Modern Tire Dealer - August 2018

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Run-flat tire repair: There are different schools of thought 3 dealers know how to ‘make it look more like a truck’ Understanding the reasons behind truck tire failures THE INDUSTRY’S LEADING PUBLICATION

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26 68

70

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DEPARTMENTS 4 Editorial TireHub hubbub: Is it about controlled distribution or customer service?

6 moderntiredealer.com News and navigation tools for MTD’s website

8 News/Views Declaration of independence: TireHub CEO tells dealers what they can expect

23 On the Rise Mitch Tate, Tate Boys Tire & Service LLC, Bartlesville, Okla..

F E AT U R E S 28 Ace Tire & Service

promotes preventive maintenance every 7,500 miles run-flat tires 35 Repairing There are different schools of thought on the subject

38 ‘Make it look more like a truck’

3 different dealers adapt as consumers steer away from sedans

24 Your Marketplace Odds are weak tends seen recently will be transitory

26 Numbers that Count Relevant statistics from an industry in constant motion

Focus on Industry 68 Fel-Pro Gaskets turns 100 years old Celebration encompasses a consumer awareness campaign

Commercial Tire Dealer TM tires, big demands 46 ‘Small’ Lower profile, wide-base sizes such as 65 series tires are gaining ground

In Memoriam 70 The loss of an industry icon Wayne Williams proved there was no ‘I’ in TEAM

72 Counter Intelligence Guided selling: Use GPS to steer your customers into buying

74 Business Insight Are you an S corp or a C corp? Your company size will determine which class makes sense

first of many?

56 The TravelCenters opens a Goodyear retread plant field operation and IF 58 Cyclic As the load fluctuates, soil compaction is reduced wrecking the tires?

64 What’s Understanding the reasons behind tire failure can help them live long and productive lives

76 European Notebook Mobile tire service: The concept is gaining acceptance — and evolving — in Europe as motorists seek convenience

66 Commercially Viable

78 TPMS Chevrolet Cobalt, Pontiac G5 and Pontiac G6

84 Products

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88 Ad index

66

89 Classified

ON THE COVER: PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF CATERPILLAR INC.

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Modern Tire Dealer is a proud member of:

w w w . M o d e r n T i r e D e a l e r. c o m

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Editorial

TireHub hubbub

IS IT ABOUT CONTROLLED DISTRIBUTION OR CUSTOMER SERVICE? By

Bob Ulrich

A

merican Tire Distributors Inc. (ATD) wasn’t pleased when both Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and Bridgestone Americas Inc. decided to remove their consumer brands from its warehouses in the U.S. Suddenly millions of Tier 1 and Tier 2 tires were not available through the largest wholesale tire distributor in the U.S. But for Goodyear and Bridgestone, it was simply a business decision. When Goodyear announced it was ending its partnership with ATD, it pointed out the low percentage of larger diameter, or high-value-added, Goodyear tires ATD was selling as one reason.

TireHub LLC, the wholesale distribution joint venture between Goodyear and Bridgestone, inventories a comprehensive range of consumer tires “with an emphasis on satisfying rapidly growing demand for larger rim diameter premium tires,” said Goodyear.

When Bridgestone announced it was ending its dealer programs in the U.S. with ATD, it did so because it did not believe ATD was prioritizing its products and brands. Unlike Goodyear, however, Bridgestone will continue to sell commercial truck tires in the U.S. through ATD, and passenger and light truck tires in Canada through ATD’s subsidiary, National Tire Distributors.

All these were business decisions based on each tire manufacturer’s distribution strategy. In other words, it’s all about controlling distribution.

There is a reason Bridgestone and, to a lesser extent, Goodyear own close to 2,800 company-owned retail stores in the U.S. between them: The stores give them a guaranteed customer base that continually promotes their brands over others. The stores provide a safety net for both tire manufacturers.

Michelin North America Inc. doesn’t have any company-owned stores. But it did purchase 50% of TBC Corp. from Sumitomo Corporation of Americas. The resulting National Tire Wholesale (NTW) joint venture combined Michelin’s more than 85 Tire Centers LLC distribution centers with 59 Carroll Tire distribution centers.

Michelin Chairman and President Scott Clark said the resulting joint venture “is about increasing our service capabilities and increasing our scale so that we can be a better supplier to… independent dealers and to provide secondary supply to our direct customers.”

It also gives Michelin greater access to TBC’s nearly 800 Tire Kingdom, Merchant’s Tire & Auto Center and NTB Tire & Service Center retail outlets. It’s all about controlling distribution.

ATD also wants to control distribution in the U.S., and despite

the loss of Goodyear and Bridgestone passenger and light truck tires, supplies its 510 Tire Pros franchisees with product. At the Tire Pros Dealer Business Conference held earlier this year, Ron Sinclair, ATD’s senior vice president of retail strategy and partnership, outlined the wholesale distributor’s new consumer tire incentive program, which rewards franchisees who purchase more than the required 75% of their tires from ATD. “In a relatively flat market, when you’re out there working hard and you’re gaining share, and if you’re 90-95% loyal to us and growing, you should be rewarded for that,” he said.

But controlling distribution doesn’t directly lead to increasing distribution. An acceptable level of customer service is needed as well.

I asked Peter Gibbons, CEO of TireHub, if he anticipated a drop-off in service initially, and if so, how he planned to minimize or prevent it. TireHub began serving customers the first week of July.

In my mind it was a fair question. The logistics of combining two wholesale distribution networks, especially between two of the largest tire manufacturers in the world, almost guarantees an initial drop-off. Goodyear said as much in its first-quarter 2018 financial results statement: “Given the temporary disruption associated with the start-up of TireHub, the company expects a near-term reduction in volume of up to 1.5 million units in 2018.”

It is very likely happening with NTW as well. And I know it happened whenever ATD purchased a regional tire wholesale distributor. Successful mergers take time to develop. In the tire industry, it’s up to the retail dealer to determine how long is too long.

“Well, our job one is to make sure that we maintain a minimum of service levels and then build on that,” said Gibbons. “We are all committed to maintain and improve the service to the customers.

And if we find our customers are not happy with something, we’ll be responding really fast because that’s what this is about.

“We want to make sure every day we’re catching up and talking to customers and finding out what we can be doing better, and what they see and what they perceive. Because at the end of the day, how they perceive our service and our partnership with them is what really counts.”

Will some longtime Goodyear and Bridgestone dealers experience some hiccups on the receiving end from TireHub in the near-term? Yes. Does Gibbons expect some problems?

Sounds like it. ■

I ASKED PETER GIBBONS, CEO OF TIREHUB, IF HE ANTICIPATED A DROP OFF IN SERVICE INITIALLY.

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

MTD August 2018

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For what drives you.

ModernTireDealer.com DIGITAL RESOURCES FOR THE INDEPENDENT TIRE DEALER

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

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

EDITORIAL Editor: Robert J. Ulrich, ext. 2211

TireHub: industry influencer As in the previous month, news about TireHub LLC, the joint venture for tire distribution between Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and Bridgestone Americas Inc., was the big draw on www.moderntiredealer.com in July. News associated with the venture continued to earn top spots on our list of the most-read items. Also making the list was the sad news on the loss of our colleague Wayne Williams (see page 70) and strategic moves by Continental Tire the Americas LLC and TBC Corp. Here are our top 10.

1. Michelin supports ATD on the record 2. ATD reorganizes its field support center 3. MTD columnist Wayne Williams has died 4. Sales down 4.1% at Michelin for 1st half of 2018 5. How Trump’s latest tariffs would affect tires 6. Continental announces reorganization with an eye on increasing sales 7. Michelin extends OTR reach and buys Camso 8. TireHub adds Toyo to its list of wholesale offerings 9. TBC forms Tire America to sell tires online 10. Bridgestone is dropping ATD as a distributor

Bob.Ulrich@bobit.com

Managing Editor: Lori L. Mavrigian, ext. 2216 Lori.Mavrigian@bobit.com

Senior Editor & Digital Projects Editor: Joy Kopcha, ext. 2215 Joy.Kopcha@bobit.com

Senior Editor: Ann Neal, ext. 2218 Ann.Neal@bobit.com

PRODUCTION Art Director: Vince Taroc, (310) 533-2547 Vincent.Taroc@bobit.com

Production Manager: Karen Runion, ext. 2210 Karen.Runion@bobit.com

SALES South and Texas: Greg Smith Greg.Smith@bobit.com (330) 899-2200, ext. 2212

Midwest: Bob Marinez Bob.Marinez@bobit.com (330) 899-2200, ext. 2217

West Coast: Marianne Dyal /The Dyal Company Marianne.Dyal@bobit.com (760) 451-9216

Automotive Aftermarket: Dan Thornton

MTD digital edition You can view MTD’s monthly magazine at, http://mtd.epubxp.com/t/22225 or use your smartphone’s QR Code reader (right)

djtinc@gmail.com (734) 676-9135, mobile (313) 410-0945

Classified Sales: Bob Marinez Bob.Marinez@bobit.com (330) 899-2200, ext. 2217

Reprint Sales: Karen Runion Karen.Runion@bobit.com

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MODERN TIRE DEALER (ISSN 00268496) (CDN IPM #40013413) (USPS #369-170) is published monthly by Bobit Business Media, 3520 Challenger St., Torrance, California 90503-1640. Periodicals postage paid at Torrance, CA 90503-9998 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MODERN TIRE DEALER, P.O. Box 3312, Northbrook, IL 60065-3312. Please allow 6 to 8 weeks for address changes to take effect. Subscriptions in the U.S. and its possessions, $65; Canadian, $99; Int’l surface mail, $99; Int’l airmail, $198. Single copies, $10, except the January Facts Issue, $30. Address all subscription correspondence to MODERN TIRE DEALER, P.O. Box 3312, Northbrook, IL 60065-3312. Please allow 6 to 8 weeks to receive your first issue. Please address Editorial and Advertising correspondence to MODERN TIRE DEALER, 3515 Massillon Road, Suite 350, Uniontown, OH 44685-6217. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without consent of Bobit Business Media. All statements made, although based on information believed to be reliable and accurate, cannot be guaranteed and no fault or liability can be accepted for error or omission. For your information: We sometimes make our subscriber information (i.e. fax, e-mail or mailing address) available to carefully screened organizations whose products and services may be of interest to you. If you prefer not to have your information made available, please write MODERN TIRE DEALER, P.O. Box 3312, Northbrook, IL 60065-3312.

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News/Views

Declaration of independence TIREHUB CEO TELLS DEALERS WHAT THEY CAN EXPECT

I

n July, three months after Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and Bridgestone Americas Inc. announced they were combining their separate wholesale distribution centers into one network, TireHub LLC began distributing consumer tires to dealers and retailers across the country.

The joint venture’s mission statement is posted on the TireHub website, www. tirehub.com: “Our mission is to distribute the highest quality products possible to our customers so they can put their customers on tires they’ll love.

“The difference in driving on any tire and the right tire is a mile wide — in safety, efficiency and performance. We want every driver to enjoy their experience behind the wheel, to feel safe and have fun.

“We know that a tire specially designed for your customer will make all the difference in the world.

“To ensure drivers have access to tires they’ll love, we focus obsessively on our dealers and retailers. With more availability of best-in-class products and reliable deliveries, TireHub is committed to helping our dealers say yes to every customer.”

But how will the 50-50 joint venture accomplish that mission? Modern Tire Dealer recently interviewed Peter Gibbons, TireHub’s CEO, for clarification. Gibbons has 25 years of experience with supply chain management; he most recently served as executive vice president of global development and product supply for Mattel Inc. MTD: Will TireHub consolidate any of the 83 distribution centers formerly run by Goodyear and Bridgestone? Will you add any DCs in the future?

Gibbons: In some markets we do have former Goodyear and former Bridgestone locations in close proximity, even just a few miles apart, so job No. 1 is stand up TireHub with a great focus on serving customers and bring a real passion to that. At the same time we want to show efficiency in ordering and delivery, so we will combine some centers which are very close to each other. I should stress that we’re also offering everybody in those centers a job; everyone’s been offered a job within TireHub because we need that

8

“We have about 1,000 employees,” said TireHub CEO Peter Gibbons. “The field team is largely complete.”

experience and that skill set. So job one is to stabilize the network and focus, bring a new passion to serving dealers and retailers, and then as our strategy evolves, as we see opportunities to grow out that network to provide better service and better coverage, we will do that.

MTD: Are you only distributing consumer tires?

Gibbons: The focus is pretty much on the consumer side. But there are some commercial tires that we will be distributing as well.

MTD: TireHub offers the Goodyear, Dunlop, Kelly, Bridgestone, Firestone, Fuzion, LeMans and Toyo brands. Are you currently negotiating with any other manufacturers to distribute their tires?

Gibbons: My focus today is very much on making TireHub a big success…. We’ve got plans on our plate to make sure we provide great service… that we make sure we’re providing Bridgestone and Goodyear products with great service levels. (For) now focus is very much on getting us (propped) up. Now, over time things can change. Things can change as we understand what dealers and retailers want, as we understand how to service the market, be a great partner with dealers and retailers. But for the moment we are very much focused on standing up TireHub as it is today and making it a big success.

MTD: What distribution techniques that you learned from your previous companies, including Mattel and Starbucks Corp., do you plan to use with TireHub? Gibbons: The experience I hope I bring to this is very much focused around providing great service, great fulfillment, making

sure that we provide the right tools to dealers and retailers, the right kind of… lead times, the right deliveries per day, and our ability to respond to dealers’ and retailers’ needs, which are constantly being tuned. And the thing I would stress that I’ve learned and others have learned elsewhere is just building that approach to providing great passionate service every day to every customer, every retailer, every dealer. So it’s… the way we’ve designed the network, the way we’ve designed the tools that help us drive our fulfillment, and how we drive our planning to make sure we’ve got great inventory coverage that (will help make us) a great partner to dealers and retailers across the country.

MTD: Do you consider TireHub independently run?

Gibbons: We are (an) independent management team (formed) to run the business. You can understand Bridgestone and Goodyear as shareholders have the typical responsibility that shareholders have and traditionally have of a business like ours. But we have an independent management team. We are a joint venture of these two grand parents with great heritage and legacies. And our focus is very much on service to the retailers and dealers, and making sure they have the tires available to satisfy their consumers.

MTD: Is there anything you want to say to our audience?

Gibbons: This is a great opportunity.

I’m totally excited about the chance to stand up and lead this business. As you can imagine, bringing people from two fine companies like Bridgestone and Goodyear is a great, exciting challenge. The people have responded with great passion to what we are doing. I think this is a chance to help the industry enormously and to help dealers and retailers in particular, and I feel very privileged to have the chance to run this new business, and to lead what I’ve found so far and will continue to find to be very fine, good people who are passionate about getting drivers on tires that they love and making sure our customers put their customers on tires that they love. — Bob Ulrich MTD August 2018

performance meets art

#Ps4s

#michelinpremiumtouch

more at michelinman.com

Copyright Š 2018 Michelin North America, Inc. All rights Reserved The Michelin Man is a registered trademark owned by Michelin North America, Inc.

News/Views

Bites Ironman adds road hazard Hercules Tire and Rubber Co. is adding road hazard protection to select passenger and light truck tires in the Ironman brand sold in the U.S. and Canada. Coverage is available for tires purchased on or after July 1, 2018.

GRI appoints CEO Global Rubber Industries Pvt. Ltd. (GRI) has appointed Mahesha Ranasoma CEO. Ranasoma served as managing director of Dipped Products plc for more than eight years.

BestDrive adds locations BestDrive LLC, a Continental tire and ContiLifeCycle commercial tire dealer and retreader, has entered the Texas market and opened two locations, one near Dallas and another in San Antonio.

Alliance names regional VPs Alliance Tire Americas Inc. has named two new regional vice presidents of aftermarket sales. Allen Lyons has joined the company and will serve as vice president of aftermarket sales in the West and Canada. Seth Walters was promoted to vice president of aftermarket sales in the East.

T&T Tire supports charity T & T Tire Center Inc., dba T & T Tire Point S Auto Service in Tacoma, Wash., is supporting the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). The tire dealer backed the local NAMI Walk, and in May donated $20 for each set of tires sold.

Double Coin releases app Double Coin Holdings Ltd. and China Manufacturers Alliance LLC (CMA) have released a mobile app to help consumers find nearby Double Coin dealers. Users can also calculate tire load limits.

B&J Rocket has a new CEO B&J Rocket Sales AG has named Marcos Guzman CEO and president. He replaces Andreas Müller, who left the company after 15 years.

ZC Rubber marks 60 years Zhongce Rubber Group Co. Ltd. (ZC Rubber) is celebrating the 60 years of work that have transformed the company from a bicycle tire manufacturer to a top Chinese tire maker with revenue of more than $4 billion.

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Michelin is buying Camso

G

roupe Michelin is making a big move in the off-the-road tire market and acquiring Camso Inc. for $1.45 billion.

The companies will combine their OTR tire operations into a new division, which will be based in Magog, Quebec, Canada — Camso’s current headquarters.

Michelin says the acquisition makes “the newly created entity the world leader in OTR mobility.”

Camso, which reports net sales of $1 billion, has designed, manufactured and marketed OTR products since 1982. Combining with Michelin, “the new entity will represent more than double the net sales of Camso, supported by 26 plants and approximately 12,000 employees and will benefit from sustainably dynamic markets.”

The location of those plants is of particular interest to Michelin. Its OTR tire production is heavily focused in seven facilities in Europe, plus one in North America and another in South America. It has no manufacturing presence in Asia-Pacific.

Nine of Camso’s 17 plants are in the AsiaPacific region. Michelin has highlighted the company’s strong manufacturing presence in the emerging markets of Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

Michelin calls Camso “a market leader” in rubber tracks for farm equipment and snowmobiles, as well as solid and bias tires for material handling equipment. Michelin Jean-Dominique Senard, left, and Pierre says Camso is among the “top three players” Marcouiller have signed agreements for Senard’s Groupe Michelin to acquire in the construction market, in track and all of Marcouiller’s Camso. The deal is tire solutions for small heavy equipment. expected to close in November.

“Leveraging its technological leadership in tracks and related systems, its competitive manufacturing footprint, particularly in Sri Lanka, and strong customer awareness of its Camso and Solideal brands, Camso has demonstrated its ability to grow rapidly, expanding at an average pace of 7% per year since 2012.”

Michelin says the business will benefit from the expertise of Camso’s management team, as well as Michelin’s long-standing presence in Canada.

In marketing and sales, Michelin says the merger creates a “unique player” in the agricultural market, with a comprehensive range of radial tires and tracks. In the construction market, the two companies reinforce each other’s lineups. In the material handling equipment market, Michelin says it will leverage Camso’s brands to become “the market leader in solid tires.”

Jean-Dominique Senard, CEO of Michelin, says, “This acquisition is a wonderful mutual opportunity. Michelin will benefit from all of Camso’s skills in the off-theroad mobility markets and Camso from the full range of Michelin’s expertise in the specialty markets.”

Pierre Marcouiller, executive chairman of Camso, says, “Joining up with Michelin’s off-the-road teams is a fantastic opportunity for Camso because of the similarity of our cultures as well as our growth potential. Camso will achieve its ambition to become the global off-the-road market leader and will contribute its dynamic teams, its technical and manufacturing assets and its customer-focused mind-set.”

Discussions between the two companies have revealed “significant opportunities to increase sales and reduce costs.” Michelin expects to unlock up to $55 million in synergies by 2021, and describes Camso as “a major enabler of Michelin’s strategy, doubling the group’s OTR sales.”

Material handling tires, wheels and services represent Camso’s biggest business, with 40% of net sales. Construction tires, wheels and tracks represent 32%; agriculture tracks, track systems and wheels account for 20%, while power sports tracks and track systems equal 8%.

MTD August 2018

A LONG WAY

TOGETHER

LOOKING BEYOND THE HORIZON BKT’s extensive product portfolio comprises specific cutting-edge tire ranges to cater for the most demanding needs in a variety of fields such as agriculture, construction, and OTR, as well as transport and agro-industrial applications.

BKT USA Inc. 2660 West Market St., Suite 100 Fairlawn (Akron) - OH 44333 Toll free: (+1) 888-660-0662 Office: (+1) 330-836-1090 Fax: (+1) 330-836-1091

News/Views

Bites Network adds Federal-Mogul The Automotive Distribution Network (Network) shareholders and members will have access to all of Federal-Mogul Motorparts’ lines.

Linglong begins new plant Shandong Linglong Tire Co. has laid the foundation stone for its fourth tire plant in China. It will have the capacity to manufacture more than 14.4 million passenger, truck and bus tires and off-the-road tires a year.

Toyo names sales leaders Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. has appointed two new sales directors. Rob Lovi is joining the company and will direct national strategic accounts, while Mike Graber has been promoted to lead commercial tire sales.

Omnicraft adds fuel modules Ford Motor Co. has added fuel delivery modules and pump kits to its Omnicraft brand of replacement parts for non-Ford/ Lincoln vehicle repairs.

Court reverses tariff The U.S. Court of International Trade has overturned a previous tariff order by the Department of Commerce (DOC). The result: off-the-road tires imported from Sri Lanka are not subject to tariffs. The court’s ruling erased the 2.18% countervailing duty all OTR tire makers there paid.

Michelin supports ATD During an earnings call, an analyst asked Michelin if there was an opportunity to grow with American Tire Distributors Inc. (ATD). Jean-Dominique Senard, CEO, said, “Let’s make it very positive, yes. It’s an opportunity.”

Bridgestone expands in U.S. Bridgestone Americas Inc. will spend $12 million to expand production in Bloomington, Ill., at its off-the-road tire plant. The result will be the company’s 29-, 33- and 35-inch OTR tires will be made outside of Japan for the first time.

Nexen gains OE fitment Street-legal drag radial tires from Nexen Tire America Inc. will be fitted on the new 2019 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320.

The chosen tire is the specially developed N’Fera SUR4G Drag Spec 275/40R20.

12

TIA will honor four industry leaders

T

he Tire Industry Association (TIA) will induct two members to the Hall of Fame, and present the Ed Wagner Leadership Award to a pair of honorees during the 2018 Tire Industry Honors Awards Ceremony.

The 2018 Hall of Fame honorees are Bob Majewski, president of Sumerel Tire Service Inc. and Arvind Poddar, chairman and managing director of Balkrishna Industries Ltd. (BKT).

This year’s Ed Wagner Leadership Award honorees are Mike Baggett, who retired from Yokohama Tire Corp., and Freda Pratt-Boyer, senior auditor of Purcell Tire & Rubber Co. Majewski has been in the retread business for more than 50 years. He started in the retread plant at an independent, family-owned business, graduated from the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics, and then made a name for himself nationally with Mohawk Rubber, Hercules Tire & TIA will honor, clockwise from top left, Rubber Co. and the American Retreaders Majewski, Poddar, Pratt-Boyer and Baggett at the 2018 Tire Industry HonAssociation (ARA). ors Awards Ceremony on Oct. 29 at 6 His efforts to establish retread training p.m. at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel. during his tenure at ARA set the stage for the next revolution in retreading. Without his contributions to the ARA, countless independent retreaders would have had a competitive disadvantage when going up against the major rubber companies. He played a critical role in preserving the independent retreader.

In late 1994, Majewski became part owner and vice president of Sumerel Tire Service Inc. in Newport, Ky. He became president in 2002, served for 13 years, and in anticipation of the next transition, formed a steering committee to run Sumerel Tire.

Poddar began his career at BKT in early 2000 and immediately sought to move the company forward and make it profitable. He saw a need to completely change the company’s model, and decided to enter the off-the-road tire market with a vision to make BKT a global player.

With more than 93% of production being exported to sophisticated markets in 130+ countries, BKT experienced remarkable growth in revenue and profits. After the shortage of large OTR tires in 2011, Poddar ventured into expanding production into large OTR tires which required an investment of more than $500 million — equal to BKT’s total net worth. With that came the most sophisticated Bhuj plant and a capacity that matched that of the company’s three other plants. Under Poddar’s leadership, demand for BKT tires has kept pace with the production increase.

BKT now owns a 5% share of the world ag, industrial and radial OTR tire market, with a turnover close to $1 billion.

Baggett began his career in the tire industry 46 years ago serving all facets of the OTR tire business. He has owned an OTR dealership and worked for three major tire manufacturers. He was instrumental in the introduction of the giant radial tire to the mining industry, and worked on the development of the industry’s first OTR tracking systems. Baggett retired from Yokohama in April 2017.

Pratt-Boyer began her career in the tire industry more than 45 years ago with Purcell Tire & Rubber Co. She has worked in and managed retail, commercial, retreading and wholesale distribution centers. She has served as operations manager, region manager, and now is senior auditor for Purcell. Pratt-Boyer is a former member of the TIA board of directors, was the second woman to serve as board president, and is a promoter of education, training, and customer service to all levels of the tire industry.

MTD August 2018

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ALTIMAX™ RT43 & other select tires3

1

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Evertrek™ RTX, Grabber™ AW, Grabber™ HP, Grabber™ HTS,Grabber

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*MAIL-IN REBATE WITH PURCHASE OFFER: VALID ONLY WITH QUALIFIED PURCHASE MADE IN THE FORTY-EIGHT (48) CONTIGUOUS CONTINENTAL U.S. STATES, HAWAII, D.C., AND PUERTO RICO BETWEEN 08/1/2018 AND 08/31/2018 OR WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. NO RAIN CHECKS. VALID WITH THE ORIGINAL, DATED, PAID RECEIPT FOR THE PURCHASE OF FOUR (4) NEW QUALIFYING GENERAL TIRE PASSENGER OR LIGHT TRUCK TIRES FROM A PARTICIPATING RETAIL DEALER AND A COMPLETED REDEMPTION FORM. OFFER MAY NOT BE COMBINED WITH ANY OTHER OFFER, DISCOUNT, REBATE, OR PROMOTION. TIRES MUST BE PURCHASED IN A SINGLE TRANSACTION. OFFER FORM MUST BE POSTMARKED OR SUBMITTED ONLINE BY 09/30/18. OFFER NOT VALID ON PURCHASES BY WHOLESALERS, DEALERS, FLEETS, OEM CUSTOMERS, OR OTHER COMMERCIAL ENTITIES. REQUESTS FROM THOSE WITH AN INVALID OR UNDELIVERABLE MAILING ADDRESS WILL BE DENIED. LIMIT TWO (2) GENERAL TIRE VISA PREPAID CARDS PER HOUSEHOLD. PREPAID CARD IS GIVEN TO YOU AS A REWARD, REFUND, REBATE OR GIFT AND NO MONEY HAS BEEN PAID BY YOU FOR THE CARD. PREPAID CARD IS ISSUED BY METABANK®, MEMBER FDIC, PURSUANT TO A LICENSE FROM VISA U.S.A. INC. NO RECURRING PAYMENTS. VALID FOR 12 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF ISSUANCE. UNUSED FUNDS WILL BE FORFEITED AT MIDNIGHT (EST) THE LAST DAY OF THE MONTH OF THE VALID THRU DATE. CARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY, SEE MYPREPAIDCENTER.COM/SITE/VISA-PROMO. CARDS WILL NOT HAVE CASH ACCESS AND CAN BE USED EVERYWHERE VISA DEBIT CARDS ARE ACCEPTED. NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR LATE, LOST, STOLEN, MISDIRECTED, ILLEGIBLE, MUTILATED, OR POSTAGE DUE MAIL OR INABILITY TO CONNECT TO WEBSITE. ANY TAXES, FEES OR COSTS ARE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF RECIPIENT. ALLOW 8-12 WEEKS FOR FULFILLMENT. EACH TIME YOU USE THE CARD, THE AMOUNT OF THE TRANSACTION WILL BE DEDUCTED FROM THE AMOUNT OF YOUR AVAILABLE BALANCE. CARD WILL BE ISSUED IN THE NAME ON THE REDEMPTION FORM ONLY. EXPIRATION DATE OF CARD IS STAMPED ON FRONT OF CARD AND LISTED ON CARD CARRIER. SUBJECT TO APPLICABLE LAW. CARD IS NON-TRANSFERABLE AND NON-REFUNDABLE. CARDS WILL NOT BE RE-ISSUED IF LOST, STOLEN, OR AFTER EXPIRATION DATE. ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY TO THE PREPAID CARD. SEE PREPAID CARD FOR DETAILS. VISIT WWW.GENERALTIRE.COM FOR REDEMPTION FORM AND COMPLETE OFFER CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS. WARNING: TAMPERING WITH, ALTERING OR FALSIFYING PURCHASE INFORMATION CONSTITUTES FRAUD AND COULD RESULT IN STATE AND FEDERAL PROSECUTION.

#ANYWHEREISPOSSIBLE // GENERALTIRE.COM/PROMOTIONS

W W W.GENER ALTIRE. ALTIRE.COM COM

News/Views

Roemer’s Point S dealership hosts car care clinic

Bites Hankook wins green award Hankook Tire Co. Ltd. was honored by Groupe Renault with the Corporate Social Responsibility Award and named an outstanding company in the purchasing sustainability sector.

AAPEX launches blog Organizers of the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) are offering insights from industry experts on how the latest vehicle technologies, trends and issues are impacting the global automotive aftermarket.

BPI leader is a trailblazer Brake Parts Inc (BPI) President and CEO David Overbeeke was honored by the United Way of Greater McHenry County in Illinois with its inaugural Trailblazer Award, created to recognize individuals who have helped raise awareness for the United Way.

Continental is reorganizing Continental AG is planning a sweeping reorganization, and its tire division will get a new name. Tire Technologies, along with ContiTech, will be part of the company’s Rubber sector in 2020.

Camso enters hall of fame Deere & Co. has inducted Camso Inc. into its Supplier Hall of Fame. A company is inducted into the hall of fame after earning John Deere’s highest supplier rating for five straight years.

Monro partners with Amazon Monro Inc. will install tires bought on Amazon.com. The company will initially offer the installation service in the Baltimore area, but eventually will expand to include all of Monro’s 1,174 stores in 27 states.

Enter PerfectStop contest The Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance will select six grand prize winners for $15,000 powersports vehicles. Another 150 winners will receive Visa gift cards worth $25,000.

IMI redesigns website International Marketing Inc., more commonly known as IMI, has launched is redesigned website, www.imiproducts.com, which is focused on providing solutions to the toughest challenges faced by fleets.

14

I

n Missoula, Mont., John Roemer’s tire store has an annual tradition. The business picks a local organization to promote and support.

This summer, Roemer’s Car Clinic Inc. dba Point S Tire & Auto Service, has worked to raise more than $3,000 for the YWCA Missoula.

On June 9 Roemer’s Point S hosted a car care clinic for a dozen women in Missoula.

Each participant was invited to bring her personal vehicle to the tire store, and Roemer and his team provided a guided tour under E.J. Pribyl, service advisor at Roemer’s the hood, under the car, behind the wheel Point S Tire & Auto Care in Missoula, Mont., was among the team members and in the trunk.

The event was part of a month-long aware- helping with the car care clinic. ness and fund raising campaign to help the YWCA and support their efforts in helping domestic violence survivors and local families in crisis. Roemer’s used radio and television ads and Facebook posts to promote the YWCA. The company also donated a portion of its June sales to the organization.

Roemer says, “We’re celebrating our 64th Anniversary serving the Missoula community. Every year the team picks an organization to create awareness and monetary support for. This year’s focus was the YWCA. Telling our story on radio, TV, newsprint and social media reinforces with consumers our commitment to investing in our community.”

ATD reorganizes field support center

A

merican Tire Distributors Inc. (ATD) has downsized its Field Support Center in Huntersville, N.C. The center — think of it as the company’s headquarters — supports the field associates on the sales and supply chain teams. That includes ATD’s Tire Pros associates, Hercules associates and digital marketing associates.

Of the people affected, some positions supporting the Tire Pros franchise program were also reorganized. ATD did not reveal the number of positions eliminated, but a story by Bloomberg LP notes the reorganization “includes dismissing 100 employees.” ATD says it is also adding new positions.

In an email to company associates, CEO and President Stuart Schuette spelled out the need for streamlining the field support process.

“More than 18 months ago, we began our transformation to become the most connected and insightful automotive solutions provider, and every decision that we have made — and will make — is grounded

in realizing this vision. The digital tools and advanced technologies that we’ve introduced are key differentiators for ATD and are being recognized by both aligned customers and manufacturers.

“We can see that our customers value these efforts as our NPS customer satisfaction scores are high across all metrics of service. And they are voting for us — and with us — by making brand allegiance changes to stay with ATD. “Today, you should remember that ATD has been an enduring brand for more than 80 years because we aren’t afraid of change. We make the change.

We are the innovators, the disrupters and the leaders.

In a letter to Tire Pros franchisees, President Ron Sinclair said the new operating model features a designated single point of contact for dealers.

“The new retail account manager role will focus on your business in its entirety, be responsible for unlocking all the value of the franchise and make it easier to do business with Tire Pros and ATD.” MTD August 2018

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News/Views

Dates Sept. 11-15 Reifen International Trade Fair and Automechanika, the first combined Reifen International and Automechanika Trade Show, Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany www.automechanika.messefrankfurt.com

Sept. 13-15 Tire Dealers Association of Canada National Trade Show & Conference, Delta by Marriott, Toronto, Canada (888) 207-9059 www.otda.com

Sept. 15-20 American Trucking Associations Fall Meeting, Orlando World Center Marriott, Orlando, Fla. (703) 838-1700 www.trucking.org

Sept. 18-21 Tire Industry Association (TIA) Automotive Tire Service (ATS) Advanced Instructor Training Tour, held at a local community or technical college, Seattle, Wash.

(800) 876-8372 www.tireindustry.org

Oct. 2-3

Bridgestone will open a student training center in Akron

B

ridgestone Americas Inc. is partnering with Akron Public Schools to create a hands-on classroom for students.

The new Bridgestone Academy of Applied Engineering and Technology will include the opening of a Firestone Complete Auto Care store at the school district’s learning center.

Bridgestone says the center will give up Bridgestone Americas will model its program with Akron Public Schools to 100 students access to its top-of-the-line after a similar program it launched in technology, in addition to business practices 2015 in Nashville. on how to run a retail store.

The school district, home to more than 21,000 students, will retrofit a portion of its existing automotive technology lab at the East Community Learning Center.

Bridgestone will donate the materials, fixtures and point-of-sale systems. The site will feature a customer waiting area and equipment to service vehicles. Students will provide limited auto maintenance services for community members. All revenue generated will be reinvested into the program.

“The Automotive Technology program at East CLC has a long history of teaching students auto repair skills,” says Chadwick Groom, Akron’s automotive technology teacher. “This collaboration with Bridgestone will strengthen our curriculum by providing students with more advanced training while learning about customer service and business fundamentals.”

Christine Karbowiak, chief administrative officer and executive vice president of Bridgestone says, “This collaboration underscores our long-term, deep-seated commitment and ties to the Akron community and education in particular.

The center reflects our dedication to educating the next generation of automotive and retail professionals, using the latest technology, operational procedures and business practices offered in our Firestone Complete Auto Care tire and automotive service centers.”

Asian Retread Conference 2018, Sime Darby Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malasia www.asianretreadconference.com

Oct. 9-12 Tire Industry Association (TIA) Automotive Tire Service (ATS) Advanced Instructor Training Tour, held at a local community or technical college, Baltimore, Md. (800) 876-8372 www.tireindustry.org

Oct. 27-31 American Trucking Associations Management Conference & Exhibition, Austin Convention Center, Austin, Texas (703) 838-1700 www.trucking.org

Oct. 30-Nov. 2 Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week (including AAPEX, the SEMA Show and TIA’s Global Tire Expo), Las Vegas, Nev. (800) 876-8372 www.tireindustry.org

18

Vogue Tyre chairman has died

T

he Chairman and CEO of Vogue Tyre & Rubber Co., Joel Fischer, died on July 22, 2018, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 89. Vogue credits Fischer as the one “singularly responsible” for building the company into what it is today.

He joined the company in 1954, and until 1958 he was the one and only salesperson. He traveled all over the eastern part of the country, sometimes by train, other times by car, to find and establish customers. His wife, Lucile, often traveled with him.

Greg Hathcock, Vogue’s president, says, “He often told me that he had to sell at least seven tires a day to break even.”

Fischer created the company’s employee culture, and made sure Vogue treated its employees well. It was his idea to create a profit-sharing plan.

Employees have benefited from it for more than 60 years. “He always conducted himself with integrity and humility, despite his significant professional achievements,” the company says. “Vogue was a great passion for Joel.”

He retired from Vogue in 1997, but continued to serve as chairman of the board and CEO. Away from work, Fischer was a great basketball player. He played at the University of Southern California in the 1940s, after turning down an offer to play at UCLA. At the time, the Bruins had a new and unknown coach — John Wooden.

Fischer is survived by his wife of more than 67 years, Lucile, and many nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews.

MTD August 2018

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On the Rise

MITCH TATE

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS TATE BOYS TIRE & SERVICE LLC BARTLESVILLE, OKLA. WHAT’S THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU’VE FACED IN YOUR CAREER? The biggest challenge is continuing to grow the culture that my father, uncle and grandfather have created in our organization. It is an honor that I do not hold lightly and understand it is the most important aspect of my job.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY? My first official job in the industry was a manager in training with Tate Boys. I have grown up in the industry and remember helping out in the warehouse and tire lanes as a kid.

WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THE INDUSTRY? The opportunity to help people is why I am in this industry. Working on customers’ vehicles gives us a great way to impact someone’s life and help make someone’s stressful situation a little less painful.

WHO HAS HAD THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON YOUR CAREER? The biggest influence on both my life and career is my father, Craig Tate.

He was the one who brought me to the shops when I was a kid and to this day I seek his input and coaching on the various activities or situations that we have going on in our store operations.

Aside from being a third generation tire dealer, Tate, 25, is proud of the fact he made the University of Oklahoma football team. He was a five-year walk-on player for the Sooners from 2011 to 2015 after a red-shirt season.

WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IN THE INDUSTRY? My record month in April of this year is the accomplishment that I am most proud of. We had a stretch goal for the company gross profit and exceeded it by over 2%. ■

A new generation of leaders is influencing the livelihoods of today’s independent tire dealers, and Modern Tire Dealer is recognizing those who are On the Rise. Direct the young stars in your business world to www.moderntiredealer.com/ontheriseform.

w w w . M o d e r n T i r e D e a l e r. c o m

23

Yo u r M a r k e t p l a c e

Odds are weak trends seen recently will be transitory By

John Healy

O

ur recent discussions with dealers leave us with a view that sell-out trends and unit volumes were flattish relative to the previous year’s period. The sequential slowdown in June continued to reflect the start-and-stop recovery in retail demand that appears to have been the pace the industry has operated in over the last 15 months.

Much like the climate that was present in May, weather conditions during June could have provided a tailwind to sell-out trend during the month. By stepping back and taking a two-month view of average temperatures, we note that nearly 30% of the U.S. (14 states) recorded the warmest May-June time period in their states’ history. Although conventional wisdom would surmise that the hottest two-month period in a state’s history would normally be viewed as a negative for retail demand trends, the May-June period is in the sweet spot of exiting spring and transitioning into summer.

In other words, warm temperatures in May and June can encourage consumers to leave their homes and engage in discretionary spending after being inside all winter, while still being able to experience the enjoyable weather before the “dog days of summer” hit later in the summer and cause consumers to alter their behavior as heat conditions can become unbearable, especially in regions like the South. These factors, in combination with average precipitation levels in virtually the entire country last month, once again created the perfect storm of weather conditions for retail activity.

Given June’s results and the better than feared industry data points thus far in July, the majority of the headwinds may now be in the rearview, and we continue to expect mix trends to improve throughout the rest of the year. Accordingly, commentary from industry contacts in early July leaves us feeling incrementally more positive on a go-forward basis, which could signal a shift in sales trends that would bode positively for the remainder of the year.

While the sluggish sell out trends in 1H18 created a difficult operating environment in the short-run, the inability of any of our contacts to point to any structural factors that might be creating secular pressures on demand trends leads us to believe that the

Average tire tier rankings Tier

Apr’17

May ’17

Jun ’17

Apr ’18

May ’18

Jun ’18

Tire 1

3

3

2

3

3

2

Tire 2

2

1

1

2

1

1

Tire 3

1

2

3

1

2

3

SOOURCE: NORTHCOAST RESEARCH HOLDINGS LLC

24

odds are still high that weak trends seen recently will prove to be transitory. As such, we are cautiously optimistic that sell-out volumes in 2H18 will closely resemble the recent results rather than the lackluster volumes through the first few months of the year.

MONTHLY SURVEY A number of independent tire dealers were surveyed concerning current business trends. The results of the June 2018 survey are compared with those of June 2017. See the whole report on www. moderntiredealer.com.

REPLACEMENT TIRE SALES VOLUMES TAKE A STEP BACK Dealer commentary suggests consumer demand for passenger and light truck replacement was marginally up in June compared to the prior year’s period. The number of respondents indicating they saw a net increase in demand year-over-year was 2.7% of contacts, which was a sequential slowdown compared to May where a net 14.7% of contacts experienced positive growth

A LOOK AT MIX TRENDS IN THE MARKET Our June survey suggests that Tier 1 brands finally caught a bid and broke out of their six-month skid at the bottom of the product category rankings. As has been the case throughout 2018, our survey work continues to illustrate that although consumers may desire a recognizable brand, the product’s overall value offering (price point, performance, etc.) is the main factor driving the purchasing behavior. This is especially true when customers arrive at the garage due to unexpected technical difficulties.

The theory that an accelerating economy, confident consumer, tight labor market, and favorable car parc dynamics would allow opportunities for industry participants to upsell toward more recognizable (and expensive) nameplate brands has not played out in reality. Although Tier 1 displaced Tier 3 from the bottom of the rankings, the Tier 2 value proposition has continued to capture consumer purchasing behavior as it remained in the top spot this month as well as six out of the past seven.

Although the recent stall in the rapid ascent of crude oil prices is encouraging in the short-term, other raw material inputs continue to experience rising prices. When assessing raw material spot market costs, prices were up 4.3% y/y for 2Q18 and 6.1% when comparing June 2018 to a year-ago.

We note that if raw material prices were to hold steady, the cost of producing a tire would be up 8% over the average price during 2H17. ■ John Healy is a managing director and research analyst with Northcoast Research Holdings LLC based in Cleveland, Ohio. Healy covers a variety of subsectors of the automotive industry.

MTD August 2018

NumbersThatCount

Relevant statistics from an industry in constant motion

Number of tire plants in North America as of Jan. 1, 2018.

62

SOURCE: MODERN TIRE DEALER’S JANUARY 2018 FACTS ISSUE

39.8 million

269.2 million

Total annual tire capacity of Mexican tire plants as of Jan. 1, 2018. That’s a 7% increase from 37.2 million the year before.

Total annual tire capacity Total yearly tire capacity of U.S. tire plants as of of North American tire Jan. 1, 2018. That’s a 4.9% plants as of Jan. 1, 2018. increase from the year SOURCE: MODERN TIRE DEALER’S JANUARY 2018 FACTS ISSUE prior.

SOURCE: MODERN TIRE DEALER’S JANUARY

SOURCE: MODERN TIRE DEALER’S JANUARY

2018 FACTS ISSUE

2018 FACTS ISSUE

1%

Increase in tire plant capacity in 2017 for Canadian tire plants.

SOURCE: MODERN TIRE DEALER’S JANUARY 2018 FACTS ISSUE

©GETTYIMAGES.COM/TARRAS79

IMAGE: WWW.KISSPNG.COM

26

334.8 million

64.4% 90% Percent of car owners who think they could save more money by visiting an independent repair shop.

Percent of new vehicles registered in the U.S. last year that were light trucks. Passenger vehicles made up 35.6%.

SOURCE: AUTO CARE ASSOCIATION’S 2019 DIGITAL AUTO CARE FACTBOOK

18.9%

SOURCE: AUTO CARE ASSOCIATION’S 2019 DIGITAL AUTO CARE FACTBOOK

IMAGE: WWW.KISSPNG.COM

73.8% Percent of passenger car sales in 2017 that were imported vehicles. Fortysix percent of light trucks sold last year were import brands.

Average sales marg in for a retreaded tire in the U.S. in 2017.

SOURCE: MODERN TIRE DEALER’S JANUARY 2018 FACTS ISSUE

SOURCE: AUTO CARE ASSOCIATION’S 2019 DIGITAL AUTO CARE FACTBOOK

MTD August 2018

LANDSAIL’S SUV/CUV TIRES LS588 SUV/CUV

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Our computer-aided design has optimized the tread pitch and alignment, reducing road noise levels at higher speeds.

Lateral and Longitudinal Grooves. Deliver smooth handling and better control on dry and wet roads.

Wet Grip Sipes and Grooves.

Added sipes and grooves improve hydroplaning resistance and handling on wet roads.

Dry Grip. Tread design creates a much larger contact area allowing better stability, cornering and control.

CLV2

ALL SEASON HIGHWAY CROSSOVER & SPORT UTILITY TIRE

Wet traction grooves. Four wide longitudinal grooves speed water evacuation for great handling and cornering on wet pavement.

Solid stability rib. The continuous center rib ensures straight-line driving stability with just enough siping to further improve high-speed performance.

Stable shoulder design. The large shoulders give you the contact patch you need for sure cornering and stability.

Grip optimized grooves. The design of the CLV2’s lateral and longitudinal grooves delivers extra gripping ability, more control, and better braking performance.

CLX11

ROADBLAZER H /T

CLX10

RANGEBLAZER A /T

HIGHWAY TERRAIN TIRE

ALL-TERRAIN TIRE

Noise-Reducing Shoulder.

The closed shoulder design blocks noise from the middle of the tires for a quieter, more comfortable ride.

Optimal Middle Pattern. The consistent middle pattern and uninterrupted closed shoulder design improves stability.

Longitudinal Traction Grooves.

The longitudinal groove design is optimized for effective drainage, faster braking, improved acceleration and stable turning on wet terrain.

High Stability Tread Corners.

The special cutting corner on all borders of the groove pattern makes it more dimensional while promoting driving stability and comfort.

Zig-Zag Middle Block. The zigzag middle tread pattern reduces noise while the sloped corner repels rocks and improves earthgrasping performance.

Special Shoulder Shape. The bench-shaped shoulder design provides excellent earth-grasping action for stable high-speed turns under dry and wet road conditions.

3121 NW 125 Street | Miami, FL 33167 | Phone: 305.621.5101 | LandsailTires.com | Follow us @landsailtires |

Preventive Maintenance

Ace Tire & Service promotes preventive maintenance every 7,500 miles PHOTO COURTESY OF ACE TIRE & SERVICE

By

Bob Ulrich

A

ce Tire & Service in Fort Worth, Texas, does not perform all automotive services, although it does perform many undercar and underhood services. It does, however, offer preventive maintenance as its own service. It says so on its homepage.

Dig a little deeper and the dealership defines exactly what preventive maintenance means — and the benefits it provides.

“Preventive maintenance is the care and protection of your vehicle against potential major auto repairs. Negligence is the most common and costly way to see money wasted on repairs that could have easily been prevented through regular service intervals. Depending on your vehicle’s manufacturer, avoiding preventive maintenance on certain parts and components has the potential to void warranty coverage.

“Car maintenance intervals have been designed to improve the reliability, durability, and resale value of your vehicle.

Based upon your driving conditions, these service intervals may arrive sooner than you expect. For example, short commutes can actually hurt a vehicle because most engines thrive during long drives. Driving short commutes, experiencing stop-and-go traffic, and carrying heavy cargo are all aspects of severe driving.

“However, severe driving can also be reinforced by your environment. Hot or cold weather, mountainous or rough roads, and dusty or salty environments can all affect your vehicle. Because of these innumerable factors, adhering to a rigid service schedule can keep your vehicle operating at maximum efficiency for years to come.”

Tina Gibson, owner of LT Gibson Enterprises LLC, which does business as Ace Tire and M&D Tire & Auto, says preventive maintenance begins with free tire rotations and air checks. But the key to selling it as its own service is letting the customer know it is available. She is the first

28

Each service interval at the Ace Tire & Service and M&D Tire & Auto locations begins with a Quality Assurance Road Test. If a technician hears or feels anything out of the ordinary, the vehicle will be placed on a lift and inspected.

to admit her two combination commercialretail stores — she purchased M&D Tire & Auto in Springtown, Texas, three years ago — need to do a better job of it.

“Because we are a tire store, a lot of people are not aware that we do maintenance and minor repair.”

The website helps. In addition to rotating tires and adjusting air pressure, Ace Tire promotes more than just oil changes at the 7,500-mile service interval.

• Perform an oil change.

• Top off fluids.

• Lubricate suspension and doors.

• Check air conditioning and heater operation.

• Reset oil reminder light.

• Test the battery.

• Take the vehicle for a road test.

Ace and M&D technicians also inspect the PCV valve, drive belts, hoses, cabin filters, tires, lighting, suspension and steering components, exhaust system, brake system, wiper blades, brake fluid, struts, shocks, boots, CV joints and differential.

The preventive maintenance services offered vary depending on the service interval. Ace Tire lists the services and the approximate time it will take to perform the services for every 7,500 miles driven.

A “winterization checkup” is one of the preventive maintenance services. It includes testing and inspecting the coolant; installing winter wiper blades; inspecting hoses, belts and other “vital” components; and testing the battery and the charging system.

“As for fall, we offer a radiator check and flush at a special rate. And we offer A/C recharging service at a special rate in the summer,” says Gibson.

A description of preventive maintenance alone doesn’t hammer home its importance.

Also spelling out the benefits does, as the Ace Tire Service website makes clear.

“Vehicle components and parts naturally wear out over time, and road hazards can negatively impact critical components,” it says. “By adhering to the preventive maintenance schedule in your vehicle owner’s manual, you will help ensure that your vehicle always runs at optimal conditions.

“Depending upon the vehicle’s service interval mileage, our staff may inspect the function of your steering and suspension components, fluid filters, belts and hoses, brakes and axles, and more to help ensure that your vehicle functions efficiently. Our staff can look at the level of vital vehicle fluids. We are also able to review exterior and interior lights, examine windshield wiper blades, check batteries, inspect hinges and locks, determine level of ball joint wear, check transmission components, fix exhaust system components, and conduct both tire wear inspection and inflation checks.

“It is important to schedule preventive maintenance for these and other components to ensure they continue to work as intended. Remember that environmental conditions may affect your ideal preventive maintenance schedule. Depending upon your environment, you may need to seek more frequent inspections and replacements.”

MTD August 2018

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Preventive Maintenance GRAPHIC BY NET DRIVEN LLC

WHAT TO DO EVERY 180,000 MILES! According to research from IHS Markit Ltd., the average age of a light vehicle is a record 11.6 years. Ace Tire’s preventive maintenance service addresses this trend with service intervals up to 180,000 miles.

The 180,000-mile service interval consists of the following services and inspections, written to the car or light truck owner.

• Steering linkage and boots. “Excessive play in your steering can be dangerous. It can inhibit the speed of your response in an emergency situation and cause issues like excessive tire wear.”

• Engine oil and filter. “Due to the climate in the Dallas, Texas, area vehicle manufacturers consider us to be in harsh driving conditions. They require more frequent oil and filter changes.

• Drive shaft boots. “We ensure that your vehicle’s boots are properly sealed, do not have any damage or tears, and are not dry rotted.”

• Engine coolant. “Even though (vehicle manufacturers) are starting to install extended life coolant, it is still extremely important to periodically check on the condition and level of the engine coolant.”

• Chassis bolts and nuts. “Most vehicles are driven 15,000 miles per year on average, so this is an important safety check that is performed once a year.”

• Tire inspection, rotation and inflation.

“Tire rotations are performed periodically so that all four tires wear evenly. Properly inflated tires also improve fuel mileage.”

• Engine air filter and cabin air filter.

“Keeping the cabin air filter clean is important to ensure that you and your family are breathing clean air. Failure to keep this clean and debris free can also cause stress on the vehicle ventilation system.”

At the 7,500-mile service interval, Ace Tire emphasizes that the vehicle manufacturers require certain safety inspections and preventative maintenance. Net Driven LLC designed the websites for Ace Tire & Service and M&D Tire & Auto.

“There is more to servicing your vehicle than just changing your oil and rotating your tires,” says the website. Proper preventative maintenance will save you money and also your time.”

• Brake linkage/drums/pads/disc. “A brake pad that is getting too low and not able to make it to the next service interval if not caught can wear into your rotor and become a very expensive repair.”

• Transmission fluid. “Every 30,000 miles we thoroughly check for transmission fluid leaks, condition of fluid, and the level of the transmission fluid.”

• Fuel lines, connections and vapor recovery system. “A fuel leak can be an expensive repair, but can also be dangerous. Raw fuel and its vapors before being burned in the engine can cause a fire.”

• Ball joints and dust covers. “Excessive play from the ball joints can cause excessive tire wear (and) poor performance and handling.

• Spark plugs. “Misfires in the engine can cause raw fuel to not burn in the cylinder and be expelled through the exhaust system. Continual raw fuel being

HELP WANTED

GRAPHIC BY NET DRIVEN LLC

The owner’s manual for the vehicle (bottom right icon) reminds the vehicle owner there is a list of specific services required for each vehicle.

30

expelled through the exhaust system can cause damage to the catalytic converter.”

• Four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive systems. “If your vehicle is equipped with four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, the transfer case fluid, front differential fluid and rear differential fluid may need to be replaced periodically.”

• Exhaust pipes and mountings. “Periodic inspections of manifolds, seals, gaskets, catalytic convertors and pipes will ensure the safety of you and your family and keep your vehicle running as designed.”

• Brake lines and fluid. “Over time as your brake pads wear, your brake fluid may need to be topped off.”

• Power steering fluid. “Condensation and moisture in the power steering fluid can cause seal failure and cause internal damage to the power steering rack.”

“I’ve been in sales all my life,” says Gibson, who founded Ace Tire & Service as a commercial dealership in 2002. “But I pretty much do everything with the exception of the tech work. Whatever needs to be done.”

Her biggest issue is finding and keeping technicians. “At first you start feeling like it’s you,” she says. “But then you start talking to other people and you realize, no, it’s the same for everybody. The economy is that good, I guess. Everyone who wants a job has a job!”

The average mid-level technician at an independent tire dealership makes $42,533 a year, according to Modern Tire Dealer’s 2017 Automotive Service Survey.

The average entry-level tech makes $29,181.

“We’re very competitive on the pay,” says Gibson.

“On the commercial side, where most people pay by the hour, we pay salary with a bonus commission.” Her retail techs are paid by the hour.

Having enough people to do the work is important to Gibson because it can adversely affect customer service. She says being reliable and courteous is the service for which the company is best known.

“Customer service is a shortcoming of most businesses.” ■ MTD August 2018

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2018 GLOBAL TIRE EXPO EXHIBITORS (List current as of July 9, 2018)

A.O.K. Industrial Co. Accufill Technology Co. Ltd. Achieva Rubber Corp.

Achilles Radial Advance Tire Wholesale Alliance Tire Americas Inc. Allied Wheel Components Inc./ Raceline Wheels Alligator North America Inc. AME International American Omni/Thunderer Andreoli Software Anji Rubber Industrial Co. Ltd. Antares Tires ASA Automotive Systems ATEQ TPMS Tools Atturo Tire Corp.

Aufine Group Co. Ltd. Autel US Inc. Barkley Bartec USA LLC Bee Line Co. Best Choice International Trade Co. Ltd. BKT USA Inc. Blackstone Rubber Industries (India) Branick Industries Cangzhou Sheen Auto Parts Co. Ltd. Chaoyang Long March Tyre Co. Ltd. Chariot Concepts/TruStack Tire Dolly CIMS Tire Registration Coats Cooper Tire Corghi USA Inc. Counteract Balancing Beads Inc. Cronus Tire Co. Ltd. Cub Group Daeho Industry/Pacific Treads Deestone Corp. Ltd. Deldo Autobanden NV Dill Air Controls Products Dong Ah Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd. Dongying Fangxing Rubber Co. Ltd. Duraturn Tires DURO Tire Enforce Products ESCO Exactra Inc. Exmile Tire North America Falken Tires Federal Tire Foreign Tire Sales Inc. Foundation For Export Promotion Freedomsoft Fury Offroad Tires Gaither Tool Co. Inc. GEM-CAR Goodtire Rubber Industrial Co. Ltd.

Greenball Corp.

GTC North America Inc. Guang Dong Victor Electronics Co. Ltd. Haltec Corporation Hamaton Inc. Hanksugi Japan Tire Ltd. Haweka USA/Allpart Supply Henan Farride Rubber Technology Co. Ltd. Himile HIXIH TIRES Horizon Tire Huf North America Hunter Engineering Co. Hwi Li Hwa Auto Parts (Tire Supplies) Industrias Vermar, S.A. de C.V. INSA TURBO Tires ITRS/Bestpatch Jiangyin Chuangxin Tyre Valve Co. Ltd. JK Tyre – Tornel JMK Computerized TDIS Inc. Kelsey Tire Inc. Ken-Tool Kenda Tires Keter Tire KEX Tire Repair King Auto TPMS KJC Engineering Inc. KORYO Tires Lakin Tire West Lenston Rubber Technology Co. Ltd. LEONARDO Lift & Shift Loyalty, Rewards & Incentives Loudi City Zhuo Rui Chemical Co. Ltd. Lucy’s Tire Americas M&R Tire Products Inc. MaddenCo MAM Software Inc. Martins Industries Maruni Industry Co. Ltd. MAXTREK TYRES Maxxis Tires Megalith Industrial Group Co. Ltd. Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels Mighty Auto Parts Modern Tire Dealer MRL TYres Ltd. – India Myers Tire Supply Nankang Rubber Tire Corp. Ltd. Net Driven Nexen Corp.

Nexen Tire America Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc. Ohio Rack Inc. Optimize Social Media Inc. Orange Electronic Inc. P.C. Products International Co. Ltd.

Pirelli Tire North America Prinx Chengshan (Shandong) Tire Company Ltd. PROMOTEC Srl Qingdao Aonuo Group Qingdao Arestone Tyre Co. Ltd. Qingdao Florescence Co. Ltd. Qingdao Fullrun Tyre Corp. Ltd. Qingdao Grip Tyre Co. Ltd. Qingdao Hans Tyre Co. Ltd. Qingdao Hmtire Co. Ltd. Qingdao Honestar Tyre Co. Ltd. Qingdao Honghua Tyre Factory Qingdao Lakesea Tyre Co. Ltd. Qingdao Marcher Rubber Co. Ltd. Qingdao Nama Industrial Co. Ltd. Qingdao Poplar Tire Co. Ltd. Qingdao Qihang Tyre Co. Ltd. Qingdao Rhino International Co. Ltd. Qingdao Sentury Tire Co. Ltd. Qingdao Shining Roads Tyre Co. Ltd. Qingdao Tracross Tire Co. Ltd. Qingdao Zeal-line Stainless Steel Products Co. Ltd. RAV–Ravglioli Rema Tip Top RML Tyre, India Roadclaw Tyre (Hong Kong) Ltd. Royal4/WISE Rubber King Tyre Pvt. Ltd. Safety Seal by North Shore Labs Schrader Performance Sensors Shandong Fengyuan Tire Manufacturing Co. Ltd. Shandong Haohua Tire Co. Ltd. Shandong Hawk International Rubber Industry Co. Ltd. Shandong Hengfeng Rubber & Plastic Co. Ltd. Shandong Huasheng Rubber Co. Ltd. Shandong Linglong Tire Co. Ltd. Shandong Longyue Rubber Co. Ltd. Shandong New Continent Tire Co. Ltd. Shandong Province Sanli Tire Manufactured Co. Ltd. Shandong Shuangwang Rubber Co. Ltd. Shandong Transtone Tyre Co. Ltd. Shandong Yueheng Tyre Chemical Co. Ltd. Shandong Zhangchi Rubber Co. Ltd. Shandong Zhentai Group Co. Ltd. Shanghai Baolong Automotive Corp.

Shield Tire Shifeng Juxing Tire Co. Ltd. Shouguang Firemax Tyre Co. Ltd. Sonnybosco Inc., DRC Exclusive Distributor South China Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd.

Speedways Rubber Company Sportrak Tire Group Ltd. Strategic Import Supply SUNF Suretrac Tire Sutong Tire Resources Inc. Synchrony Car Care TBBtires TCS Technologies, an ARI Co. TECH Techno Vector 31 Incorporated Tianjin Wanda Tyre Group Co. Ltd. Tionale Pte. Ltd. Tire Business Tire Group International Tire Guru Software, Websites, & More Tire Industry Association (TIA) Tire Intelligence, LLC TIRE PROFILES Tire Review Tire Service Equipment Manufacturing Co. Inc. Tire Stickers TIRECO Inc. TireConnect Tiremetrix Tireweb Marketing TKO Solutions TOMKET TredWear TRI-ACE TIRES Triangle Tire USA Trimax Tire Tube and Solid Tire Ltd. TVS EUROGRIP TYREDOG TPMS Tyrefare International Ltd. Tyres International, Inc. Unicorn Tire Corp.

Universal Tire International Vee Rubber WEGMANN Automotive Weifang Huadong Rubber Co. Ltd. Weifang Jintongda Tyre Co. Ltd. Weihai Joyall Tire Co. Ltd. Wendeng Sanfeng Tyre Co. Ltd. Western Weld Windforce Tyre Co. Ltd. World Wide Distribution Inc. X Comp Tires by Gladiator Xingyuan Tire Group Co. Ltd. Xinjiang Kunlun Tyre Co. Ltd. Ying Paio Enterprise Co. Ltd. Zhangjiagang Tom Tyre Co. Ltd. Zhejiang Qingda Rubber Co. Ltd. Zhongce Rubber Group Co. Ltd.

Run-Flat Repair

Repairing run-flat tires THERE ARE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT ON THE SUBJECT By

Bob Ulrich

L

ast September, Modern Tire Dealer asked the question, “What does a dealer need to know to service a runflat tire versus a non-run-flat tire?”

The consensus among mounting and balancing equipment manufacturers and tire manufacturers was a run-flat’s unique construction makes them more difficult to mount and demount.

However, there is no consensus on whether or not run-flat tires can be repaired.

Tire manufacturers often defer to the vehicle manufacturer’s replacement tire restrictions and recommendations.

Michelin North America Inc., for example, allows its run-flat tires (Zero Pressure) to be repaired under certain guidelines. However, repairing the original equipment run-flat tires on a BMW isn’t an option, per its owner’s manual.

Run-flat tire repair procedures recommended by the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) are the same for both run-flat and non-run-flat tires. USTMA does preface that by advising vehicle owners w w w . M o d e r n T i r e D e a l e r. c o m

to consult the tire manufacturer for its repair policy and, if applicable, recommended repair procedures.

WHAT THE MANUFACTURERS SAY When asked if there are any instances where a run-flat tire can be repaired, a Pirelli Tire LLC spokesperson said no, a run-flat should never be repaired.

According to Pirelli’s Run-Flat Hazard Policy, “damaged run-flat tires or runflat tires that have experienced a loss of pressure should immediately be replaced with another run flat tire of identical size and service description (load index and speed symbol).”

A technical services bulletin from Yokohama Tire Corp. makes it clear Yokohama ZPS run-flat tires are not to be repaired following a puncture “or other tire disablement.”

“ZPS run-flat tires are covered by the Yokohama standard limited warranty that provides for tire replacement under specified conditions. Your ZPS tire will

COURTESY OF GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER CO.

According to the Chevy Camaro owner’s manual, when one of its original equipment run-flat tires has been damaged or driven any distance while deflated, the owner should “check with an authorized run-flat tire service center to determine whether the tire can be repaired or should be replaced.”

be replaced on a prorated basis based on remaining tread depth when the tire has been damaged due to a tread area puncture within the repairable area and limits defined by (USTMA).”

Continental Tire the Americas LLC does not recommend any repair to Continental SSR (Self Supporting Run-flat) tires. The company’s explanation is as follows: “Even a trained tire specialist may be unable to recognize internal structural damage to a Self Supporting Run-flat (SSR) tire resulting from having been driven in an under inflated or zero pressure condition. Such damage may not be visible on the surface of the inner liner or sidewall, making it impossible to determine the tire suitability for repair. Continental does not recommend any repair to Continental SSR tires. Note: Continental advises if a tire is returned under complaint and reason for the product’s disablement is in any way associated with a repair or the reason for repair, the manufacturer’s warranty is invalidated.”

35

Run-Flat Repair Manufacturers’ polices on run-flat repair

COURTESY OF YOKOHAMA TIRE CORP.

Yokohama Tire Corp. says its Advan Sport ZPS (Zero Pressure System) tires should not be repaired, regardless of the size of the puncture.

“Repairs of run-flats are a major concern,” says Chris Davis, Continental’s technical product service manager. “Always refer to the tire manufacturer’s recommendations on repairs as it can vary by manufacturer.

“Some allow a repair, some don’t and some allow multiple repairs, noting that each repair lowers the speed rating of the tire. Consider your dealership’s liability as the “tire expert” agreeing the tire is not damaged, should you repair the tire without knowing damage between the layers.

“Run-flat tires, by design, have a very thick, stiff compound in the sidewall,” he says. It is typically not the same material that you can visualize on the inside or outside of the tire. If there is a separation between those layers, the dealer and the customer may not know about the condition until the tire has a second incident of low pressure causing the run flat tire not to work as designed, leaving the customer stranded on the highway or worse, having a rapid air loss and instability of control.

“Use your best judgment based on the tire manufacturer’s suggestions (and) customer safety, and if in doubt, contact the tire manufacturer’s customer service for recommendations.”

Bridgestone Americas Inc. has a different view.

“Under certain circumstances, run-flat tires can be repairable,” says Robert Saul, director of consumer product strategy

36

Manufacturer

Repair policy

Additional provisions

Bridgestone

Permitted

Only if 15 psi maintained

Continental

Does not recommend

Invalidates subsequent warranties

Goodyear

Permitted

One repair maximum for H-rated and greater speed ratings

Hankook

Permitted

Kumho

Permitted

Michelin

Permitted

One repair maximum

Pirelli

Not endorsed

See company’s road hazard program

Yokohama

Not permitted

SOURCE: TIRE RACK

Run-flats in Europe Special wheels can affect mounting Pete Liebetreu, vice president of marketing for Hunter Engineering Co., says runflat tires from European and Asian OEM manufacturers are very often mounted to a special wheel with an EH2 (for “extended hump”) bead seat. Nokian “Flat Run” tires are one of many examples.

“We see these wheels every day in the U.S. on BMW, Lexus, Mercedes, Infinity, Toyota, Audi and other vehicles,” he says.

“The EH2 wheel actually creates much of the difficulty in servicing these wheels, more than tire stiffness does. “EH2 means the wheel has an extended safety hump, which helps the deflated run-flat stay on the wheel properly in the event of a puncture.

“For the tire changer though, that extended hump makes it even harder to service. That’s because the already stiff tire needs to be pushed even further down to be in the drop center for demounting or mounting. Many technicians miss this for Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC. “Guidelines vary by vehicle manufacturer, so it important for dealers to always abide by the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations.

“Many tire manufacturers also will publish their repair and service guidelines in the form of technical bulletins, so dealers can check to see if the manufacturer of the tire they are servicing has a technical bulletin that they can refer to as well.

“In certain instances, a run-flat tire can be repaired, provided it meets specific guidelines.” Says Saul. “These guidelines

and end up struggling with the tire that they could easily service if they pressed a little more on the key points with one of the press arms I mentioned earlier.”

A spokesperson from Bridgestone Americas Inc. said EH2 (and EH2+) wheels provide bead retention characteristics desired by car companies; in many cases they help extend run-flat operating distances, particularly at reduced loads.

“While EH2/EH2+ wheels are considered components of an extended mobility system, they are not explicitly restricted from use without other system components. In other words, EH2/EH2+ wheels may be able to be used with conventional tires or with conventional valves (without TPMS sensors).”

According to Bridgestone’s warranty manual, Bridgestone and Firestone RFT tires should never be replaced or mixed with conventional tires unless on an emergency or temporary basis. are contingent upon how far the run-flat tire was driven at low inflation conditions, the amount of air loss experienced and the overall condition of the tire. A run-flat tire that has experienced a puncture or loss of pressure must be thoroughly inspected for any resulting damage to determine if it can be put back in service.”

Juan Britos, senior technical services specialist for Hankook Tire America Corp., says Hankook’s run-flat models “can be repaired in the same manner as our standard versions. We design our tires to be repaired as simply as possible.” ■ MTD August 2018

L i g h t Tr u c k T i r e s

‘Make it look more like a truck’ 3 tire dealers adapt as consumers steer away from sedans By

Ann Neal

I

38

PHOTO: NICK LENHART

n the first six months of 2018, light truck tires were 25% of unit sales at Lenhart’s Service Center Tire Pros. Owner Nick Lenhart is waiting to see “how that washes out” by the end of 2018, but for now his LT tire sales are trending up as consumers gravitate toward pickup trucks and sport utility and crossover vehicles.

For comparison, in all of 2017, 18% of sales at the Irwin, Pa., dealership were LT tires.

Auto Care Association data confirm what is playing out at Lenhart’s sales counter.

Demand for light trucks was higher than passenger cars in 2017. Sales of light trucks grew 3.6% in 2017 and were 64.4% of total vehicle sales. The percentage has been going up steadily since 2012, when light truck sales were 50.4% of all vehicle sales.

The Auto Care Association reports the total U.S. motor vehicle population to be 280.6 million in 2018 versus 278.6 million in 2017, a 0.7% increase. There are 272.3 million cars and light trucks on the road today, up from 270.4 million in 2017. Light trucks represent 152.5 million vehicles or 56% of the U.S. motor vehicle population in 2018. In 2017, light trucks were 54.7% of the vehicle population.

Automakers such as Ford Motor Co. expect the trend to continue and are boosting production of light trucks, SUVs and CUVs. In its first-quarter 2018 earnings release, Ford said it would not invest in new generations of traditional Ford sedans for North America “given declining consumer demand and product profitability.” By 2020, almost 90% of the Ford portfolio in North America will be trucks, utilities and commercial vehicles, according to the company.

In the same earnings report, Ford announced its intention to drop all but two passenger cars, the Mustang and the soon-to-be-launched Focus Active, from its North American lineup.

There are multiple reasons for the resurgence of light trucks and SUVs following the economic recession a decade ago. “In general, trucks and SUVs, especially on the higher end of the scale, tend to grow as the economy grows,” says Will Robbins,

Light truck tires are 25% of unit sales and growing at Nick Lenhart’s store in Irwin, Pa.

product manager, consumer replacement group for Bridgestone Americas Inc. The relatively low cost of gasoline contributes to the popularity of the bigger vehicles, along with improved fuel economy and better overall vehicle quality, even compared to new sedans a decade ago.

Another factor is longer auto loan terms, which make a light truck or SUV more affordable for consumers. “A fully loaded F-150 is in the mid-fifties to sixty thousand dollar range,” says Robbins. “Now that credit has gotten back to the point where it is a

little bit more relaxed, lenders are offering 84-month auto loans, so it makes those vehicles a lot more accessible to people.”

CONSUMERS WANT A TRUCK-LIKE AESTHETIC American consumers are turning away from sedans. Yet many of the light truck owners who come to Lenhart’s Tire Pros are not entirely satisfied with their purchases either.

In their estimation, their new vehicles do not quite look like trucks, and they want Lenhart to fix it. “The first thing they say MTD August 2018

©2018 CMA , LLC .

*Based on a 2016 brand study by a major industry publication

when they come in for their replacement set of tires is, ‘I want something more aggressive, I want to make it look more like a truck.’ We hear that all the time; they want their truck to look like a truck. So it is coming from the factory with a tire that’s not very aggressive,” says Lenhart.

Although his customers are demanding a more aggressive-looking tire, they tend to keep their vehicles on the pavement.

“We have clients who have a $70,000 pickup truck and don’t even have a hitch on it. They want the sidewall to look aggressive even though they are not taking it off road.”

“For a long time it used to be enthusiasts who wanted that aggressive-looking tire, but now we have a lot of guys who want to be able to get up that dirt road the two times a year they go to their hunting camp.”

Many customers ask Lenhart for aggressive-looking tires that are quiet on the road.

“They want the aggressive sidewall but not an aggressive tread because they want it to look like a truck. They don’t need a mud tire but they want it to look like one.”

Lenhart has the tires his customers want. “For us, General and Continental have done a good job of expanding their product lines in the LT range to meet that need in the last couple years.” Lenhart, who

‘WE HAVE CLIENTS WHO HAVE A $70,000 PICKUP TRUCK AND DON’T EVEN HAVE A HITCH ON IT. THEY WANT THE SIDEWALL TO LOOK AGGRESSIVE EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE NOT TAKING IT OFF ROAD.’ — NICK LENHART participates in Continental’s Gold Dealer program, says the Grabber ATX, Grabber X3 and the Continental Terrain Contact have been great products for consumers who don’t need an MT tire but want something

that’s more aggressive than their truck’s original highway terrain tire.

Bridgestone’s Robbins say that in general the industry is moving towards providing a truck-like aesthetic without the compromises historically present in an all-terrain or max traction tire.

“I think as people research this segment they say, ‘If I can have this really aggressive-looking Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 3 tire without having to sacrifice anything for it, why wouldn’t I do that?’

That’s a trend we’ve seen continue to grow significantly the last several years. We’ve had individuals who want the performance of a highway tire but they want it to look even more aggressive. We expect that trend to continue in the truck and SUV segment and even into the highway segment where there’s a prioritization of the aesthetics of that truck-like appearance even on non-all-terrain products.”

Lenhart attributes increased sales of custom wheel packages over the last two years, the most ever for his dealership, to the growth of the LT market. He fits

we fill more orders Because of than our competitors.

Tim Phillips

Vice President Marketing & Operations

MISSION EXCELLENCE All of us are on a mission to deliver excellence to our customers in every aspect of business. That’s why I’m proud that Double Coin ranks #1 in fill rates among commercial tire dealers.* Plus, we deliver rapid response service and back our TBR tires with a 7-year, 3-retread warranty. Double Coin’s mission is excellence and it begins with me.

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w w w . M o d e r n T i r e D e a l e r. c o m

39

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L i g h t Tr u c k T i r e s PHOTO: DAVID AND MIKE LITTLE

three-quarter and one-ton trucks with 22-inch and larger wheels with Nitto and Toyo brand tires. He handles most wheel sales himself because of the amount of time, even stretching over days, for a customer to decide on a wheel package. “When they are spending four of five thousand dollars for just the wheels, they want to make sure it’s exactly right.”

Lenhart is a fourth-generation tire dealer. The store has been in the same location since his great-grandfather opened it in 1930. Today he and his father, Ken, are partners and his mother, Anna, keeps the company’s books. About 30% of revenue comes from tire sales; the majority of the store’s business is mechanical work. He has 10 employees.

SEDANS ARE NOT GOING AWAY David Little expects to see more larger vehicles in his three stores, which are located within a six-mile radius in Fredericksburg, Va. He is ready for an increased demand for LT tires. “We’re strong in the Michelin, BFGoodrich, Continental and General brands. They already have a large footprint in the light truck segment, so I don’t anticipate making any changes there,” says Little.

He and his brother Mike are equal partners in Little Tire Co. Inc., which does business as Little Tire Co. Tire Pros.

The shift toward SUVs and light trucks is not as dramatic among Little’s customers.

“Over the last 10 years it’s been moving more to the light truck side; but we still sell passenger tires,” says Little. “We have a lot of commuters, and commuters want sedans because they get better gas mileage.”

Little considers tires for SUVs and CUVs as light truck tires. “In my mind I include a lot of SUV and CUV tires as LT tires even though they may be a P metric,” he says, citing the Michelin Defender LTX line as an example. “In that line, they make both P metric and LTs. I count all of those in my system as LT. I know the way I look at LTs and P metric is different from other dealers.”

‘MUD GRIP USED TO BE A NECESSITY’ The bulk of Todd Schindler’s business has been SUV and light truck tires since he opened Texas Tire and Accessory LP in Hallettsville, Texas, in 2000. But he has seen an uptick over the last three years.

“We’ve always been mainly SUV and light

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Brothers Mike (left) and David Little expect LT tire sales to increase at their three tire stores in Fredericksburg, Va.

truck; it’s gone from 65% those types of sales to maybe 75% those types of sales.”

He says customers who typically drove sedans switched to small SUVs for the extra room and the height off the road compared to their cars. In addition, about half of Schindler’s customers are driving their trucks off the road to work in oil fields, on ranches and farms and to hunt.

“A lot of them want to look good, but a lot do actually use them,” says Schindler.

Although Schindler’s light truck tire business is up, his wheel sales have dropped about 75% over a five-year period. “We have seen a decrease in that because it appears the OE wheel has the look the customers are satisfied with.”

Within his light truck tire line, mudterrain tires have fallen out of favor with his customers. “The mud grip tire was a large sector. Probably 25% of the tires in the light truck line that we sold were mud grips.” Schindler says the movement to allterrain vehicles (ATVs) and utility-terrain vehicles (UTVs) is responsible for reducing the demand for mud-terrain tires.

“Farmers, ranchers and hunters are now using ATVs and UTVs to go into the field, dry or wet. Our mud grip tire sales are probably down 50% or more.

The mud grip buyers are moving to the all-terrain and the all-terrain buyers are

moving toward the highway tires. Mud grip used to be a necessity. People bought them for looks, but a lot of people had to have them because their responsibilities to their farms and ranches required them.”

He expects the ATV and UTV market will continue to grow, but stocking the tires is a challenge. “There are so many sizes that you really can’t stock them. I did an analysis last December because I wanted to see about stocking the tires I need. I only found a couple of sizes that I would have sold maybe fifteen or twenty of them a year.”

His shop mounts ATV and UTV tires for customers who buy them online, adding 50% to the normal mounting charge.

Services offered in his three-bay store include oil changes, lube, tire balancing and flat repair. His accessory offerings include grille guards, steps, bumpers, tool boxes and spray-on bed liners.

The evolution of the LT market is visible on Schindler’s tire racks, which he built himself. “When we started our business 18 years ago, I built tire racks.

The sizes have changed on those racks.

We had 14s and we had two racks for 15s and a whole lot of 16-inch tires and none of the other stuff. Our racks were probably 40% P-metric tires. If you look at my tire racks today, only seven of my 62 SKUs are for cars.”

SIZE PROLIFERATION IS EXPECTED Consumer preference for SUVs, CUVs and light trucks is creating profit opportunities for dealers.

“The fact that light truck and SUV/CUVfocused sizes tend to make dealers more money is going to be a benefit to them,” says Robbins. But he expects the size proliferation that took place in the sedan market over the last 10 or 15 years to occur in the CUV, SUV and truck market, too.

“I think we’re at the very, very early stages, and we’re going to see that same proliferation into the CUV, SUV and truck space to where the size complexity and product complexity as people get more interested in that part of the market is going to grow,” says Robbins.

“The dealers are going to have to be a little bit careful. From our perspective, we created the TireHub business in partnership with Goodyear to allow more options for distribution and a wider range of products in preparation for the changing market.”

MTD August 2018

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L i g h t Tr u c k T i r e s DELIVERY VANS NEED C TIRES Supplying commercial C tires for an increasingly popular type of compact delivery van may prove to be a profitable source of revenue, especially in urban areas.

The smaller delivery vans, which are built on European platforms, are more maneuverable, more fuel efficient and more aerodynamic than larger, boxier

delivery vans, according Barry Terzaken, light truck and SUV tire product manager for Continental Tire the Americas LLC. Many compact vans are fitted by the original equipment manufacturer with commercial C tires. “The C tires are not an LT metric load range C, and that’s something we really like to make clear to tire dealers,” says Terzaken. While a Load

Range E tire may be a bigger than the C tire, it may not have the load-carrying capability.

“The C tire is designed specifically for these commercial vehicle applications. It has a very high load carrying capability in a rather small package. They are very different from a light truck tire.”

When pickup truck and van platforms were shared, the same LT tire that was on a pickup truck could have very well shown up on a larger delivery van, according to Terzaken. Those days are gone.

“You don’t see C tires on passenger cars or pickup trucks. But you do see them on these compact vans, and it is a direct result of these European vehicle platforms coming to the United States.”

On larger delivery vans with LT metric

‘WHEN WE STARTED OUR BUSINESS 18 YEARS AGO, I BUILT TIRE RACKS. THE SIZES HAVE CHANGED ON THOSE RACKS…. OUR RACKS WERE PROBABLY 40% P-METRIC TIRES. IF YOU LOOK AT MY RACKS TODAY, ONLY SEVEN OF MY 62 SKUS ARE FOR CARS.’ — TODD SCHINDLER

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tires, the axle and the loading deck had to be higher.

“With a bigger tire, you have a much larger turning radius for the vehicle,” says Terzaken. “With these smaller, more compact tires, the vehicle is lower to the ground so it is more stable and has a better turning radius.”

Over the last several years, Continental has refreshed and expanded its Continental and Grabber lines for CUVs, SUVs and light trucks. Continental Vanco lines continue to support many original equipment van fitments. The Grabber HD tire is targeted at smaller commercial delivery vans and trucks.

There are five C sizes and 11 LT-metric sizes in the Grabber HD line. “There are not a lot of sizes so there’s not a lot of complexity,” says Terzaken. “Dealers can cover many delivery vans with just a few sizes. Most important, they are putting the right tire on the vehicle.” ■ MTD August 2018

Commercial Tire Dealer

LOWER PROFILE, WIDE-BASE SIZES SUCH AS 65 SERIES TIRES ARE GAINING GROUND By

Ann Neal

D

emand for a new off-the-road tire size is contributing to the growth of the market for small OTR tires, which Modern Tire Dealer defines as tires on 25inch and smaller rims.

BKT USA Inc. places the small and medium OTR market in the U.S. at 60% to 70% of the total off-the-road tire market, with the small OTR market being 20-inch to 25-inch diameter tires and the medium OTR market being 29-inch to 45-inch diameter tires. The company estimates the total OTR market to be between $ 1.6

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billion and $ 1.8 billion. The small and medium OTR market is about $1 billion.

“We have started producing and selling OTR tires in last three years and are continually adding sizes every quarter.

We expect to have 8% to 10% of available OTR market that we play in,” says Minoo Mehta, BKT’s president.

Worldwide, the off-road tire and track market, which includes all off-road sizes and styles, is $22 billion, or 11% of the entire global tire market, according to Camso Inc. Michael Dembe, executive director of product management for the

Also in CTD The first of many? TravelCenters opens a Goodyear retread plant ..... 56 Cyclic field operation and IF: As the load fluctuates, soil compaction is reduced ............................................... 58 What’s wrecking the tires?

Understanding the reasons behind tire failure ............................................ 64 Commercially Viable .................. 66 MTD August 2018

PHOTO COURTESY CAMSO

‘Small’ tires, big demands

Small OTR Tires

PHOTO COURTESY ALLIANCE TIRE AMERICAS

Alliance says 45% of small OTR tires are radial and expects that percentage to grow as radial options become more competitive.

construction business unit, notes the highly fragmented global market includes tires for construction, agriculture, material handling and powersports equipment.

The global economic recovery is responsible for the overall growth of the market over the last 18 months, according to T. Shawn Rasey, director of global business development of earthmover tires for Continental AG. “Over the past year, the U.S. market is probably up by at least 10% year-over-year.

At Continental, our earthmover tire business is up several multiples of that from last year,” says Rasey.

Continental, like many manufacturers, divides OTR products by usage, rather than size. Products that fall into the 25-inch and under rim size include tires for skid steers, graders, loaders, backhoes, forklifts, and small earthmovers such as articulated dump trucks and bulldozers. Continental also manufactures tires that meet measure 25 inches and under for drill rigs, scaling rigs, bolting drill rigs and for shuttle cars, scoops and face haulers used in underground soft rock applications like coal mines.

Modern Tire Dealer asked manufacturers

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about the trends in small OTR tire sizes (875/65R29 is gaining in popularity) as well as broader trends in the market.

In addition to Mehta from BKT, Dembe from Camso and Rasey from Continental, five other tire makers responded. They are: Seth Walters, vice president- aftermarket sales (East) for Alliance Tire Americas Inc.; Eric Matson, global field engineering manager, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.; Justin Brock, marketing manager for construction, Michelin North America Inc.; Bill Dashiell, senior vice presidentcommercial tire division, TBC Brands LLC; and Bruce Besancon, vice president of OTR sales for Yokohama Tire Corp.

MTD’s first question regarded trends with tire sizes in the small OTR segment.

Are any sizes gaining or losing popularity, and if so, what is the cause?

BKT: For the most part, they are still the same sizes that are in use. OE has started using 65 series tires and will create a new replacement size demand. More technologically advanced compounding improving on cut resistance and heat resistance have been introduced. The 65

series is released and in a big way. The equipment manufacturers are using this size for more stability. The dealers and OE are having problems finding some sizes because of demands and availability as to which tire manufactures are making them.

The demand on the 875/65R29 is huge and no one has them. BKT now has these tires and has more sizes coming.

Camso: Trends in tire sizes depend on the equipment and machine. If we take telescopic handlers for instance, we see more low profile tires. These are lower aspect ratio tires with larger wheels, meaning less sidewall thickness and reduced cavity for urethane filling for improved stability and reduced cost.

In compact construction some sizes reappear on different machines. For instance, some skid steer tires can go on the front axle of a backhoe loader. Original equipment manufacturers are adopting and adapting common tire sizes to fit different machines. The same tire sizes can fit on different compact construction equipment. For instance, multipurpose or MPT tires (which are more popular in Europe) refer to a range of compact MTD August 2018

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Small OTR Tires

Continental is seeing growth in demand for 25-inch radials in its earthmoving segment and a trend toward more specialized types of 25-inch tires.

PHOTO COURTESY BKT

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PHOTO COURTESY CONTINENTAL

construction equipment using mostly the same tires but handling a range of different jobs: agriculture, road building, residential and commercial construction, scrap yards, landscaping, snow removal and more. We’re talking about compact telehandlers, compact wheel loaders and mini-dumpers, backhoe loaders, concrete truck mixers and rough terrain forklifts.

Just because a tire size fits the machine doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right tire for the application. To ensure optimal machine performance and lowest operating cost, you need a tire especially designed for the application and for that, you need to look at the tread pattern and technology, too.

Continental: In the earthmoving segment, we’re seeing continued growth in demand for 25-inch radials, but there is a move toward lower profile, wide-base sizes such as 65 series tires. In 65 series tires, the aspect ratio of sidewall height to tire section width is 65%. In addition, there is a trend toward more specialized types of 25-inch tires, such as L4, L5 designation products and even “all-season” or “snow tread” OTR tires which fit specific product niches.

Goodyear: The machines that use small OTR tires are getting heavier and more powerful. As a result, small OTR sizes have been trending upward. However, the size of rims and the dimensions of wheel wells can impose limits to tire size.

(For example, a machine that rolls off the assembly line sporting 25-inch tires will typically only use 25-inch replacement tires.) Recognizing this dynamic, we’ve increased the strength of our tires’ casing, bead and plies, so our small OTR tires can accommodate heavier loads while working within the same dimensional parameters.

Michelin: The trend in tire sizes depends on the specific machine or application. The tire segment is evolving with several different solutions to meet the various demands of this segment. Radial tires continue to grow, airless options continue to evolve and track machines are also becoming widely accepted for some uses. The tread designs also continue to evolve from the standard R-4.

TBC: Some sizes with growth include the 14.00R24 (G-2), 17.5R25 (E-3/L-3), 20.5R25 (E-3/L-3) and 23.5R25 (E-3/L-3).

High volume bias sizes are 12-16.5 (SS-1), 10-16.5 (SS-1), 27x8.50-15 (SS-1), 7.0012 (IND-1). Positive trends in the above

Increased investment in construction projects has boosted the use of small OTR equipment and demand for small OTR tires in the U.S. market.

sizes are due to the growth of U.S. total construction, up 4.5% in May 2018 versus May 2017. All other sizes in the small OTR segment remain steady, and we do not see any particular size losing ground to note.

Yokohama: There are some trends that appear to be generic to the overall OTR business, such as the fact that the newer machines being produced in this market segment are tending to be much more environmentally friendly as well as ergonomically designed for employee

comfort. We are also typically seeing that the machines entering the market are have higher horsepower than previous models as well as increased weights.

Because of higher horsepower machines, there is some trending to see “larger” tires becoming more standard on some machines, i.e., seeing more 17.5R25 tires than 14.00R24 than in the past and new dimensions becoming more popular on some loader models such as the 875/65R29 vs 29.5R25; this allows higher carrying MTD August 2018

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Small OTR Tires capacity as well as some stability enhancements for the machine.

A LOOK AT THE OVERALL MARKET

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PHOTO COURTESY YOKOHAMA

Modern Tire Dealer also asked manufacturers for their perspective on overall market trends for small OTR tires.

Alliance: The biggest market trend in small OTR is radialization. Small OTR has been the slowest segment of OTR tires to convert to radials, and even today the figure is less than half - around 45% radial. That leaves a lot of room for growth, especially as the radial options become better and more competitive than ever.

BKT: We have seen heavier star ratings, up to four stars, and a few new, more effective tread designs have been introduced.

Camso: Construction equipment users are increasingly adopting tracks over tires and, along the way, boosting machine performance and productivity. Industry studies in recent years reported that unit sales of compact track loaders are actually outpacing the sale of the traditional skid steers. This includes in the rental, construction and agricultural sectors long considered the cradle markets for skid steers. There is a trend toward tracked construction equipment which provide increased traction, floatation, stability and durability over wheeled equipment.

With an increased dependency on rental companies to cost-effectively provide a greater variety of equipment types to customers who will work the equipment liberally and often aggressively, having tires that avoid flats is key. That’s where solid tire come into play. Solid tire have been popular for skid steer loaders used in puncture-prone and severe or environmentally challenging applications for years, but thanks to newer options, solid tires are now viable for telescopic handlers, compact wheel loaders and even full-sized wheel loaders. With the price now similar to that of foam-filled tires, the rental market is leading the shift to solid tires.

With the larger and faster machines often “roading” between job sites or operating at higher speeds, radial tires are increasingly popular for bigger machines.

Continental: Like most things in our society today, technology and information management is quickly becoming a must-do for most end user customers. One good example is our ContiPressureCheck that comes as standard fitment in all of our radial

Yokohama says larger tires are becoming standard on some equipment as machines with higher horsepower and more weight than previous models are introduced.

tires. ContiPressureCheck measures both heat and air pressure, which translates into better fleet operations. For OTR tires, this means optimal air pressure maintenance and catching small problems before they manifest into bigger issues. The number one thing that a customer can do to improve tire life, handling and overall safety is to maintain recommended air pressures.

Another trend is the creation of specialized tires for specific applications. Many companies are still producing “one-sizefits-all” tires, but Continental is proving that specialized tires outperform the best of the competition on key factors driven by application-specific requirements such as speed, distance, weight, temperature, humidity, surface conditions and many other factors.

Michelin: Snow tires, hard surface tires, tires for severe off-road and multi-purpose tires are in demand via customer requests.

Many end users use the same tire all year round, so they want a tire that will perform in all conditions and seasons. Owners want trucks to carry more, carry it faster and experience little or no downtime. As machines evolve, the tires are expected to perform and carry more load, increase productivity, increase uptime and provide customer satisfaction to get the job done.

While there are innovations happening in the industrial market, the primary needs of the consumer remain the same:

productivity, minimum downtime, low cost per hour, stability, safety and comfort.

Today’s industrial machines are capable of more power, torque, and load capacity than ever before. Reduction in machine downtime is a huge factor to the industrial market, because a machine not working is not generating any revenue.

TBC: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. total construction is up 4.5% versus the same period last year as of May 2018. The adjusted annual U.S. construction spending forecast is now at an all-time high of $1.3 trillion. Some of the highlights of the growth are private and public construction projects, investment in residential projects and spending on new single-family homes.

This additional construction spending trend equates to direct increase of small OTR equipment usage. Even with this increased construction spending we see end users looking for quality and value.

Yokohama: Tires are being designed with newer and more ecologically sound materials — and there is a significant emphasis to continue bettering the tire performance with each iteration of design. As uses for machines become more “niche” for specific markets there is an enhanced need for more application-specific designed tires – meaning there are more tread compounds/ dimensions/tread patterns than we have ever seen before — all leading to higher productivity for the end customer. ■ MTD August 2018

Tr a v e l C e n t e r s

The first of many?

TRAVELCENTERS OPENS A GOODYEAR RETREAD PLANT

By

Bob Ulrich

T

ravelCenters of America LLC recently held the grand opening for its first TA Commercial Tire Network Retread Center. Located in Bowling Green, Ohio, the center uses the Goodyear UniCircle and precure processes to retread an average of 110 truck tires a day.

Barry Richards, president and chief operating officer of TravelCenters, and Richard Edwards, mayor of Bowling Green, were among the speakers at the event. Also in attendance were TravelCenters executives Skip McGary, executive vice president; Greg Frary, vice president of truck service; and Bob Eck, vice president of the Commercial Tire Network.

Attendees had an opportunity to tour the 32,000-square-foot retread facility and observe tire retread production. There are eight production people, including Tim Meadors, the plant manager. A 20,000-squarefoot warehouse next door gives TravelCenters more than 50,000-square-feet of building space on five acres of land.

“This is a brand new venture for us,” said Frary. “We’ve never retreaded tires before.”

When asked if TravelCenters would add many more retread plants to its commercial tire network, he said, “I would hope so.”

Jody Miller, retread general manager, estimates the Bowling Green plant could almost double its capacity to 198 retreaded tires a day by adding two curing chambers.

A second 5-day, 8-hour shift would increase capacity to nearly 400 retreaded tires a day.

Are finding casings a problem? “No, not in this market anymore,” said Miller. “The market is flooded with casings.” He cited an increase in the demand for trucking services and the availability of Chinese casings as two reasons for the wealth of casings.

Miller has been involved in the retread industry on and off for nearly 30 years. He also worked for the two previous owners of the Bowling Green plant, Wood County Bandag LLC and Ironhead Rubber Technologies out of Ontario, Canada. They, too, were precure retreaders.

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Jody Miller, retread general manager, estimates the Bowling Green plant could almost double its capacity to 198 retreaded truck tires a day by adding two curing chambers.

Drew Kortyna, senior director of mobile maintenance, said another 50 OnSite mobile maintenance trucks are on order.

The plant is set up to retread 445/50R22.5 size wide-base tires.

He said the biggest difference in retreading from his first gig in 1990 is in the technology.

“You can do many more tires in a shorter period of time. The machines are more automated, and everything’s on a rail system.

A lot of times back then you didn’t have a rail. You used a T-rack or carried the tires to the next station.”

Laser shearography technology also has improved, he added.

The TA Commercial Tire Network Retread Center is part of the Goodyear Authorized Retread Network. It services fleets, local industries and tire dealers within a 150-mile radius of Bowling Green. In addition, numerous TA Truck Service facilities will have access to Goodyear brand retread tires produced at the plant.

Local customers are not only able to purchase Goodyear retread tires at the facility, but also shop for new Goodyear brand tires in the remodeled showroom.

Tire inspection and repair services, as well as roadside service, also will be available through the retread center.

The TA Truck Service network of 244 truck service facilities represents 1,090 repair bays; nearly 3,000 technicians; and a fleet of more than 2,600 RoadSquad and third party provider service trucks.

There also are more than 160 OnSite mobile maintenance vehicles that go to warehouses and yards and perform preventive maintenance on primarily trailers.

Drew Kortyna, senior director of mobile maintenance, said another 50 trucks are on order.

“We have a winning combination — a newly renovated facility in a great community, state-of-the-art retread equipment and an operations team with over 150 combined years of expertise in the retread business,” said Richards.

“Now we have the ability to provide a complete tire management system and retread tires for national and local fleets, local industries, regional construction and the agricultural segments.” ■ MTD August 2018

A G T i r e Ta l k

Cyclic Field Operation and IF tires AS THE LOAD FLUCTUATES, SOIL COMPACTION IS REDUCED

By

James Tuschner

Modern Tire Dealer has partnered with AG Tire Talk to provide answers to the insightful questions farm tire dealers have about farm tire technology. This is the fourth in a series, which is designed to help agricultural tire dealers better connect with their customers. A trending question followed by an abridged version of the answers will appear in our Commercial Tire Dealer section every other month; for the complete answers, check out www.agtiretalk.com!

QUESTION: What are cyclic, or cyclical, field operation (CFO) tires, and what yield and productivity benefits can a grower expect to receive by using them?

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COURTESY OF AG TIRE TALK

James Crouch, marketing specialist, Alliance Tire Americas Inc.: Cyclical field operation, or CFO, is a 55% load bonus given to specially designed and constructed IF tires while that tire is being used in a “cyclical” condition and operating at or below 10 mph.

“Cyclical” means that the load applied on the tire is in constant flux during the normal operation of the machine on which the tires are fitted; the tires are engineered and built to handle the fluctuating load, including its peaks. The perfect and purest example of this application is a combine during harvest.

Consider the combine moving through a soybean field. The combine is moving at 6 mph and is using its header to harvest beans. The harvested beans move into the feeder house, through the separator and then are deposited into the grain bin of the machine. At the same time, the combine is actively transferring the harvested beans from the on-board grain bin into a grain cart that is following closely beside. During this time, the weight of the soybeans is a live load — their weight is flowing through the combine and then out to the grain cart, shifting from tire to tire. Ultimately, their weight is never constantly being applied to the tires.

A “live” fluctuating load — like grain at harvest or a spray tank during application — is the only type of load that can take advantage of the CFO tire’s load bonus. CFO tires are exceptionally strong, but they are

The Tire and Rim Association says cyclic service is intended for use on a vehicle with a minimal requirement for torque transmission and with appreciable total weight fluctuations, like those on grain carts, combines and air seeders, which are repeatedly filled up and emptied. Maximum loads cannot be carried for more than a mile at a time.

not designed for sustained extra-high loads.

This ability to handle massive spikes in load is a must-have for today’s harvesters.

These machines have seen a more significant increase in weight than most other pieces of equipment over the last several years.

The introduction of VF/CFO technology has allowed equipment manufacturers to offer pneumatic solutions for harvesters that carry the load while putting minimum amounts of pressure on the soil.

Minimizing soil compaction is increasingly important. The front axle of a loaded combine can weigh as much as a properly

ballasted, four-wheel drive tractor.

It would be perfectly possible to carry the loads required by today’s combines with a standard radial tire. However, the air pressures needed to do this job would be incredibly high. A good rule of thumb is that for every psi in the tire, the machine exerts roughly 1.1x that pressure as compaction force into the soil.

Scott Sloan, ag product manager/global LSW, Titan International Inc.: Cyclic field operation, or CFO designation, applies to IF tires. Per the Tire and Rim Association, MTD August 2018

A G T i r e Ta l k Example 1 800/70R38 173A8/B (conventional tire) Standard application 14,300 lbs. at 23 psi Cyclic loading 22,165 lbs. (+55%) at 29 psi cyclic load 10 mph 24,310 lbs. (+70%) at 29 psi cyclic load 6 mph

Example 2 IF800/70R38CFO 173D (cyclic field operation) Standard application 14,300 lbs. at 17 psi Cyclic loading 22,165 lbs. (+55%) at 17 psi operating under 10 mph (There is no additional load bonus for IF under 6 mph)

Facebook: Vipal Rubber Corp

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the cyclic service is intended for use on a vehicle with a minimal requirement for torque transmission and with appreciable total weight fluctuations, like those on grain carts, combines and air seeders, which are repeatedly filled up and emptied. Maximum loads cannot be carried for more than a mile at a time at designated speeds.

CFO allows the IF an increased load capacity of 55% when operating under 10 mph, and 30% when operating 11-20 mph. The benefit for growers is that if the IF tire is properly inflated, it will be operating at a 20% lower inflation pressure compared to its standard tire counterpart, which equates to larger footprint and less ground bearing pressure, which means less compaction and ultimately higher yields if the conditions are right.

Standard non-IF (tires) have a similar cyclic loading that they abide by. The definition of cyclic loading is the same; however a standard radial tire operating in a cyclic application may carry 55% more under 10 mph and 70% more under 6 mph

with a 25% increase in inflation pressure with a minimum increase of 6 psi and a maximum of 12 psi. As you can see from this example, there is a 12 psi difference in operating pressures in a cyclic application, which would equate to a larger footprint and less ground bearing pressure. However, one downside to IF in a cyclic application is the 15% loss of additional load capacity under 6 mph on tires with identical load indexes, which to some growers may be more important to them than the lower inflation pressure. Bottom line is I would suggest that growers understand exactly what that piece of equipment weighs no matter what tire they have on it and set the inflation pressure appropriately to ensure they are running with the largest footprint possible to minimize compaction.

Jim Enyart, technical manager, CEAT Specialty Tires Inc.: The cyclical field operation designation has been utilized for tire inflation recommendations on combines and grain carts where load is accumulated and

www.vipal-usa.com

MTD August 2018

A G T i r e Ta l k

Bradley Harris, manager of global agricultural field engineering, Firestone Ag Division, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC: When the tire industry introduced the IF- and VF-marked radial tires, the standards did not allow extra loading based on reduced speed or application.

When farmers started to see the benefits of the IF and VF tires on their tractors, they requested to use the IF- and VF-marked radial tires on their combines and grain carts.

To address the requests, the tire industry introduced the CFO standard for the IF- and VF-marked radial tires. An IF/CFO-marked radial tire will still carry 20% more load then a standard radial tire for road transport, but in cyclic service it will carry an additional 55% more load without increasing the inflation pressure. For farmers concerned about soil

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COURTESY OF FIRESTONE AG DIVISION, BRIDGESTONE AMERICAS TIRE OPERATIONS LLC

dispersed during harvesting operations. The CFO pressure recommendations allow for increased load carrying capacity due to the duration of maximum loads.

In recent years there have been advancements in tire technology with the development of “IF” or increased flexion and “VF” or very high flexion tires. This technology allows a tire to carry about 20% (IF) or 40% (VF) more load at the same inflation pressures as the conventional radial tires or the same load with a respective reduction in inflation pressures as well as having the increased load carrying capacity during cyclic field operations during the harvesting process.

Choosing an IF or VF CFO designated tire would be appropriate when load carrying capacities of standard radial or bias tires are not adequate to carry the maximum loads for combines and grain carts during the harvesting process. This option should also be considered when your harvest season involves wet or muddy field conditions.

With increased footprints and additional flotation provided by these tires, growers can increase harvesting opportunities during adverse conditions and may be the difference between harvesting or just salvaging what’s left of your crop.

Growers may benefit from reduced ground pressures and compaction but that will depend on many factors including soil moisture, climate and production system among others.

Reducing soil compaction contributes to maximizing production and should always be evaluated in every grower’s operation.

Chart 1: A class 8 combine has a cyclic axle weight of 60,000 lbs. To be able to carry the load, a 76×50.00-32 bias tire requires 36 psi, a 1250/50R32 standard radial requires 28 psi, and the IF 1250/50R32 CFO radial requires 19 psi. If a farmer is trying to limit ground compaction, they would want the IF/CFO tire on the combine.

compaction during harvest, the higher load capacities of the IF/CFO tires require less inflation pressure.

To make this easier to visualize, Chart 1 shows the inflation pressure required for a flotation tire used on a combine. The chart compares similarly sized bias, standard radial and IF/CFO radial tires. The axle load for each class of combine is an approximate maximum cyclic weight for the machine.

This is just a general comparison; please consult your operator’s manual for axle loads to determine the inflation pressure required on your combine.

Norberto Herbener, OE applications engineer, Trelleborg Wheel Systems Americas Inc.: Not all tires are used for the same operation, and for that reason additional features have been added to several tire sizes to be more efficient and adaptable to a specific performance need.

One specific kind of tire “enhancement” is the cyclical capability. This kind of concept applies mainly, but is not limited to, combines and grain carts where the load on the tires changes during field operation.

During harvest the combine unit (combine plus header and any additional accessories) starts in the field with a specific weight (combine unit weight plus fuel) that is the lowest weight on the field of the combine unit.

When the combine unit begins harvesting, the grain is collected in the grain bin, increasing the total weight of the combine unit until reaching a maximum weight when the grain bin is full. The combine unit returns to its lowest weight as soon as the grain bin is emptied and the cycle starts again. This is the concept of cyclic — increasing and decreasing weight.

In a normal operation, a tire generates a certain amount of heat due to the internal rubber friction. This is considered during development of the tire. If the tire is overloaded with more than it is designed to handle, the tire’s temperature will rise and create internal damage to the tire, accelerate wear and potentially separate the tread.

A tire designed for cyclical operation takes into account this increase in heat and is reinforced internally to withstand this “temporary” overload.

What does this mean to the end user? It means the tires are stronger and heavier, but the main advantage is you have the possibility to reduce tire inflation pressure with a larger footprint and less soil compaction.

When considering what inflation pressure to use, we must know the maximum load the tire can carry at a certain speed.

A tire designed as cyclical will be marked on the sidewall the denomination of CHO MTD August 2018

COURTESY AG TIRE TALK

with CFO tires. Not only does a grower gain the additional carrying capacity without increasing air pressure, but he/she will also see an increase in productivity due to traction and flotation in damp soils and significantly lower soil compaction.

As a by-product, they should also see an increase in yield.

Bottom line, CFO-rated tires are a great fit for almost all harvesting situations. However, not all CFO tires are the same. I recommend end users do their research. Understand the difference between IF, VF, IF CFO, VF CFO and variance in load indexes. Any gain in yield goes to your bottom line.

The Tire and Rim Association says cyclic service is intended for use on a vehicle with a It’s easy to tell the difference between a standard radial and an IF CFO radial farm tire. minimal requirement for torque transmission and with appreciable total weight fluctuations, (cyclic harvest operation) when it is a conventional tire and CFO like those on grain carts, combines and air seeders, which are (cyclic field operation) if it’s applied to an IF or VF technology tire. repeatedly filled up and emptied. ■

Dave Paulk, manager of field technical services, BKT USA, Inc.: Cyclical field operation tires are specifically designed for use on combines, cotton pickers, and grain carts, where varying loads and reduced soil compaction is important to increasing productivity.

The IF/CFO design allows for an increase in load carrying capacity, while not having to increase the air pressure.

These tires are designed to carry more weight than the same size conventional radial tires and are constructed to withstand the extreme load changes that exist during harvesting. Since load weights are constantly changing — empty to full to empty again — the tires are given a 55% cyclic load bonus at 0-10 mph without having to increase the air pressure.

One benefit is that the IF/CFO-rated tire can reduce ground bearing pressure and soil compaction, since it carries 20% more weight than the standard tire at the same air pressure. Another feature is that the air pressure can be reduced to carry the same weight as a standard tire, which also reduces soil compaction.

Reduced soil compaction in the field equates to higher yields year over year.

In addition, CFO tires can harvest larger quantities with less stoppage time, therefore increasing the farmers’ productivity. In some applications such as with grain carts, the IF/CFO tires are needed to carry the heavy axle loads.

Remember that correct air pressure for the load is important when soil compaction is an issue.

James Tuschner has spent more than 20 years in the tire industry, primarily focused on the agricultural and specialty tire markets. His experience includes time spent at Alliance Tire Americas Inc. (first as director of marketing, then as director of business development) and Denman Tire Corp. He started www.agtiretalk.com in 2016.

David Graden, operational agriculture market manager, Michelin North America Inc.: Cyclical field operation-rated tires are designed with technology that allows higher carrying capacity without increasing air pressure during field work and typically found on harvest machinery and grain carts.

Harvesters today are heavier than they have ever been. It is becoming more common to see hopper extensions, larger and folding corn heads, 18 row corn heads, etc.

These machines are asking more than our standard tires can offer. Therefore, growers need to consider fitting their machines w w w . M o d e r n T i r e D e a l e r. c o m

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Fleet Maintenance

what’s wrecking the tires?

YOU NEED TO HELP FLEETS UNDERSTAND THE REASONS BEHIND TIRE FAILURE

By

Jim Park

What issues do fleets face when buying tires for their trailers? Jim Park knows. Park, who writes for fleets as equipment editor for Modern Tire Dealer’s sister publication Heavy Duty Trucking, covered the topic in HDT’s April issue.

We often publish his stories in our Commercial Tire Dealer section in order to share with you insightful practices from the fleet’s perspective. By knowing what is important to fleets, you get what amounts to insider information.

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t’s said that dead men tell no tales. Dead tires sure do, however. If trucking fleets ignore them, they do so at their own expense. Since tires rarely self-destruct, there is always a smoking gun, and it’s everyone’s best interest to find it and bring it to the attention of the trucking company through failure analysis.

An expert can tell at a glance what’s happening to a tire, often by just looking at it or rubbing a hand over the tread face.

Tire wear, you see, isn’t the tire’s fault.

There’s something wrong with the truck that’s aggravating the situation. You must fix that to arrest the tire wear. So where do you start?

If the trucking company does not have the luxury of an in-house expert, a service provider can help. Jeff Lecklider, president of Gem City Tire in Dayton, Ohio, performs that service for dozens of fleet customers.

“We work with the customer to help them to reduce their tire costs, and we usually start with a fleet survey,” he says.

“We’ll give them a baseline of the condition of their fleet, including tread depth, air pressure, any tire conditions, irregular wear, flat tires, etc., and then we recommend a course of action. We do this regularly so we can spot problems as soon as they become visible.”

Various mechanical problems leave telltale signs on tires. Take cupping and scalloped wear on a steer tire. That’s usually caused by some non-uniformity in the tire/

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As a fleet’s tire service provider and/or retreader, you can be a great source of failure analysis if the unit numbers and wheel positions can be tracked.

wheel assembly, such as non-concentric mounting or a moderate to severe out-ofbalance condition. Feathered wear on a steer tire is another easy one — it’s a sign of misalignment. But which misalignment condition?

Here you might need to dig a little deeper. It could be an excessive toe-in condition. It could be drive axle misalignment creating a side thrust. Or it could be a bent tie rod.

DURING, AFTER, AND BEFORE It obviously makes sense for fleets to monitor in-service tire performance, watching for irregular wear and mechanically induced damage, but tracking wear and using that insight for future tire purchases really pays off. Tire tracking can be tedious, but it is getting easier. Most maintenance software platforms enable tire tracking, and some of the tire pressure monitoring systems offer the ability to self-populate those databases.

“On top of providing real-time tire pressure and temperature readings and alert schedules, we’re also able to provide fleets with historical performance data

to unlock tire performance trends,” says Vanessa Hargrave, CMO of Advantage PressurePro. “We’re now able to help fleets move their tire maintenance programs from reactive to proactive.”

When Kirk Altrichter was vice president of maintenance at Crete Carrier Corp. (he’s now vice president of fleet services at Kenan Advantage Group), he participated in a Tire Benchmarking panel discussion at an American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) meeting where he revealed some of the benefits of a diligent tracking program.

“With my supplier, we have been watching which tires fail at what wheel positions,” he said. “It was interesting but not unexpected that the right rear outer trailer was the most failure-prone position. We also found an unexpectedly high number of failures of the left rear inner tires.

“It’s all about trying to take cost out by identifying problems before they occur on the road. For the past several years we have tried to ensure we have the right tire at the right wheel position,” he added.

MTD August 2018

If staying on top of their tires while they are still on the truck is too tall an order for a trucking company, there is always the fleet yard survey, or as a last resort, an objective study of their tire scrap pile. It’s too late for that tire once it hits the scrap pile, but if they kept a record of what truck and wheel position it came from, they can still glean some insight from it.

Every type of calamity to befall a tire leaves a fingerprint. TMC Tire Condition guides can help determine the cause of the failure. It is estimated that about 80% of on-road tire failures not caused by a road hazard are the result of creeping air loss, or under-inflation.

FleetNet America recently produced a maintenance benchmarking report demonstrating the difference in various maintenance practices. In the tire category, for example, results of their collected data showed that the average fleet in the survey experienced on-road tire repair/ replacement events every 35,166 miles.

The worst-in-class fleet put in a service call every 34,438 miles.

w w w . M o d e r n T i r e D e a l e r. c o m

with an event occurring only once every 71,238 miles. Those are averages, of course, but it shows pretty clearly that a bit of tire maintenance can go a really long way.

That fleet, and those like it, probably pay a lot more attention to their tires before and during their service life, rather than after.

TIRE/WHEEL ANALYSIS SOURCES

Mechanical problems with trucks always show up in tire treads. A trained eye can easily determine the cause.

Tire analysis guides can be an equally revealing source of information.

Astonishingly, the best-in-class fleet in the reporting group saw a service call frequency at half the rate of the worst fleet,

Two of the best guides on tire wear conditions and causes available are Recommended Practice documents 216C and 219C, published by the TMC. These RP manuals are updated every few years, and there’s an updated version of RP 219, Radial Tire Wear Conditions and Causes, in the pipeline due to be published later this year.

On the wheel side, TMC offers RP 222C, A User’s Guide to Wheels and Rims.

At 94 pages, this RP leaves no stone left unturned when it comes to wheel installation, fasteners, mounting, and damage and defect analysis.

Major wheel suppliers, such as Accuride, Alcoa by Arconic, and Maxion, also offer their own wheel maintenance guides. ■

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Commercially Viable TBC unveils Sailun S757 all weather drive tire TBC continues to expand the Sailun program with the S757, a super-regional all-weather drive tire. TBC says the S757 is an important addition to the Sailun lineup for both line haul and regional applications across the country.

Its extra-wide footprint and solid shoulders improve stability and handling, while extensive siping and channeling improve grip in wet conditions and snow. The deep 26/32nd tread depth and new tread compound provide long tread life and improved cost per mile versus standard tread depth offerings. The tire is available in sizes 11R22.5 and 11R24.5 and the casing retread warranty is for up to two retreads.

TBC BRANDS LLC www.tbcbrands.com

ATD customers have access to new Dynatrac line Hercules has released a Dynatrac medium truck tire line available exclusively through American Tire Distributors Inc. (ATD). There are nine patterns that cover long-haul, regional and mixed service applications and all positions. The patterns are: (pictured) RL280+ Long Haul Steer; RF110+ Long Haul Trailer; MA440 Mixed Service All-position; DL380 Long Haul Closed Shoulder Drive; DT320 On/Off Road Open Shoulder Drive; DT340 Regional Open Shoulder Drive; MA400 Mixed Service All-Position; RA200 Regional All-Position; and RD240 Regional Deep Tread All-Position.

HERCULES TIRE & RUBBER CO. www.herculestirecommercial.com

GRI brings forklift tire to the U.S. GRI has introduced a forklift tire to the U.S. market. The Globestar Wide Tread (WT) forklift tire features a distinctive tread pattern designed to add increased traction and stability in a variety of surface conditions. GRI says lug depth, lug gaps, circumferential lateral groves and other unique design features ensure the Globestar WT tire runs with minimum noise and outstanding lateral guidance. The company says there’s a growing need for widetread tires to support the demands of high load carrying capacity, extensive tire life and enhanced stability.

GLOBAL RUBBER INDUSTRIES PVT. LTD. www.gritires.com

Alliance offers IF technology in size 1250/50R32 Alliance has designed its new Agriflex 372 IF 1250/50R32 CFO tire, which stands nearly 7 feet tall and more than 4 feet wide, to minimize soil compaction. Each of the huge tires can carry up to 22,480 pounds at an inflation pressure of 46 psi. The tire’s CFO designation stands for “cyclical field operations” and reflects special design and construction to withstand the cycles of loading and unloading — and shifting weight—experienced during harvest. Increased Flexion (IF) tires offer users a choice of benefits: 20% greater load capacity than standard radials at the same inflation pressure, or the same load capacity as standard radials at 20% less inflation.

ALLIANCE TIRE AMERICAS INC. www.atgtire.com/usa

Hunter has a new tire changer for heavy-duty applications Hunter‘s latest heavy-duty tire changer includes a hydraulic shuttle for the arm tool, saving operators time and effort. The hydraulic shuttle on the TCX645HD tire changer helps the user while repositioning the tool arm from the front side of the rim to the back side. Designed for trucks, tractors, implements and other heavy-duty equipment, the TCX645HD features an optional wireless capability for the mobile pedestal controls to enhance ease-of-use. Now standard with the TCX645HD is the popular skidder clamp, which eases the servicing of many challenging off-road assemblies.

HUNTER ENGINEERING CO. www.hunter.com

Goodyear overhauls its OTR tire tracking system Goodyear has upgraded the EMTrack OTR tire monitoring system to help mining, construction, quarry and port operators better track their tire data. Using a Goodyear EMTrack scanning tool technicians survey the fleet to capture tire inflation, tread depth and other critical measurements. Tire performance data automatically uploads via Bluetooth to a cloud-based platform for password-protected storage and easy access. End users download the data into easy-to-read, customizable reports and can track tire performance across their operation and zero in on specific tires, calculating cost-per-hour, cost-per-ton and other key metrics. Information is available in real time.

GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER CO. www.goodyearotr.com

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MTD August 2018

Focus on Industry

Fel-Pro Gaskets turns 100 years old CELEBRATION ENCOMPASSES A CONSUMER AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

F

el-Pro Gaskets turned 100 head gaskets needed for the new years old in 2018 and the generation of lighter-weight, highmilestone was commemooutput automotive engines. rated with customer promoAnother important investment tions and other activities was the establishment of the Felspanning several months. Special Pro Field Test Garage, where new events included a party held in July Fel-Pro gaskets and sealing kits are for more than 1,400 employees fit-checked and road-tested on their and their family members at the corresponding vehicles. The Field million-square-foot Fel-Pro enTest Garage also aids Fel-Pro gasket gineering, product management, engineers in identifying and validatmanufacturing and distribution ing new design features, including complex in Skokie, Ill. those that can help simplify gasket The Skokie facility, which each installation. day produces more than 325,000 gaskets and ships in excess of CONSUMER EDUCATION 125,000 complete gasket sets, has In recent years, Federal-Mogul been home to Fel-Pro since the Motorparts has partnered with early 1950s. customers to help educate consumFel-Pro was founded in July 5, ers on the importance of vehicle 1918, in Chicago as Felt Products maintenance through a variety of Manufacturing Co. It initially marketing point-of-sale kits and manufactured felt seals and washan automotive leak-repair camers from a facility in the city’s paign. The leak repair category In honor of Fel-Pro’s 100th anniversary, the Fel-Pro team downtown area. The company’s designed a head gasket as a symbol of the firm’s milestone. encompasses valve cover, oil pan, founders – Albert Mecklenburger TV celebrity and working-man’s spokesman Mike Rowe holds intake manifold, timing cover and and Hugo Herz – saw opportunity a laser-cut core for the special MLS gasket. water outlet gaskets, where Fel-Pro in the growing automobile market leverages next-generation materials and, in particular, Henry Ford’s and designs – such as those featured Model T. in the brand’s PermaDryPlus gasFord Motor Co. was the first kets – to applications susceptible customer to rely on Fel-Pro techto chronic leaks. nologies featuring materials and To help vehicle owners underdesigns engineered to address stand the risks of leaving even small specific challenges encountered leaks unresolved, this year the brand in each application, the company launched an extensive consumer noted. This engineering philosophy awareness campaign comprising a soon extended to the replacement series of videos and social content market, where engine rebuilders featuring popular media personality and technicians were looking for Mike Rowe. gaskets and complete sealing repair “There are potentially millions of kits that addressed the demands of vehicles on the road today that have Fel-Pro celebrated its 100th birthday with a custom-made the repair environment. small oil, coolant or transmission cake. Photo by Mike Mavrigian.

Fel-Pro engineers developed an leaks that can be quickly resolved extensive range of gasket designs they were receiving genuine Fel-Pro gaskets, by a Fel-Pro gasket or seal,” said and proprietary materials that helped ensure the company introduced its iconic blue Craig Frohock, vice president, global seala reliable, leak-free seal and faster, easier gasket materials and Blue Stripe design. ing, Federal-Mogul Motorparts. “We are completion of the job. The company also Fel-Pro was acquired by Federal-Mogul partnering with parts distributors and focused on providing, in one box, all of LLC in 1998. The company invested in new repair businesses across North America the sealing products needed to complete engineering and manufacturing resources to address this opportunity and to once each repair. and expanded its gasket offerings, including again demonstrate the unique value of our In the 1970s, to help customers ensure the multi-layered-steel (MLS) PermaTorque industry-leading sealing products.” ■

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MTD August 2018

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In Memoriam

The loss of an industry icon WAYNE WILLIAMS PROVED THERE WAS NO ‘I’ IN TEAM

Counter Intelligence columnist Wayne Williams loved performance, and was passionate about the vehicles he drove, most recently a Trailblazer SS or a Camaro SS. Williams died July 19 at the age of 62.

By

I

Bob Ulrich

t is with a tremendous amount of personal and professional sadness…. No email that opens with those words can be the harbinger of good news. And it wasn’t.

Greg Smith, publisher of Modern Tire Dealer, was letting the staff know that his good friend -- our good friend -- Wayne Williams had died at the age of 62. Wayne had been writing for our Counter Intelligence column since May 2010. The first words from his first column told you a lot about the man: “The retail tire and service sales counter is the most exciting, challenging and rewarding place in the industry. It’s where decisions are made; it’s the contact point, the final link in the automotive aftermarket chain.”

He quickly became part of the MTD TEAM. He always used to address us as such, emphasizing it in capital letters

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whether he was sending us one of his many complimentary emails (two of my favorites were “More Love Notes!! Go TEAM! and “Hey Counter Intelligence TEAM… We rock again!”) or just sending in his monthly column.

He was the man in black -- his apparel color of choice – with a strong marketing background that resonated with our readers. His more than 20 years with Parnelli Jones Inc., at one time of the largest independent tire dealers in the country, gave him a lot of street cred.

He founded ExSell Marketing Inc. in 2005 in La Habra, Calif., to spread the word, so to speak. His wife, Tia, was chief financial officer.

Many of his friends in the industry were quick to offer their condolences to us.

“I have known Wayne for over 35 years, and he was not only an associate of mine

for 14 years, but a very good friend. Wayne was full of energy and full of life, and he really, truly loved what he did. Wayne was a very special person with a caring heart.

“He loved his wife, Tia, and son, Ryan.

He was so happy to work together with them every day.

“I will miss my calls with my friend talking about the past and the future.

“Wayne left us way too soon as he had more to give through his work and friendship. I am going to miss my friend.” -- Marty Krcelic, president and chief operating officer, TBC Brands Group, TBC Corp.

“Wayne Williams was a very ‘electric’ person and one of the best motivators I have ever met. After any conversation, he could leave you excited and ready to run through a wall. His knowledge and passion for our industry is something that you can’t find in today’s world and will be MTD August 2018

sorely missed.” -- Chris Brackin, in me if I didn’t take this opportuvice president of sales, American nity to again spread his words of Omni Trading Co. LLC wisdom in those six paragraphs.

“I re-connected with Wayne at Here they are. a CTDA meeting in So Cal a while “This business is all about interback. We had met and crossed paths action and engagement. On many in earlier lives in So Cal, but never occasions in the past, I’ve overreally worked together. We since Wayne Williams often found himself the center of attention at advertised for under-performing became fast friends, as I’m sure the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in stores only to be met with marginal Vegas. In 2016 he attended with his son, Ryan, and daughmany people who meet Wayne Las success. I’ve transferred performing ter-in-law, Chrissy, at left, and his wife, Tia, and her son, Jordan do. He and I ended up talking Johnson, at right. He also leaves behind three daughters. managers to under-performing and sharing stories and ideas on locations with incredible success. a regular basis.

Tire Centers, Parnelli Jones, and others, Conversion is in the hands of the manager.

“I found Wayne to be one of the most and his knowledge of the business made “The manager controls the car count; genuine people I have ever known. He had him an industry icon. Many of us met the manager controls the sales per car; the an unwavering passion and dedication Wayne for the first time as part of our manager controls the conversion rate; the toward the survival and advancement 2015 TPU (Tire Pros University) sessions manager controls the customer mix. This of the independent tire dealer. He was on marketing, and at our 2016 Tire Pros is the manager’s job. somewhat of a disrupter, challenging the old conference in San Diego, and he developed “The manager controls the attitude ways of doing business while maintaining fast and lasting friendships with dealers of the store. Again, there are only two integrity and always keeping customer and staff because he connected with the ways to answer the phone — poorly or service at the forefront.” – Dave Marks, passion behind the Tire Pros brand, and properly. The tone on the phone matters CEO and president, Independent Tire the way dealers were invested in it. Wayne and everybody mimics the manager. When Dealers Group LLC was respected and admired by all who a customer walks in the store, whether new “For the past 15-plus years, Wayne knew him, and he will be sorely missed. or repeat, the timing and the tone of the has been a great friend, colleague and greeting are a mirror of the attitude and mentor. Wayne’s natural ability to simplify tone of the manager. a complicated subject made his speaking “It’s been my experience that certain engagements and magazine columns a hit store managers believe they are habitually in our industry. He was a proud Christian in need of additional traffic. They have a who loved his friends and family. You tendency to blame the advertising, includwill be continually missed and never ing the types of advertising, the types of forgotten. Friends till the end, Brother. offers, the design of the ads, the timing -- Dave Johnson, founder and president, of the ads, etc.

Icon Internet Media Inc. “I’ve found it impossible to market Here’s how Bob Bittner, vice president around or past a poor store manager. In of Tire Pros Operations for American Tire other words, the success or failure lies Distributors Inc., passed the news along at the store level. My point is no store to his field support staff. accidentally runs well. Customers, new “Team: The Tire Pros family lost a or repeat, need to be managed, car count dear friend last week after the sudden and per car sales need management and, “It’s a digital world,” said Williams at passing of Wayne Williams. Wayne was of course, sales and mechanical staff need a SEMA Show seminar, “Turning real the founder of Wayne Williams Marketing, management. trends into real revenue,” in 2012. and specialized in developing customized “You are the reason customers return. marketing, training, and merchandising “I consider myself fortunate to have Make your place their place. Managers are strategies for independent dealers and known him as a professional and personal the cause or the cure! Maybe there is only corporate accounts of all sizes, and his friend and mentor, as well as a spiritual one problem you can have in a tire store.” work is seen everywhere in the industry. inspiration.”

Wayne’s final column for us appears on Wayne was also the author of the Counter Chris Mitsos, vice president of Mountain page 72. He wrote about the GPS method Intelligence series of articles seen monthly View Tire & Service Inc., said he enjoyed of selling: guide, prompt and sell. Like his in Modern Tire Dealer, always a reliable reading all of Wayne’s columns online. “My other 95 columns, it makes sure you are source of how to stay relevant and profitable favorite column was on August 15, 2016, headed in the proper direction to succeed. in an ever-changing retail landscape, often titled, ‘There are only two problems you Since I began this tribute with Greg by simply concentrating on the basics of can have in a tire store.’ Anyone who has Smith’s email announcing Wayne’s death, the business -- people. an under-performing store needs to look I will end it with his goodbye, which, “A veteran retailer, Wayne worked in no further than the last six paragraphs of like Wayne’s writing, was to the point, various sales, marketing, and management that article.” meaningful and personal. capacities with Winston Tire, Discount I think Wayne would be disappointed “RIP, Big Guy.” ■ w w w . M o d e r n T i r e D e a l e r. c o m

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Counter Intelligence

Guided selling

USE GPS TO STEER YOUR CUSTOMERS INTO BUYING By

Wayne Williams

R

emember the saying “use your words”? I recall the first time I heard this term used by a parent and a pre-school teacher. It seemed to make so much sense to me; three simple words used to gain understanding. I thought it was genius.

At the time, I was a wholesale tire and wheel salesman.

I simply had to adopt the concept of (short) direct prompts that led to additional understanding. Wow! In short (pun intended), words have meaning. The right words add more meaning, and the right words used in the right order lead to greater understanding.

If your job at a tire store is selling (and almost everybody’s is), then the proper use of words that increase understanding and earn trust are invaluable.

This article is about an increasingly important skill set, the ability to guide, prompt, and sell products and services. First, a few short, simple definitions.

• Guide: one who directs another providing helpful information.

• Prompt: to assist by asking questions or suggesting.

• Sell: to influence toward a course of action or the acceptance of the value of something.

Early in my sales career, I read books on selling, and through observation learned from some key mentors. Today, selling is still selling, but successful selling requires more finesse, better listening, more patience, and a more honed presentation.

One of the key reasons we need better presentations is our customers have done their research (and more of it than in the past). They have heard words and gained understanding (good and bad) from those sources. This research adds to their understanding both positively and negatively, which they don’t understand. Time and again when we talk with customers, it’s clear they lack real understanding about tires and service and, again, their research hasn’t helped.

Sometimes I just want to say to people, “Listen to my words.”

Well, that approach is usually too direct for most people (even family), so we must guide, prompt and sell. In short, I call it GPS. When we use the GPS method of guiding, prompting and selling, it allows us to frame our presentation. By “frame our presentation,” I mean that we are confident in our knowledge (product and presentation), and confident that we can determine where the customer is coming from so we can use the GPS method to successfully conclude a sale and provide a pleasant experience for the customer.

I have found that a truly educated customer (although rare) with a level of familiarity with the products or services is usually easier to dialog with. I’ve also found that most customers are agnostic

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when it comes to tire and service, which is precisely why the GPS method works. Studies show that customers want friendly and helpful information from someone they can trust.

Let’s look at a few simple guiding statements and prompting-type questions that may help in your day-to-day selling.

The GPS method opens with questions like, “Have you been doing any research for tires?” The customer’s response is typically, Times have changed since this “Well, yeah, a little,” to which book on salesmanship was you could reply, “Do you have published. Now you have to any questions or have you seen have skills to sell to people something interesting?” Not that who are getting tire and service information — which they the average customer is going most likely don’t understand to rattle off a bunch of accurate — on the internet. information, but you can make a quick evaluation regarding their knowledge and interest level.

Now, an enthusiast may come back with some good questions and interests that help you understand where they’re at. You can then offer a comment or prompt that helps align the conversation.

You may want to agree with their findings and prompt them with a suggestion or question saying, “I’ve sold those tires before on several vehicles with good success.”

I always like to get to a point of agreement early in the conversation whenever possible. Once you have established agreement, it’s easier to guide using another prompt such as, “Have you heard about the new ‘Big Bubba 350’ by WizBang Tire Co.?” Prompts are easy to present, and when presented well (use your words), they increase customer confidence which, of course, leads to higher conversions.

New studies show that up to 75% of customers gather information from multiple sources (duh). You need to know what they know and what they have learned during their recent research. A lot about selling is the same and a lot has changed. Today, however, we have both more educated customers and customers who only think they are more educated because they read something online.

Our job is to sell these customers daily. The GPS method will help!

Winners prompt and prompters win. ■ Wayne Williams was president of Wayne Williams Marketing, a marketing and branding company with emphasis on retail “counter intelligence” located in La Habra, Calif. He had been writing for MTD since 2010.

MTD August 2018

Business Insight

Are you an S corp or C corp?

YOUR COMPANY SIZE WILL DETERMINE WHICH CLASS MAKES SENSE By

Dennis McCarron

B

efore you roll your eyes or think TL;DR (too long; didn’t read) please bear with me. This is a big problem in the tire and automotive industry as far as small business is concerned. It’s worth not only the 10 minutes to read, but the time it takes to make sure your business is properly planned out. So let’s get right to it: Are you an S corp or C corp? If when you started the business or inherited it and didn’t pay much attention to these things, you are likely a C corp. C corps have been in the news lately because Congress’ recent action lowered large corporations’ taxable rate from 35% to 21%, “permanently” — and that’s in quotes because Congress can change it in the future if they want to or when power shifts from one party to the other. This seems desirable, and it is, if say you are a large company. In a C corp, the profits made are taxed at the lower rate (21%) vs. your personal income tax rate you personally pay Uncle Sam every year.

However, in a small company, if you made less than $50,000 in profit last year as a C corp your rate is about to go up, and you will also be taxed again when you or the government decide to take a distribution from the company’s profits. See, for a C corp, there is a clause that allows the government to force profit distribution called dividends. This will hit the person at the personal income tax rate. That’s called C corp double taxation. See, for large companies, that’s not an issue because the company’s profits are not a piggy bank for the owners. Large companies that make hundreds of thousands of dollars in profits also have shelters in the tax code to protect their profits as a C corp.

You will also pay this double tax when you sell the business.

Ouch. In a small company, dividends are often used to help pay for unexpected expenses, the need to care for elderly parents, a sick child, etc.

Also, remember that if you just file the minimum paperwork to start a business, the government automatically makes you a C corp. That should tell you right there that C corps pay more taxes in the long run since the government is dependent on collecting as much tax as possible. Oh, and if your land is not in a separate company, you’ll likely pay another 15% on any rent you charge yourself. Good grief. Get your land out of your primary company ASAP. It’s not only potentially costing you money, but if a lawsuit ever arises from an accident or tragedy, you could lose the land in a judgement. If it’s in a separate company, it’s unlikely to be exposed to a lawsuit against the tire and service company.

S corps are pass-through taxable entities. That means whatever profit the company makes, the owner pays tax on that profit every year on their own personal tax documents. You must take extra steps at the beginning to become an S corp, but it’s not complicated. Once you pay your taxes on S corp profit you’re

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done paying. There is also a special 20% tax deduction for S corps.

Over large periods of time, taxes always rise, so in all likely hood, it is better to pay taxes now rather than later if in fact you are a small business. A person reading this article that has 10+ stores may want the benefits of C corp.

Now, as an S corp, it should be mentioned that you need to pay yourself a decent salary through the business, it can’t be all distribution, otherwise the government will hit you for additional taxes, but again, this can be managed easily with a competent tax accountant.

OK, maybe I convinced you to change and you talked to your accountant and they resisted, saying no, it’s better to stay. Wrong.

It’s easier for them if you stay. Also, you know how every profitable year you are scrambling to get your company’s earnings down and spending money on things in December? Well, as an S corp, that would largely come to an end unless you had an absolutely banner year. The mad scramble can also happen if you don’t amortize and depreciate properly, but that’s another column.

Bottom line: If you are a big company with a CEO, CFO, a board and have departments of HR staff and accounting, and your profits are in the high hundreds of thousands of dollars a year — it’s likely you should be a C corp. If you are a single store operation or own a handful of stores, you really need to dig deep into your numbers, pay for a consultation with a tax attorney or accountant, and in all likely hood strong arm your current accountant into setting you up as an S corp. In the long run, a small business is much, much, much better off as an S corp. ■ 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.

MTD August 2018

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European Notebook

Mobile tire service

THE CONCEPT IS GAINING ACCEPTANCE — AND EVOLVING — IN EUROPE AS MOTORISTS SEEK CONVENIENCE By

John Stone

I

t is widely recognized tally friendly” alternative that the concept of moto mobile tire servicing for bile tire servicing for the future? cars, SUV’s and 4x4’s What I have just was initially started in described is now at the the UK and swiftly followed final stages of development through to not only almost

by Gaither Tool Co. Inc. every country in Europe, It may become the “bluebut also a growing numprint” for the continued ber of countries around the evolution of mobile tire world. service. It is an all-in-one Changing a tire through mobile tire servicing unit a mobile service has progrescalled E-Cube. I have been sively evolved into being a informed by Gaither that very convenient service for this new type of mobile tire drivers that can fit in with service system has been either their family lifestyles exclusively designed to act or business commitments, as an additional service and is now, I understand, from which tire dealers, becoming more popular The concept of mobile tire servicing, with five or six different components car workshops, garages and within the U.S. tire market in the back of the vehicle, could be about to reach a more efficient level. car dealerships can benefit Imagine a unit that gives tire techs enough room for tire-related services. sector. Goodyear Tire & and profit from as a further Rubber Co., for one, is testing a mobile tire installation program. service to their range of services.

At the moment a mobile tire service vehicle will carry five It will launch in Europe in September at the Automechanika or perhaps even six different components that are loaded onto Show in Germany. the back of the vehicle. That hardly leaves any space for a tire There is no doubt that more and more motorists in Europe technician to work in; the result is usually forcing him to have are turning to mobile tire servicing as a convenient alternative to operate outside of his vehicle. to visiting a tire retailer to buy a new tire and have it fitted while they wait. The choice of having tires changed at their residential homes or their offices or places of work at convenient times to WILL MOBILE TIRE SERVICE BECOME WIDESPREAD IN THE U.S. suit them is very appealing to them.

IN THE COMING YEARS? THE EQUIPMENT IS CERTAINLY There is also no doubt that many tire dealers in Europe still view the idea of offering mobile tire service as “not worth all AVAILABLE TO TIRE DEALERS. SEE WHAT’S NEW the hassle.” That may change in the coming years as equipment AT THE UPCOMING SEMA SHOW IN LAS VEGAS. manufacturers like Gaither refine the concept of mobile tire service.

Will mobile tire service become widespread in the U.S. in the This working arrangement has always been the nature of the coming years? The equipment is certainly available to tire dealers. beast for the technicians as they try to carry out their services In the spirit of full transparency, you should know that Gaither on the side of the road. is a client of mine on the public relations side of my business. But So imagine if a completely new type of mobile tire service don’t just accept my word about E-Cube. Gaiter will introduce the equipment became available that just required a single versatile unit to the U.S. market at the 2018 Specialty Equipment Market piece of equipment — and gave tire technicians the valuable Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas Oct. 30 through Nov. 2. ■ opportunity to change and balance tires in their vehicles. With the added space, they even could offer additional tire-related services.

John Stone has been working within the global tire industry for the past 27 years. In 2004 Also, what if this special unit did not have the need for a he launched his own consulting company, Sapphire Media Service, which caters to business generator, meaning there would be no ‘noise, smoke or gases’ to media clients around the globe. Stone also writes for tire and automotive-related publications deal with and therefore provide a new green and environmenin Europe, South Africa and Asia.

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MTD August 2018

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TPMS

Pontiac G6

Chevrolet Cobalt

Pontiac G5 SUBJECT VEHICLES: Chevrolet Cobalt 2008-10, Pontiac G5 2008-09, Pontiac G5 (Canada) 2010 and Pontiac G6 2008-10.

RELEARN PROCEDURE? Yes. SPECIAL TOOLS NEEDED? A TPMS sensor activation tool (J-46079) may be used in place of increasing/decreasing pressures to enable the sensor.

The tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) in the 2008-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2008-2009 Pontiac G5, 2010 Pontiac G5 (Canada) and 2008-2010 Pontiac G6 alerts the driver of a large tire pressure change in any of the four tires while vehicle is being driven. The system also will display individual tire pressures and their locations on the driver information center (DIC).

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The TPMS uses the body control module (BCM), instrument panel cluster (IPC), DIC, remote control door lock receiver (RCDLR), a radio frequency (RF) transmitting pressure sensor in each wheel/ tire assembly, and the serial data circuit to perform the system functions.

When the vehicle is stationary, the sensors go into stationary mode. In this mode, the sensors sample the tire pressure once every 30 seconds and only transmit if the tire pressure changes, to minimize sensor battery consumption. As vehicle speed increases, the sensors go into drive mode, in which they transmit once every 60 seconds. Each sensor takes a pressure measurement sample continuously; if the tire pressure increases or decreases by

more than 1.2 psi (8.3 kPa), the sensor will transmit in re-measure mode in stationary mode or drive mode.

TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR WARNING INDICATORS The RCDLR receives and translates the data contained in each sensor transmission, then sends the tire pressure and tire location data to DIC. When the TPMS detects a significant loss or gain of tire pressure, a “CHECK TIRE PRESSURE” message will appear on the DIC (if equipped), and the low tire pressure warning indicator is displayed on the IPC. When the TPMS detects a significant loss of tire pressure, the “CHECK TIRE PRESSURE” message is displayed on the DIC and the low tire MTD August 2018

Your COMPLETE Tire Shop SOLUTION! pressure indicator is displayed on the instrument panel.

Both the message and indicator can be cleared by adjusting the tires to their recommended pressures. If warning indicators are still on or the display shows dashes instead of a value, there is a problem in the TPMS. TPMS malfunctions detected will cause the DIC to display a “SERVICE TIRE MONITOR” warning message. See appropriate manufacturer service information.

TPMS RESET PROCEDURES NOTE: If a tire pressure sensor or the RCDLR is replaced, or if wheels have been rotated, tire pressure sensors must be relearned.

When the TPMS detects a significant loss of tire pressure, the “CHECK TIRE PRESSURE” message is displayed on the DIC and the low tire pressure indicator is displayed on the instrument panel. Both the message and indicator can be cleared by adjusting the tires to their recommended pressures.

TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR RELEARN NOTE: Once the learn mode has been enabled, each of the sensor’s unique identification (ID) codes can be learned into the RCDLR’s memory. When a sensor’s ID has been learned, the RCDLR sends a serial data message to the BCM to sound a horn chirp. This verifies the sensor has transmitted its ID and the RCDLR has received and learned it. The RCDLR must learn the sensor IDs in the proper order to determine correct sensor location. The first learned ID is assigned to left front, the second to right front, third to right rear and fourth to left rear.

NOTE: Each turn signal will illuminate one at a time indicating which location is to be learned next.

NOTE: Each sensor takes a pressure measurement sample once every 30 seconds while in stationary mode. If the tire pressure increases or decreases by more than 1.2 psi (8.3 kPa) from the last pressure measurement, another measurement will occur immediately to verify the change in pressure. If a pressure change has indeed occurred, the sensor transmits a learn mode. When the RCDLR receives a learn mode transmission while in sensor learn mode, it will assign that sensor’s ID to the location on the vehicle relative to the order in which it was learned. w w w . M o d e r n T i r e D e a l e r. c o m

NOTE: The TPMS will cancel the learn mode if more than two minutes have passed and no sensors have been learned, or if the ignition switch is turned to the OFF position. If the learn mode is canceled before the first ID is learned, the RCDLR will remember all previously stored IDs and their locations. As soon as the first sensor ID is learned, all other IDs are erased from the RCDLR’s memory. If the learn mode is canceled after the first ID is learned, the RCDLR will store the IDs as invalid and the DIC will display dashes instead of tire pressures.

The learn mode can be enabled using any of these three methods: • using the keyless entry system, • using a scan tool, or • using the driver information center (DIC).

NOTE: Before proceeding with the steps below, ensure that no other sensor learn procedure is being performed simultaneously and that no tire pressures are being adjusted on another TPMS-equipped vehicle within close proximity.

NOTE: In the following procedures, a TPMS sensor activation tool (J-46079) may be used in place of increasing/decreasing pressures to enable the sensor. To use, place the activator antenna against the tire sidewall close to the wheel rim at the valve stem location, then press and release the ACTIVATE button.

NOTE: If TPMS sensor activation tool (J-46079) is used, and the vehicle is having trouble entering the relearn mode, check the batteries in the activation tool. Low batteries may allow some functions to work, but not allow the vehicle to perform the learn function. When the internal battery is fresh (fully charged), the indicator is “full” or all dark. When the battery is depleted, the indicator shows “empty” or all light.

þ TPMS þ Tread þ Pressure þ Bluetooth þ Point of Sale

Using keyless entry system 1) Turn the ignition switch to the ON position. Apply the parking brake.

NOTE: The left front turn signal also will illuminate to indicate the learn mode has been enabled.

WARNING: Overinflating tires may cause personal injury or damage to the tires and wheels. When increasing tire pressure, do not exceed the maximum inflation pressure as noted on the tire sidewall.

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TPMS 2) Simultaneously press the keyless entry transmitter’s lock and unlock buttons until a horn chirp sounds, indicating the learn mode has been enabled.

3) Activate the sensors by one of the following methods: • Increase/decrease method: Starting with the left front tire, increase or decrease the pressure for eight to 10 seconds, and then wait for a horn chirp to sound.

The horn chirp may occur before the eight to 10 second pressure increase/decrease time period has been reached, or up to 30 seconds after the eight to second pressure increase/decrease time period has been reached.

• Sensor activation tool method: Starting with the left front tire, hold the scan tool against the tire wall aiming upward with the antenna. Press the activate button and wait for a horn chirp. After the horn has chirped, the turn signal will illuminate indicating the next location to be learned.

4) After a horn chirp has sounded and the right turn signal has illuminated, repeat the procedure for the next three sensors in the following order: right front, right rear and left rear.

5) After left rear sensor has been learned, a double horn chirp will sound, indicating all four sensor IDs have been learned. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position. Adjust all tire pressures.

Using a scan tool NOTE: Before proceeding with the steps below, ensure that no other sensor learn procedure is being performed simultaneously and that no tire pressures are being adjusted on another TPMS-equipped vehicle within close proximity.

1) Connect the scan tool. Turn the ignition switch to the RUN position. Apply the parking brake.

2) Using a scan tool, select “SPECIAL FUNCTIONS.” 3) Select “SENSOR LEARN MODE ENABLE,” and press the ENTER key.

4) Press the ON soft key. A double horn chirp will sound, indicating the learn mode has been enabled.

Torque specifications Component Wheel nut Tire pressure sensor nut

Ft.-lbs.

100 In.-lbs.

62

(N.m) (140) (N.m) (7)

5) Activate the sensors by one of the following methods: • Increase/decrease method: Starting with the left front tire, increase or decrease the pressure for eight to 10 seconds, then wait for a horn chirp sounds.

The horn chirp may occur before the eight to 10 second pressure increase/decrease time period has been reached, or up to 30 seconds after the eight to 10 second pressure increase/decrease time period has been reached.

• Sensor activation tool method: Starting with the left front tire, hold the scan tool against the tire wall aiming upward with the antenna. Press the activate button and wait for a horn chirp. After the horn has chirped, the turn signal will illuminate indicating the next location to be learned.

6) After horn chirp has sounded, repeat the procedure for the next three sensors in the following order: right front, right rear and left rear.

7) After the left rear sensor has been learned, a double horn chirp will sound, indicating all four sensor IDs have been learned.

Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position. Adjust all tire pressures to specification.

Using the driver information center (DIC) NOTE: Before proceeding with the steps below, ensure that no other sensor learn procedure is being performed simultaneously and that no tire pressures are being adjusted on another TPMS-equipped vehicle within close proximity.

1) Turn the ignition switch to the ON position. Apply the parking brake.

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MTD August 2018

TPMS 2) Press the “INFO” and “SET/RESET” buttons at the same time on the DIC for about one second. Then press the “INFO” button until the “TIRE LEARN” message displays on the DIC. Press and hold the “SET/RESET” button on the DIC, until a double horn chirp sounds, indicating the learn mode has been enabled.

The left front turn signal will also be illuminated.

3) Activate the sensors by one of the following methods: • Increase/decrease method: Starting with the left front tire, increase or decrease the pressure for eight to 10 seconds, and then wait for a horn chirp to sound.

The horn chirp may occur before the eight to 10 second pressure increase/decrease time period has been reached, or up to 30 seconds after the eight to 10 second pressure increase/decrease time period has been reached.

• Sensor activation tool method: Starting with the left front tire, hold the scan tool against the tire wall aiming upward with the antenna. Press the activate button and wait for a horn chirp. After the horn has chirped, the turn signal will illuminate indicating the next location to be learned.

4) After a horn chirp has sounded and the right turn signal has illuminated, repeat the procedure for the next three sensors in the following order: right front, right rear and left rear.

5) After the left rear sensor has been learned, a double horn chirp will sound, indicating all four sensor IDs have been learned.

Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position. Adjust all tire pressures to specification.

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: If the vehicle’s tires are replaced with those not having a TPC spec number, the TPMS may give an inaccurate low pressure warning. Non-TPC spec tires may give a low pressure warning that is higher or lower than the proper warning level achieved

by TPC spec numbered tires.

NOTE: If a tire pressure sensor or the RCDLR is replaced, or if the wheels have been rotated, the tire pressure sensors must be relearned. See “Reset procedures.”

TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR CAUTION: Do not inject any tire liquid or aerosol tire sealant into the tires, as this may cause a malfunction of the tire pressure sensors.

If any tire sealant is noted upon tire demounting, replace the sensor.

Also remove all residual liquid sealant from the inside of the tire and wheel surfaces.

Removal 1) Raise the vehicle on a suitable support. Remove the tire/ wheel assembly from the vehicle.

2) Demount the tire from the wheel following the tire changer manufacturer’s instructions while paying special attention to the following to avoid damaging the tire pressure sensor: • Place the sensor’s cap and valve on a dry, clean surface after removal.

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Figure 1: Here’s an exploded view of the tire pressure sensor.

• The cap is aluminum and the valve is nickel-plated to prevent corrosion.

• Do not substitute a cap or valve made of any other material.

• Position the bead breaking fixture 90 degrees from the valve stem when separating the tire bead from the wheel.

• Position the mounting/demounting head so the tire iron (or pry bar) can be inserted slightly clockwise of the sensor body when prying the tire bead up and over the mounting/demounting head.

• Using a tire machine, rotate the tire/wheel assembly clockwise when transferring the tire bead to the outside of the wheel rim.

• Repeat the items for the inner bead.

3) Remove the tire pressure sensor nut (see Figure 1).

4) Remove sensor from wheel hole.

Installation 1) Clean any dirt or debris from the grommet sealing areas.

Install the grommet on the sensor valve stem.

2) Insert the sensor in the wheel hole with the air passage facing away from the wheel.

3) Install the sensor nut, and position the sensor body parallel to the inside wheel surface while tightening the nut to 62 in.-lbs.

(7 N.m).

4) Before installing the tire on the wheel, note the following items to avoid tire pressure sensor damage upon tire mounting: • Position the mounting/demounting head 180 degrees from the valve stem.

• Position the bead transition area 45 degrees counterclockwise of valve stem.

• Using a tire machine, rotate tire/wheel assembly clockwise when transferring tire bead to the inside of the wheel rim.

• Repeat items for outer bead.

5) Install tire on wheel. Install tire/wheel assembly on vehicle.

Relearn tire pressure sensors. See “Reset procedures.” ■ 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.

MTD August 2018

Products Yokohama unveils Avid Ascend GT in 50 H- and V-rated sizes The new all-season Avid Ascend GT from Yokohama Tire is designed to deliver improved handling, long mileage and superior comfort. Available in 50 H- and V-rated sizes, the Ascend GT is designed for luxury sports sedans and coupes, as well as mainstream passenger cars, in sizes ranging from 15 inches to 20 inches and is offered with a 65,000-mile tread life warranty on all sizes. A new asymmetric tread design with a unique circumferential groove arrangement provides short wet braking. Hundreds of 3D sipes and a notched block design provide outstanding snow braking and handling, says the company.

YOKOHAMA TIRE CORP. www.yokohamatire.com

New Steelman light kit has 40-foot cord The new Steelman 99761 Slim Lite with 40-foot retractable metal cord reel kit is designed for automotive repair shops and heavy-duty truck repair shops. JS Products says the glass-filled nylon Slim Lite body is ideal for narrow and hardto-reach places. The low voltage Slim Lite produces 500 lumens of usable light with 16 LED (light emitting diodes) while only consuming 3 watts of power. The kit comes complete with hardware for ceiling or wall mount, and a low voltage power adapter.

JS PRODUCTS INC. www.steelmantools.com

Ken-Tool introduces wheel centering sleeves Ken-Tool has unveiled the Pilot Sleeve line of wheel centering sleeves for steel or aluminum commercial truck steer wheels, drive wheels and inside/outside dual wheels which use two-piece flange nuts. The sleeves are used to correct off-center wheel stud alignment on wheel mounting holes, which if uncorrected can lead to out-of-tolerance radial wheel runout. Ken-Tool says the self-sizing sleeves take up the gap between the 22 mm wheel studs and the 26 mm wheel mount holes, regardless of wheel condition.

KEN-TOOL CORP. www.kentool.com

Bosch adds OTC oil pan seal cutter Bosch Automotive Service Solutions has released a pan seal cutter designed to separate oil pan seals without causing damage to the pan and sealing surfaces. The new OTC 6788 pan seal cutter has a 90-degree cutting blade that is ideal for tight spaces, according to the company. The seal cutter separates oil pan seals by pressing the blade into the sealant and striking it with a hammer to completely cut through.

BOSCH AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE SOLUTIONS www.otctools.com

Cordless impact wrench has two shut-off positions The new CP8849 1/2-inch cordless, brushless impact wrench from Chicago Pneumatic Tool delivers 850+ ft.-lbs. (1,150+ Nm) and has four settings in forward — two of which are shut-off options — and one in reverse. The company says CP8849 is ideal for general maintenance on light and heavy vehicles, tire changing on passenger vehicles, SUVs and light pickup trucks, and MRO (maintenance, repair and operations) applications. The CP8849 is available with a 1-inch or 2-inch anvil.

CHICAGO PNEUMATIC TOOL CO. www.cp.com

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Branick offers utility tire inflation cage Branick Industries’ new Model 2010 Utility Tire Inflation Cage is designed to improve safety when inflating non-highway service (NHS) tires such as lawn and garden, golf cart, scooter and other small tires. The company says the slotted sides and top give visibility to the tire while providing protection from small debris common with utility tire failures. The tire inflation cage holds tires up to 16 inches wide and 20.5 inches in diameter with pressures up to 100 psi, yet only requires 20 inches x 20 inches of floor space.

BRANICK INDUSTRIES INC. www.branick.com MTD August 2018

OCTOBER 30–NOVEMBER 2, 2018 • LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

SUCCESS STARTS HERE

See the latest tire trends in racing, street performance, hot-rod, classic vehicles, light trucks, SUVs and UTVs/ATVs—all in one place.

R EGI STE R FOR SUCC ESS AT SEM A SHOW. C O M

Products VDO fan assemblies are ready to install VDO fan assemblies are ready to install right out of the box with no assembly required. Continental Commercial Vehicles and Aftermarket says they are vehicle-specific assemblies built and tested to original equipment specifications. VDO’s exclusive “dual bearing” design provides quiet, efficient motor operation. OE-grade plastic resin compounds ensure superior durability and thermal stability. Continental says below-dealer pricing offers an economical choice for shops.

CONTINENTAL COMMERCIAL VEHICLES AND AFTERMARKET www.usa.vdo.com

Pliers are designed to prevent overexpansion Knipex Tools LP has released a series of circlip pliers with an overstretching limiter for all snap rings with a diameter of 1/8 inch to 3-15/16 inches. The series includes internal circlips for bore holes and external circlips for shafts. Both series of Knipex Precision Circlip Pliers feature an overstretching limiter with an adjustable screw stop to prevent overexpansion of circlips and a bolted joint for precision operation.

KNIPEX TOOLS LP www.knipex-tools.com

Cooper releases Discoverer AT3 4S The new Discoverer AT3 4S for SUVs and light-duty pickup trucks from Cooper Tire & Rubber is available in 37 sizes from 15- to 20-inch rim diameters. The tire features Cooper’s Adaptive-Traction Technology for gripping the driving surface in hot or cold weather conditions. Cooper says a silica-based tread compound and a five-rib, all-terrain pattern provides off-road driving capability and excellent wet and dry traction. Severe weather rated, the Discoverer AT3 4S has a patented sawtooth technology designed to trap snow in the tread to provide superior stopping distances on snowy surfaces.

COOPER TIRE & RUBBER CO. www.coopertire.com

Lisle offers jaw filter wrenches Lisle Corp.’s new jaw filter wrenches feature heat-treated arms with gripping jaws designed to grab even the most stubborn filters. Model 63830 covers the most common filter sizes.

Model 63850 works on smaller filters. A removable adapter provides lower clearance in tight spots. The wrenches are designed to be used with 3/8-inch or 1/2-inch square drive sockets as well as a 21 mm wrench or socket.

LISLE CORP. www.lislecorp.com

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Lumileds has new fog lamp

Federal-Mogul expands Wagner coverage

Lumileds LLC designed the new Philips X-tremeUltinon LED (light emitting diode) fog lamp to be an easy plug-and-play replacement for H8, H11 and H16 halogen fog bulb applications for European vehicles. Patented SafeBeam technology is designed to help eliminate glare to other drivers by creating the same beam pattern as standard halogen fog lights. Lumileds says this ensures the light emitted is directed onto the road and not into the eyes of oncoming drivers.

LUMILEDS LLC www.usa.philips.com

Federal-Mogul Motorparts has expanded its Wagner QuickStop product line to include four popular Ford and Toyota models. The company says the new QuickStop brake pads provide first-to-market coverage for the 2018 Ford F-150 (ZD2087, front; and ZD1790A, rear) and Expedition (ZD1790A, rear); and the 2018 Toyota Camry (ZD2076, front) and C-HR (ZD1879A, rear). With these additions, Wagner QS provides coverage for 99% of North American vehicles in operation.

FEDERAL-MOGUL MOTORPARTS www.wagnerbrake.com MTD August 2018

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

88

ADVERTISER AAPEX Show

PAGE 77

WEBSITE www.aapexshow.com

Accella Tire Fill Systems

65

www.accellatirefill.com

Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance Inc.

40-41

www.alliance1.com

American Omni Trading Company

80

www.american-omni.com

Atturo Tire Corporation

75

www.atturo.com

AUTEL

81

www.autel.com

Bartec USA

79

www.bartecusa.com

BendPak Inc. Ranger Products

83

www.bendpak.com/brakes

BFGoodrich Tires

16-17

www.bfgoodrichtires.com

BKT USA Inc.

11

www.bkt-tires.com

Bridgestone Tire

15

www.bridgestonetire.com

CEAT Specialty Tyres Limited

49

www.ceatspecialty.com

Continental Tire, Commercial Vehicle Tires

63

www.continental-truck.com

Double Coin Tires

39

www.doublecointires.com

DSP 20 Group

69

www.dsp-20group.com

Falken Tires

37

www.falkentire.com

General Tire

13

www.generaltire.com

Giti Commercial Truck Tires

53

www.gititrucktires.com

Hankook Tire

73

www.laufenn.com

K & M Tire Inc.

45

www.kmtire.com

Kenda Tire USA

IBC

automotive.kendatire.com

Kumho Tire USA Inc.

25

www.kumhotireusa.com

KYB Americas Corporation

61

www.kyb.com

Marangoni Tread N.A.

59

www.na-marangoni.com

Maxxis International—USA

67

www.maxxis.com

Michelin North America Inc.

9

www.michelinman.com

Mr. Tire/Big 3 Tire

57

www.mrtirebig3tirectd.com

Nexen Tire America Inc.

IFC, 19-22

www.nexentireusa.com

Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc.

OBC

www.nittotire.com

Omnicraft Auto Parts

29

www.omnicraftautoparts.com

Rotary

44

www.rotarylift.com

SEMA Show

31-34, 85

www.SEMAshow.com

Sentury Tire Americas

27

www.senturytireusa.com

Sumitomo Tire

5

www.sumitomotrucktires.com

Synchrony Car Care

47

www.synchronybusiness.com

TireHub

50-51

www.tirehub.com

Vipal Rubber Corporation

60

www.vipal-usa.com

West Creek Financial

7

www.westcreekfin.com/apply

Yokohama Tire Corporation

43

www.yokohamatire.com

ZC Rubber America Inc.

55

www.arisuntires.com MTD August 2018

Advertising information (330) 899-2200 ext. 2217

MTD Classifieds USED TIRES FOR SALE

TOOLS & EQUIPMENT

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JR’s Tires • (423) 494 0292 w w w . M o d e r n T i r e D e a l e r. c o m

89

Advertising information (330) 899-2200 ext. 2217

MTD Classifieds TOOLS & EQUIPMENT Stackable Tire Racks As shown $249.95 options available

5 gal. - 10 gal.

Push Buttom Release, lightweight aluminum tank

888-641-6058 www.TruckTireonline.net

Tire Dealer Tools & Equipment Air Tools • Battery Chargers Compressors • Hose Reels Impact Sockets • Jacks Lube Equip • Tire Equip

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COKERTIRE.COM 90

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ALL SEASON. ALL EVERYTHING. Kenda Vezda UHP A/S KR400 All-Season Ultra High Performance Tire

Outstanding performance and value as a first replacement tire for coupes, sports cars and sedans.

50K Mileage Warranty 43 Sizes Available Eligible for Kenda Traction Rewards 500 AA A UTQG 16”, 17”, 18”, 19” & 20” Learn how you can become a Kenda Traction Associate Dealer by contacting KendaTraction@KendaUSA.com

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