that are contiguous to where we currently have locations.”
The company is in the midst of an aggressive move into the Hoosier State. When Belle Tire crossed the border into Indiana in the fall of 2015, it was the first time in 30 years the company had entered a new state. (Belle Tire has four stores in northwest Ohio near Toledo.)
The first four Belle Tire stores in Indiana were all near South Bend in the northern part of the state.
Kokomo is Belle Tire’s 10th location in the state. Three more stores are under construction, in Warsaw, Marion and Anderson, and the company is entering the state’s largest market of Indianapolis. Belle Tire has sites in Greenwood and Southport. By the end of 2018 Barnes says Belle Tire will have between 15 and 18 stores in Indiana.
Barnes says Belle Tire sees opportunity in Indiana because of the tire industry’s
Less than three years after entering Indiana, Belle Tire has opened its 10th store in the state at 2333 E. Markland Ave. in Kokomo. It’s the company’s 100th store overall.
tendency to be regionalized and thus “very fragmented.” The company also is looking to move into bigger markets, he says.
In the last decade most of Belle Tire’s growth has come through greenfield expansion, but Barnes says acquisitions are an option, too. They were a key part of the company’s growth in the 1990s, and “what would be important to us is that it’s a great culture fit to us and be somewhat close to our existing markets to leverage our synergies.”
Barnes wouldn’t go into detail about the company’s plans for 2019 and beyond, other than to say the aggressive growth will continue. That could include filling in gaps in markets in Michigan, Indiana or Ohio, or other nearby places.
In Indiana, the building blitz has led to an intense hiring blitz. The same week the Kokomo store opened, Ray Turner Jr., director of retail operations in Indiana for Belle Tire, was working recruitment events in four different cities the other four days of the week.
Barnes says the company has found “a really good mix of local people” to work in its stores throughout the state. “We’re a big believer that we need to have stores where people currently live. It’s a big emphasis on hiring local, but also still supplementing (the staffs) with existing Belle Tire teammates.
“Our company, our success has always been driven by our people. We’re very, very customer centric, but the reason we’ve been able to be so customer centric is because of our internal customers, our employees.”
Barnes says the company has dedicated resources to help with the hiring, and all of the other support the new stores need.
“We’ve always been a company that doesn’t believe the good employees are out there working someplace else. We as leaders have the responsibility to coach and mentor our team and ultimately create a work environment where people can be managed, have fun, and be passionate about what they do, and see that their work has meaning.
“Our job is to give our neighbors peace of mind and trust and get them back on the road fast and affordably,” Barnes says. “We’re very confident we can teach people tires; we can teach people service. What we’re specifically looking for are people who have that natural ability to connect and create relationships with customers in order to keep them wanting to come back.”
Focus on Industry Gearing up for the 4 th industrial revolution
HOW WILL ROBOTICS, VIRTUAL REALITY AND AI AFFECT OUR INDUSTRY?
By Greg Smith
Most of us know about the industrial revolution, but not too many of us realize that we’re heading toward the fourth industrial revolution.
At this year’s Tire Industry Association Off-the-Road Tire Conference, Chris Rhoades, senior product manager for BKT USA Inc., not only explained what the fourth industrial revolution is, but also how companies could provide value to it as it relates to the mining industry.
Roughly speaking, the first industrial revolution took place in the late 1700s. It was brought about by steam, water and mechanical production equipment. The second revolution took place in the late 1800s with the invention of electricity and mass production. We’re currently in the third industrial revolution that started sometime in the late 1960s with digitalization.
According to the World Economic Forum’s Professor Klaus Schwab in his book “The Fourth Industrial Revolution,” the next revolution will be characterized by a range of new technologies that fuse physical, digital and biological worlds together, impacting economies and industries, even challenging ideas about what it means to be human. Put in simpler terms, it is the use of robotics, virtual reality and artificial intelligence.
Rhoades, who told attendees that he comes from a family deeply rooted in coal mining, going back 155 years, used a few analogies to make his point about providing value. Rhoades said that one year’s production
PHOTO BY TIA/PETER KUHN
Chris Rhoades drove home a point about mine safety by showing his father’s hard hat that was worn during his 31 years of mining.
of coal from the entire state of Kentucky in the early 1800s was 328 tons. Today, that amounts to one load of a CAT 797 or Komatsu 930 haul truck.
In looking at the history of mining trucks, their hauling capacity and the tires they used, Rhoades was able to point out that not much has changed since 1998, the year the Caterpillar Model 797 was introduced with 63-inch tires and a payload of 400 tons.
Rhoades said the advancements in equipment have come from digitizing — sensors and GPS; dispatch; truck spotting; TPMS; and utilizing object avoidance technology. As an example, the Rio Tinto mine in Australia is expected to expand its autonomous truck fleet by 50% by 2019 and has already moved its one billionth ton.
The use of autonomous haul trucks has led Rio Tinto to increase its hours by 1,000 with a reduction of 15% in load cost/unit.
Rhoades quoted Hitachi’s Atsushi Konishi, managing director, “There are large mining companies that are looking at Australia to implement new digital technologies in order to then replicate them in other regions of the world. Embracing smart technology including digitization and IoT (Internet of Things) in the mining industry is imperative for Australia to maintain its leadership position.”
The World Economic Forum is projecting a digital transformation in the mining and metals industry to be a roughly $400 billion opportunity. This is a much higher value than is projected for the rest of society. The reason is the impact by integrated platforms, connected workers and remote operations centers that will account for over 60% of this figure.
Rhoades explained that the transformation for those servicing and maintaining tires is progressing as well. In 1996, the original TPMS system was introduced to the industry. He said TPMS only worked if companies were already working on air pressure maintenance programs.
Today, companies are using TPMS and job site studies to further extend the life of tires. As Rhoades phrased it, “we’re talking about safety, digitization, maintenance and speed, which equals productivity.”
Rhoades said the industry has already been tracking a tremendous amount of data about tires, but wondered whether the industry has been using it correctly. “We’ve created a lot of data, but have we created as much value? Are we handing reports to customers? Are we automating it with dashboards? Who is telling the story?”
Rhoades said as the industry moves forward, it must better understand how to measure a tire’s total quantified life. Rhoades said it is easy to calculate cost/hour, but analyzing all of the variables to create a more accurate, automated tire management solution is far more challenging, but it will be the direction the industry is headed as it enters the fourth industrial revolution.
Focus on Industry 225 members, 1,000 locations in all 50 states
ITDG CEO REVEALS BIG FIVE-YEAR GOALS AT ANNUAL MEETING
his past year has seen a number
Tof changes surrounding the Independent Tire Dealers Group LLC (ITDG), but one thing has remained constant, and that’s the continued growth of the group.
Dave Marks took over the reins as CEO and president of the ITDG last August following the retirement of Michael Cox. The industry veteran has been making the rounds to accomplish his “personal goal” of meeting all 147 members with 660 locations in 43 states.
At the same time, Marks has been working with the group’s vendors to “make sure the programs fit and are strong for everyone.”
During the ITDG’s annual meeting and trade show held in Chandler, Ariz., in May, Marks told the 315 attendees (people from 89 members and 52 vendors) that he remains committed to growing the group to 175 members with 750 locations in 46 states by the end of 2019. He also upped the ante by stating a five-year goal of having 225 members with 1,000 locations in all 50 states.
The way Marks intends to do this is “by adding value in everything we do.” Marks is quick to give credit to the ITDG staff members who are making the success happen. ITDG veterans Chris Barry, senior sales director; Cheryl Bluman, office manager; and two new hires, Sherry Bily, director of programs and pricing, and Tony Garrett, regional sales director — east, have been the guiding force behind the growth ITDG experienced this past year.
Greg Smith, publisher of Modern Tire Dealer, was the keynote speaker for
the ITDG general session. He provided insight into the changes taking place in the industry’s distribution channel.
ITDG added 10 shareholders this past year from across the country.
Marks refers to the ITDG as “a group of very successful, fiercely independent tire and automotive dealers, dependent on someone like us to secure the programs, pricing and vendor partnerships that will add additional value and profits to their business.”
The total group purchases by members for the past year was $226,628,990, a growth of 7.3% from 2016 with a total volume bonus and dividend payout to members of $8,675,740, a growth of 4.9% from 2016.
During the event, members were told that shareholders of the ITDG captive insurance company earned a dividend of $1,000 per share. The dividend matches the original value of a share when the insurance company was created in 2005 with 40 members. Currently, there are 25 members. Since its inception, the average annual ROI has been 20%, according to the ITDG.
Marks says the state of the ITDG “could
Jerry Palanjian and Jessica Rankin of Grand Prix Performance Tire, Costa Mesa, Calif., and Bill Saylors, The Tire Man in Thousand Oaks, Calif., take a break from the ITDG trade show.
not be stronger, even in the uncertainty of the industry today. We will grow and be stronger and we will be united.”
During the ITDG board meeting, the group took on a new initiative called NextGen. It is a committee that the group has developed to make sure that the younger generation will have a bigger voice in running the businesses and how they should go to market.
According to Marks, the idea came from Clay Miller, former chairman of the board and current owner of Mainstreet Tire USA in Peyton, Colo. “It’s important for business owners to hear what their family members have to say, ‘Dad, we do this,’ and then actually let them implement the ideas.”
During the meeting, 15 to 20 members expressed interest in participating with this initiative. The details of the ways that the committee will engage are still being developed, according to Marks.
Chris Barry, ITDG, and Wes Tatum, owner of Leete Tire, Petersburg, Va., stand with Jeff Harris from Napa Auto Parts during the Gala Reception.
Chris Barry, senior sales director of ITDG and Dave Marks, president and CEO of ITDG, have aggressive growth plans for ITDG during the next five years. Kirk Lenhardt, owner of Fat Boy’s Tire & Auto in Cheyenne, Wyo., won the 2017 ITDG Dealer of the Year Award. The award was presented to him due to his success with the group coupled with his outstanding reputation among his customers and vendors.
Focus on Industry On the Road of Change
By
BTS KEEPS ITS RETAIL CUSTOMERS ON TOP OF THE TRENDS
Bob Ulrich
The brochure says it all: “BTS Tire & Wheel Distributors, your one stop for automotive equipment.” And of course, tires.
The wholesale division of Black’s Tire Service recently held a dealer meeting at its headquarters in Whiteville, N.C., to reinforce the importance of wholesale distribution to its retail customers. Independent tire dealers from North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia were represented.
Organizers of the event were prophetic. They came up with the slogan, “On the Road of Change” well before the joint venture between Michelin North America Inc.
and Sumitomo Corporation of Americas (SCOA), and then Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and Bridgestone Americas Inc.
Speakers, including Modern
Tire Dealer Editor Bob Ulrich,
discussed the recent changes in the tire distribution landscape in detail.
BTS inventories the following brands: Americus, Goodyear, Federal, Venezia, Cooper, Roadmaster, Michelin, Kelly, Pirelli, West Lake, Uniroyal, Hankook, BFGoodrich, Mickey Thompson, Continental, Double Coin, Falken and Mastercraft. Seven of the brands are backed by associate dealer programs: Falken (Fanatic), Goodyear (G3Xpress), Cooper (Medallion), Hankook (One), Mickey Thompson, Americus and Federal.
What do you do when you have three stores competing for tire sales right next to each other, especially when one promotes the “cheapest prices” and the other the “largest inventory”? Frankie Underwood, BTS’ director of sales, said you have to think outside the box to differentiate yourself.
In stressing the importance of stocking inventory, Ricky Benton, owner of BTS Tire & Wheel Distributors, asked the independent tire dealers in attendance a simple question: “How many of you stock a substantial amount of tires?”
“I think that if everyone in this room stayed the same in their business and didn’t change for the good, then we wouldn’t be in business very long,” said Frankie Pugh, general manager of distribution for Pugh’s Tire & Service Centers, a six-store chain based in Greenville, N.C.
NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series driver Timothy Peters signed autographs with the No. 92 BTS car on the premises.
BTS stocks a variety of shop equipment and supplies at its four wholesale distribution centers in North Carolina.
Focus on Industry ‘It’s critical in the market’
By Bob Ulrich
n 2007, The Tire Rack started a fire storm
Iin the tire industry when it supported a minimum 4/32-inch tread depth. That was in contrast to the generally accepted minimum tread depth standard of 2/32-inch.
The results of Tire Rack’s own wet traction testing were the basis for its decision to promote removing a tire from service at 4/32-inch. It felt the difference in stopping distance between the two measurements was too dramatic to ignore. It was a safety issue, and remains so, said the company.
At the time, Michelin North America
Inc. was the only tire manufacturer to respectfully disagree. There was no data to indicate the 2/32-inch minimum led to an increase in accidents. In addition, there were other factors that favored waiting until 2/32-inch of tread remained (see sidebar,
“A costly decision”).
The narrative started to change in 2014 when Michelin introduced its Premier
A/S passenger tire at the North American
International Auto Show in Detroit. Michelin said the main selling feature of the Premier
A/S was its ability to retain wet traction as it wears.
Suddenly tread depth itself wasn’t the focus. Performance, specifically wet traction performance, over the life of the tire was. Three years later, Michelin is pushing for a worn tire testing standard.
JUMP-STARTING THE CONVERSATION Michelin is hosting a global series of events to raise awareness about the importance of worn tire performance in the tire-buying decision. One of the first was a driving event recently held at Michelin’s Laurens Proving Grounds in Greenville, S.C.
The presentations by Michelin executives always emphasized one message: Worn consumer tires, defined as tires approaching wear out, should be tested. From new to worn, “they change in ways that are simply not clear to consumers at the point of purchase,” said Eric Bruner, director of external communications.
Tom Carter, technical communications director for product marketing, said there are really only three tire components that lead to good wet traction:
Minimum tread depth
The definition varies state to state
When the tread depth on passenger or light truck tires is worn down to 2/32-inch, Michelin North America Inc. says the tires have reached their legal limit. That’s the depth at which Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 571.109 (bias-ply), 571.139 (radial) and, in the case of a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of more than 10,000 pounds, 571.119 require manufacturers to build/mold in tire tread wear indicators.
There is no federal standard that labels 2/32-inch as the minimum allowable tread depth. However, in its 2001 “Everything Rides on It” tire safety campaign, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration commented on the issue. “In general, tires are not safe and should be replaced when the tread is worn down to 1/16 (2/32) of an inch.”
Minimum tread depth requirements vary state to state, although 42 states follow the tread wear indicator standard. Two states, including California, have a minimum of 1/32-inch. Six states have no minimum.
Continental Tire the Americas LLC recommends tires should be removed from service when the tread depth reaches 4/32-inch — with one exception. Winter tires should be removed at the 5/32-inch mark. • an adherent tread compound (“high-grade polymers, high-grade elastomers, high-grade additives, and silica”), • an effective tread pattern (“grooves and edges”), and • a proper contact patch shape. “A rounded contact patch shape will be more efficient in wet than a square simply because you can evacuate water around the contact patch, around the tire.”
Depending on the tire’s design, some worn tires can perform better than some new tires, said Carter.
“When you go buy a tire, all the compound looks black. You can see the tread pattern, but you can’t really see it worn. You can’t see the contact patch. That’s… why we’re trying to start a conversation.”
BOLD STATEMENT The Michelin Premier A/S is uniquely designed with rain grooves that widen as the tire wears. “Hidden” grooves also emerge over time. The result is a tire the company said continues to evacuate water as the tread depth decreases.
Michelin is on record as saying thanks to its new EverGrip technology and a new tread compound featuring “extreme amounts of silica and sunflower oil,” the Premier A/S,
“Worn tires should be tested and drivers should have the information,” says Andrew Koury, pictured watching worn tire testing at Michelin’s Laurens Proving Grounds in South Carolina.
Michelin’s wet traction testing data revealed how various tire brands performed new, at 3 mm (between 4/32- and 3/32-inch) and worn (2/32-inch). “There is a meaningful, significant amount of variation in these stages among all of (the) tiers,” said Eric Bruner, Michelin’s director of external communications.
when worn, stops shorter on wet roads than its leading competitors’ new tires.
At the Laurens Proving Grounds, Michelin tested the new and worn wet traction performance of its Premier A/S against a Tier 1 competitor’s tire. In all cases the new Michelin tire stopped the fastest, followed by the worn Michelin tire. (It is not Modern Tire Dealer’s policy to reveal the names of competitors’ tires in competitive testing sponsored by one tire manufacturer. When the competing manufacturer was asked by MTD if the tires directly competed against each other, the competitor said it was not an apples-to-apples comparison. The Premier A/S was described as a grand touring allseason tire featuring premium wet traction, while its tire was a “high performance all-season tire with performance emphasis weighted toward responsive handling.” The competitor then offered up a tire that it felt was appropriate to test against the Premier A/S.)
Tire Rack’s view on the 4/32nds versus
“Technology exists to design and manufacture tires to perform well in wet conditions, even when worn,” said Tom Carter (right, pictured with Eric Bruner, center, and Andrew Koury).
2/32nds debate hasn’t changed, even after testing the Premier A/S on its home track.
“Premier A/S and its companion line Premier LTX do have some unique features in the tread that go a long way to mitigate the effects of tire wear when the tire encounters that volumetric event,” said Woody Rogers, Tire Rack’s director of tire information. “But no tire is as good at 2/32 as it is when new. Tire performance in the wet isn’t like gasoline, where the last ounce works like the first gallon. Tire traction in wet evolves as the tire wears.”
Rogers said he has already seen a trend toward full-depth features in the tread, “as all major brands have found the need to maintain as much traction as possible into the late stages of the tire’s wear life.”
TESTING METHODOLOGY Bruner said Michelin’s first goal is to make people aware of how important worn tire performance is. “You can get worn or used reviews on so many other things you buy as a consumer. Why can you not get information about a worn tire? It’s the piece of technology you place your life in every time you get in the vehicle.
“As we make people aware of that problem, and the very practical considerations related to that problem, we believe it will lead to independent third-party tests on worn tires. And we believe as that occurs, our conversation will probably begin leading naturally into what would be the testing methodologies.”
Carter said ASTM (American Society for A costly decision Why removing tires too early matters
In addition to reduced stopping distance, there are other issues to consider when removing tires prematurely, says Andrew Koury, Michelin brand director for Michelin North America Inc. They include the following.
Cost to consumers. “Twenty-five billion dollars are wasted every year in pulling a well-maintained tire off the road too early. The cost to drivers is around one tire every two years or $250. It’s a high cost.”
Cost to the environment. “There are 400 million tires wasted each year by early removal. They have to go somewhere. Imagine 400 million tires in landfills.”
Koury says the cost in raw materials used to rebuild the 400 million tires removed prematurely equals close to 35 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions globally, “which is equal roughly to the entire New York City’s emissions for six months.”
Testing and Materials) standard F1046-01, “Standard Guide for Preparing Artificially Worn Passenger and Light Truck Tires for Testing,” would make credible wet traction testing on worn tires less burdensome. It’s a good place to start.
“Testing worn tires could be useful,” said Tire Rack’s Rogers. “But the key is to develop tests that are meaningful to the consumer, and replicate what they will experience in the real world after three to four years — or more for high-mileage tires.
“Is shaving a tire the same as wearing it down and exposing it to the environment and heat for that many years? What’s the right depth to test at? Think about going from 3/32 to 2/32. It’s a 33% reduction in depth, and essentially the same reduction in void volume. The impact of remaining tread depth/void volume is not linear. The loss of performance ramps up dramatically as you wear away each of the final few 32nds of usable tread.”
Jim Frady, Michelin’s tire performance team manager, said the ultimate goal is much less complicated.
Focus on Industry BIG O TIRES aims for $800 million in sales in 2018
NEW WEBSITE WILL HAVE ONLINE SALES CAPABILITY
By Joy Kopcha
ig O Tires LLC is counting on a
Bsingle word to help franchisees increase sales and improve the consumer experience inside its 449 stores.
The word: “Yes!”
“Tremendous opportunities can open up with that one little word,” says John Kairys, vice president and general manager of Big
O Tires. “When we say yes to customers, they say yes to us.”
Saying yes is more than a marketing line or advertising slogan, Kairys says. It requires owners and managers to consider everything from reviewing if a store is
Les and Tina Foster, owners of a Big O Tires store in Gardner, Kan., talk to Chris Schaible, a field sales manager for Continental Tire the Americas LLC, about the tread on a General Grabber tire during the trade show.
properly staffed and open the best hours for service, to studying whether a store creates an inviting environment.
In 2018 Big O Tires, a division of TBC Corp., is rolling out new tools to help its franchisees say yes to consumers. There’s a tool from Marchex Inc. that allows stores to monitor and review customer phone calls. Primary and secondary credit options help consumers with all financial backgrounds pay for the tires and services their vehicles need.
Big O Tires also will unleash a refreshed consumer-facing website this fall. The new site will have the capability to sell tires online to consumers, though Brant Wilson, president of TBC’s franchise group, says it’s undetermined when, or if, the company will flip that switch.
“We have the capability. We’re creating the strategy.” Wilson says the company’s current system, which offers the ability to shop for tires and make installation appointments online, is the key. When Big O Tires contacts consumers within 30 minutes of them making an appointment online, Wilson says 85% of those invoices match the dollar amount of the online ticket. “We feel good about that being an important component.”
The company expects all of those tools will help it record $800 million in total sales in 2018, and hopefully extend its record of consecutive year sales increases. Kim McBee, vice president of marketing and advertising for Big O Tires, says 2017 was the fifth straight year of improved sales.
Big O Tires wants to extend its reach in new stores, as well as retention of existing franchises. In 2018 the goal is to open 25 new locations, and renew 90% of the 28 franchise agreements up for review. Kairys says the company already has tentatively secured one-third of the new-store goal.
New-store openings were a big part of the Big O Tires story in 2017. In November franchisee Mark Rhee bought 44 NTB Tire & Service Center locations in Minnesota, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri from TBC and is rebranding them to Big O Tires stores.
That deal helped Big O Tires have a “record-breaking” year, Kairys says. Fifty-seven new stores opened, giving the company 449 stores in 23 states. By the end of 2017 Big O Tires had crossed into four new states — Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and Minnesota.
The existing stores did their part, too. Same-store sales were up 3.5% in 2017,
Credit boosts business
One path to sales growth for Big O Tires LLC is paved with multiple credit options for consumers.
Data from Big O Tires credit card purchases shows users make double the number of transactions in a year compared to those who pay cash or use their own bank card. And the average ticket paid with a Big O Tires card is $504, compared to the $180 consumers spend when paying with cash or another credit card.
The card carries an interest rate of 29.99%, but purchases are also interest-free if paid off within six months. Big O Tires says 83% of consumers pay off their purchases within that zero-interest time frame.
The company also is promoting the merits of second-tier financing options to its franchisees. Big O Tires dealer Jerry Tidwell, who was profiled in Modern Tire Dealer’s March cover story on secondary credit, pitches the option to every consumer. In 2017 he recorded $1 million in sales financed through Snap Finance LLC, and Tidwell told Big O Tires dealers at the 2018 convention that Snap financing “has blown up” his store’s buy-two, get-two tires promotions. “We’re signing 20 Snaps a day” during those events, he says.
and the company hopes to achieve that same result again this year.
Same stores fell a bit short in one category, though. The goal was to increase alignment sales by 20% in 2017, but the group grew the alignment category by 16%. (The goal is to hit that 20% increase in 2018.)
Wilson says the Big O Tires team helped save 10 stores last year, some of which were in danger of losing leases. In all, the franchise lost five stores overall. Wilson says it’s the fewest number of stores lost since 1996.
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2007 –201 4 Mazda3 and Mazda2
SUBJECT VEHICLES: 2007 – 2014 Mazda3 and Mazda2 vehicles. RELEARN PROCEDURE? No. SPECIAL TOOLS NEEDED? An M-MDS scan tool may be used for the registration procedure.
The tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) on 2007 – 2014 Mazda3 and Mazda2 vehicles monitors the pressure for each tire. If tire pressure is too low or too high in one or more tires, the TPMS will turn on a warning light on the instrument panel and sound a warning beep for about 3 seconds. If there is a system malfunction or a spare tire is in use, the warning light will flash. Tire pressure sensors installed on each wheel send tire pressure data by radio signal to the receiver unit in the vehicle. This system may not function properly under the following conditions:
• When there is equipment or a device near the vehicle using the same radio frequency as that of the tire pressure sensors. • When a large metallic object (i.e., a large electric household appliance or a desktop computer) is placed on the right side of the rear seat, it may block radio signals from the tire pressure sensor to the receiver unit. • When using a digital device (such as a personal computer) or a current converter device that may cause radio interference with the receiver unit. • When excess snow or ice adheres to the vehicle. • When tire pressure sensor batteries are exhausted. • When using a wheel with no tire pressure sensor installed (i.e., a spare tire). • When using tires with steel wire reinforcement in the sidewalls or when using tire chains.
TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR WARNING LIGHT CAUTION: Do not tilt or use excessive side force when checking air pressure or inflating a tire, or the tire pressure sensor may be damaged. When the tire pressure warning light illuminates and the warning beep sound is heard (about 3 seconds), check tire pressure and adjust as necessary. When pressure is adjusted on hot tires to the cold inflation pressure, the warning light/ beep may turn on after the tires cool and pressure drops below specification. Also, an illuminated warning light resulting from the tire air pressure dropping due to cold ambient temperature may go out if the ambient temperature rises. In this case, it will also be necessary to adjust the tire air pressure. If the warning light illuminates again even after the tire pressures are adjusted, the tire may be punctured.
NOTE: After adjusting the tire air pressures, it may require some time for the warning light to go out. If the warning light remains illuminated, drive the vehicle at a speed of at least 16 mph (25 km/h) for 10 minutes, and then verify that it goes out.
If the warning light is flashing and a spare tire is not in use, there is a malfunction in the TPMS. See the appropriate manufacturer service information.
TPMS RESET PROCEDURES NOTE: Whenever tires or wheels are changed (including changing to and from winter tires) where a new sensor is installed, the tire pressure sensor’s unique ID signal code must be registered with the TPMS. Tire pressure sensor ID registration is achieved automatically once the vehicle has been stationary for 15 minutes or more, and then driven at a speed of at least 16 mph (25 km/h) for 10 minutes or more.
After adjusting the tire air pressures, it may require some time for the warning light to go out. If the warning light remains illuminated, drive the vehicle at a speed of at least 16 mph (25 km/h) for 10 minutes, and then verify that it goes out.
Figure 1: Here’s an exploded view of the tire pressure sensor.
TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR REGISTRATION NOTE: There is no practical difference between the M-MDS scan tool method of registration and the non-scan tool method. The M-MDS scan tool method simply provides the ability to read the tire pressure sensor ID changes directly. With both methods, the vehicle must remain stationary for 15 minutes and then be driven for 10 minutes.
Without M-MDS scan tool
1) Turn the ignition switch to the ON position, then turn it back to the LOCK position. 2) Leave the vehicle with the engine off, and wait for 15 minutes or more. NOTE: If the vehicle is driven before 15 minutes of changing the tires, the TPMS warning light will flash because the sensor ID signal code will not have been registered yet. If this happens, park the vehicle for 15 minutes or more, after which the sensor ID signal code will register upon driving the vehicle for 10 minutes or more. 3) After 15 minutes, drive the vehicle at a speed of at least 16 mph (25 km/h) for 10 minutes or more. Tire pressure sensor ID registration is completed when the TPMS warning light turns OFF.
With an M-MDS scan tool
NOTE: Use the LDS (laptop PC). The PDS (pocket PC) does not support wheel unit ID registration and monitoring wheel unit ID. NOTE:
When using the M-MDS scan tool to perform the ID registration, before driving record the initial ID data and verify the data has changed after driving for 10 minutes or more.
1) Turn the ignition switch to the ON position, and then turn it back to the LOCK position. 2) Connect the M-MDS scan tool and identify the vehicle. 3) After the vehicle is identified, select the following items from the initial screen of the M-MDS. 4) Select “BODY,” then “TPMS FUNCTION,” then
“WHEEL UNIT ID REGISTRATION.”
Figure 2: Positioning the tire pressure sensor.
5) Select “WU_ID REGISTRATION.” 6) Leave the vehicle with the engine off, and wait for 15 minutes or more. 7) Verify the TPMS warning light turns ON and OFF in 0.5 second repeat cycles. 8) After 15 minutes or more, drive the vehicle at a speed of at least 16 mph (25 km/h) for 10 minutes or more. Tire pressure sensor ID registration is complete when the
TPMS warning light turns OFF.
DEMOUNTING/MOUNTING PROCEDURES CAUTION: The tire should be demounted from the wheel using the tire changer manufacturer’s instructions. Use the following information to avoid damage during the demounting/mounting procedures.
NOTE: Whenever tires or wheels are changed (such as changing to and from winter tires) where a new sensor is installed, the tire pressure sensor’s unique ID signal code must be registered with the TPMS. See “Rest procedures.”
NOTE: The TPMS is not affected by wheel and tire rotation.
NOTE: Perform tire pressure adjustment when the tires are cold. Tire pressure will vary according to the tire temperature (approximately 1.5 psi (10 kPa) change for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit). Let the vehicle stand for one hour or only drive it 1 mile or less before adjusting the tire pressures.
TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR CAUTION: The use of non-genuine tire sealants is strictly prohibited for vehicles equipped with TPMS. Other tire sealants can clog tire pressure sensors. When reinstalling a previously removed tire pressure sensor to a wheel, replace the grommet for the tire pressure sensor. NOTE: Factory wheels are specially designed for installation of tire pressure sensors. D not use non-genuine wheels, or it may not be possible to install tire pressure sensors.
Removal
1) When replacing a wheel or tire, tire pressure sensors must be set up in one of the following ways:
• Remove the sensor from the old wheel and install it to the new wheel. Keep the same wheel with tire pressure sensor, and replace only the tire. • Use a new wheel and sensor (the new sensor will need to be registered).
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CAUTION: Breaking the tire bead with the tire pressure sensor installed normally could damage the sensor. Be sure to always push the sensor so that it is completely inside the tire to prevent any damage. 3) Remove the nut. Push the tire valve completely into the tire. 4) Position the shoe (bead breaker) of the tire changer 0.40-0.78 inch (10-20 mm) from the outer edge of the wheel, and break both tire beads. 5) Remove the bead from one side of the wheel. 6) Remove the tire pressure sensor. 7) Remove seal washer and seal.
Installation
1) Install seal washer and seal.
NOTE: While maintaining contact between the sensor and the rim, manually start to screw valve nut for a few turns.
Figure 3: Positioning the tire changer.
2) Insert the tire pressure sensor valve into the valve hole so that the polyurethane foam side faces the rim (see
Figure 2).
CAUTION: Do not retighten the valve nut after the initial operation. 3) Install the nut from the outer side of the wheel. 4) Tighten the valve nut slowly (15 pm maximum) to 71 in.-lbs. (8 N.m) in one rotation.
CAUTION: Do not position the tire changer near the tire valve, or tire pressure sensor may be damaged. 5) Set the tire changer so that it is 45 degrees away (point “A”) from the valve hole (see Figure 3).
CAUTION: Do not tilt or use excessive side force when checking air pressure or inflating the tire, or the tire pressure sensor may be damaged. 6) Fill the tire with air. Verify valve nut tightening torque. 7) Install the valve core and cap. 8) Install the tire and wheel assembly. 9) When a new sensor is installed, the ID code will need to be registered. See
“Reset procedures.”
Torque specifications
Component Wheel nut
Tire pressure sensor nut 1 Ft.-lbs. 65-87 In.-lbs. 71 (N.m) (88-118) (N.m) (8)
1
Tighten the valve nut slowly (15 rpm max.) to specification in one rotation. Do not retighten the valve nut after the initial operation.
Information for this column comes from the tire pressure monitoring systems data in ProDemand ® , Mitchell 1’s auto repair information software for domestic and import vehicles. Headquartered in Poway, Calif., Mitchell 1 has provided quality repair information solutions to the automotive industry since 1918. For more information, visit www.mitchell1.com. To read archived TPMS articles, visit www.moderntiredealer.com.
Pirelli releases Scorpion All Terrain Plus
The new Scorpion All Terrain Plus tire from Pirelli Tire North America for pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) is available in 16- to 20-inch sizes. The tire has a three-peak mountain snowflake symbol and a 50,000-mile tread wear warranty for all sizes. The company says the aggressive tread pattern and upper sidewall design deliver a great look and balanced performance on and off road. The new tread compound also provides high resistance to cutting and chipping as well as excellent snow traction. PIRELLI TIRE NORTH AMERICA INC. www.pirelli.com
Clore offers new flood light
Clore Automotive has added the 1500 Lumen COB (chips on board) LED (light emitting diode) flood light, model no. LNC2251, to its Light-N-Carry brand. Clore says the LNC2251 is ideal for Area/Flood/Site (A/F/S) light illumination. The LNC2251 combines advanced COB technology, high lumen output, a removable battery, dust/ water resistant housing and a micro-USB charging system. The LNC2251 has three intensity settings and comes with two removable batteries (each battery enables four hours of run time on the high output setting). CLORE AUTOMOTIVE INC. www.cloreautomotive.com
Hunter releases QuickGrip adaptors
Hunter Engineering’s new WinAlign HD QuickGrip adaptors are designed to speed alignment service and prevent rim damage. Hunter says commercial shops using WinAlign HD and HD QuickGrip adaptors can easily measure all three axles of a heavy-duty vehicle simultaneously. The new adapters feature no metal-to-metal contact, which avoids rim damage. Hunter says the new WinAlign HD QuickGrip adaptors speed alignment checks, helping shops to sell more alignment service. HUNTER ENGINEERING CO. www.hunter.com
S.U.R.&R. has new oil surface cleaner
The new Oil Baron product line from S.U.R.&R., a division of Husky Corp., is designed to eliminate hydrocarbon spills and stains, making them nonflammable and nonhazardous in minutes. The company says the active ingredients in Oil Baron are naturally occurring microbes which convert hydrocarbons like oil, grease, brake fluid, transmission fluid and grease into water and carbon dioxide. The liquid form can be applied to horizontal surfaces using mops, automated floor scrubbers and pressure-washers. The aerosol foam spray is ideal for cleaning tools, engine compartments and vertical surfaces. S.U.R.&R. www.surrauto.com
New VDO TPMS sensor fits Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep
Continental Commercial Vehicles & Aftermarket has expanded its OE-replacement TPMS sensor program with a new VDO rubber snap-in TPMS sensor specifically designed for late model applications on Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles, including the Jeep Grand Cherokee. New part number SE57777 is OE validated and identical to the dealer. The sensor follows the OE vehicle relearn procedures, is compatible with all major TPMS scan tools and ready to install right out of the box. CONTINENTAL VDO www.redi-sensor.com
Chicago Pneumatic adds cordless angle grinders
The new CP8345 and CP835 cordless angle grinders from Chicago Pneumatic Tool are designed to combine efficient performance with a highly ergonomic design. The new 4.5-inch (115 mm) and 5-inch (125 mm) models provide up to 8,500 rpm (750W/1 hp) of grinding power. The highly compact grinders feature a thin main grip and tight housing for enhanced handling and ease of operation. A 20 degree side handle enables a greater degree of precision during cutting and grinding. CHICAGO PNEUMATIC TOOL CO. www.cp.com
Hennessy offers singlepass brake lathe
The Ammco 4000SP combination disc and drum brake lathe from Hennessy Industries is designed to integrate single-speed spindle and feed rates for one-pass precision finishes. Technicians can turn standard work quicker and easier. The 4000SP uses positive rake tool bits for quality cuts. The result of this simplification is one of the most accurate, durable, and easy-to-use machines, according to the company. HENNESSY INDUSTRIES INC. www.ammcobrake.com
CEMB unveils ER75TD HubMatch RFV wheel balancer
CEMB USA/BL Systems’ new wheel balancer is designed to complete the balancing process on the car at more than 45% less investment cost than other radial force vectoring (RFV) wheel balancers. The company says the ER75TD HubMatch RFV wheel balancer offers leading state-of-the-art balancing features and then uniquely combines an on-the-car mounting finish balancing process that guarantees superior ride quality compared to off-car wheel balancing alone. CEMB USA is the U.S.- based subsidiary of Italian industrial balancing equipment manufacturer Costruzioni Ellettro Meccaniche Buzzi SpA. CEMB USA/BL SYSTEMS INC. www.cemb-usa.com
Cooper introduces Avenger M8 all-season UHP tire
The new Mastercraft Avenger M8 from Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. is a W-rated ultra-high performance all-season tire with a 40,000-mile tread wear warranty. The company says the Avenger M8 is quiet, comfortable and fast. The tire, which features a noise-sealing tread design and enhanced elastic base layering, provides drivers with the precise handling and stability needed for a smooth and quiet riding experience in wet or dry weather. The Mastercraft Avenger M8 is available in 19 sizes, from 16- to 19-inch rim diameters. COOPER TIRE & RUBBER CO. www.mastercrafttires.com
Philips Ultinon LEDs fit many applications
Philips Ultinon LED (light emitting diode) lights from Lumileds are designed to deliver brilliant, high-tech lighting with a choice of cool blue, intense red, intense amber or 6000K bright white. Designed for performance and style, Philips Ultinon LEDs provide excellent light distribution, with a wide angle and proper light diffusion so drivers can see and be seen better. Philips Ultinon LEDs are available for stop lights, turn signal lights, backup lights, taillights, position lights, hazard lights, trunk lights, glove compartment lights and interior floor lights. LUMILEDS LLC www.usa.philips.com
KTI has 37-degree flaring die set
K Tool International (KTI) has released the Flare 37 degree die set (part no. KTI70083). The company suggests pairing it with its professional brake line flaring tool (part no. KTI70081) to create perfect single, double and bubble flares effortlessly. The extra die set contains a onepiece turret with seven adapters and four-piece tube-retaining dies. The company says the kit’s turret style design makes leak-free and tight seals on 3/16-inch, 1/4-inch, 5/16-inch and 3/8-inch brake, power steering, and transmission lines. K TOOL INTERNATIONAL www.ktoolinternational.com
Autel adds two wireless tablets
Autel Intelligent Technology has released two new wireless advanced diagnostic systems, the MaxiSys MS908S and MS908S Pro. The company says the MaxiSys MS908S and MS908S Pro scan tablets feature a higher quality 8 MP (megapixel) camera, two USB ports, and upgraded hardware as well as an Android 4.4.2 operating system. The new 1.3 GHz + 1.7GHz hexa-core processor and double-the-memory size 64G solid state drive make these tablets more powerful, according to the company. The new tablet tools use existing MaxiSys system applications and navigation. AUTEL INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY CORP. LTD. www.autel.com
