The Mail-Journal, Volume 15, Number 13, Milford, Kosciusko County, 19 April 1978 — Page 22

How to get maximum safe miles out of tires, told by expert

By RODGER WARD I’ve learned a lot abbut tires and what makes them last longer, perform better, thanks to my years as a race car driver and professional tire tester. Now that I have a performance safety tire on the market with my name on it I’m even more interested in seeing that motorists everywhere get the right facts on prolonging tire life. The tricks to getting those extra miles of tire life aren’t all connected solely with the condition or quality of the tires installed on a car however. Improved driving techniques will help extend tire life, as will taking care of your car’s tires from time to time. I have a list of seven things to do that I know will prolong the life of your tires. * * * WATCH THAT INFLATION : Perhaps the greatest single determining factor in tire mileage is the air pressure at which tires are run. Check the owner’s manual for your car — this is where the load range data will be useful — and follow the recommended air pressure for the tires you now use. If you get a tire that is larger than normally called for on a given car, this is all right — as long as the wheel rim will accept the larger tire. Undersized tires could fail you in a stress situation. An undersized tire will not safely carry the weight of your car and its payload. Another point about tire sizes. Be sure that the same tire sizes are in service on the same axle. * * * CUTS, BRUISES AND BUBBLES: Tires that have sustained actual damage are a serious safety hazard. A sidewall cut can let go when it’s least expected, sometimes with disastrous results. So for safety’s sake check your tires for cuts, bruises and bubbles. This kind of checking must be done with the tire free of the road, so that it can be spun and checked on the entire circumference of the tread as well as the sidewall that faces into the car. If the tire rubber is abraded over a considerable distance, and the tire looks

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as though it may be damaged, there’s only one thing to do. Have the tire removed and the inside checked for possible cord damage. Bubbles that indicate rubber layer separation are cause for immediate replacement also. A young tire with a sidewall bubble should be taken back to the point of purchase for warranty consideration. * * * SUSPENSION ADJUSTMENTS CRITICAL TOO: Proper alignment of a car’s front-end will help to get more miles out of a set of tires. And if you rotate tires regularly, accurate frontend alignment will improve the wear of all road tires. Another point to remember is that shock absorbers also should be checked regularly for effectiveness and correct operation. If the shocks are weak they won’t keep those tires on the road and frequent bouncing impact will take its toll in shortened tire life. High-mileage cars should have their ball joints checked since wear of these components also can lead to rapid tire wear. Maintaining regular wheel balance is another key to longer tire life. The wheels should be balanced according to the car maker’s? suggestions, or when you feel any unusual minor vibration in the chassis or steering. * * * STARTS, STOPS, CORNERS AND CURBS: Even if you’re in a hurry, you should take your time when pulling away from a stop. On the other side of the coin, you should never as a habit use the panic stop, or other such hard-driving techniques as late breaking, unless you absolutely must as an evasive maneuver. Taking corners and curves at high speeds is one of the best ways I know to reduce tire mileage. When your car builds up a lot of forward momentum, and you ask the tires to absorb the sideways force of a quick turn, you’re burning rubber. If you must drive over curbs or driveway entrances where you work or where you live, take them very slowly. A curb taken at high speed can do more damage to ply cords than the avers age driver knows, and a

wheel can be deformed or even destroyed. * * * WATCH THE WEATHER: When the weather turns extremely cold, tire pressure drops approximately one pound for every 10°F drop in temperature. Conversely, tire pressure increases by one pound for every 10°F rise in temperature. Regular tire pressure checks should catch pressure changes due to temperature shifts. But the driver who travels from a cold northern state to a warmer part of the nation — or vice versa — should be particularly alert to the need for tire pressure adjustments. * * * TURNPIKES & FREEWAYS: Finally, a tip that will destroy one of the oldest and most harmful myths about tire wear. Ask almost any driver how he should prep his tires before doing any prolonged high-speed driving and he’ll tell you to take out some air. And he’d be wrong. You’re supposed to add air —about 4 psi over normal, in fact. Vital services being ignored by car owners If you’re looking for a good reason to keep a safe distance from cars you share the road with, consider a recent study conducted by the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA). According to MEMA, of original owner vehicles (average age 3.86 years) more than 40 per cent of the maintenance jobs recommended in the owner’s manual had not been performed once. The report continued, “ . . . among five-year old cars nearly 23 per cent had maintenance outstanding. Among cars 11 years old and older nearly 11 per cent of the maintenance functions still had not been done.” Among the most neglected items are components that affect safety. Nearly 54 per cent of all cars 3.86 years old have never had brakes replaced. With the normal recommendation of 25,000mile shock absorber replacement, 57.7 per cent of all cars still have original shocks after nearly four years of driving. KNOW YOUR DIP STICK Do you know where the engine oil dip stick is located? Checking on oil levels is important to longer engine life. The dip stick will tell you when and how much oil needs to be added. Sometimes it will indicate oil should be changed. (Evidence of foreign matter or unusual thickness of the oil are possible clues.)

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A sporting approach . . . Adventures of driving kept alive by car clubs Only 33 drivers can qualify for the “Indy 500,” but growing numbers of Americans are taking part in competitive events by belonging to sports clubs. Newest form of competition is the fuel economy run.

There is a Walter Mitty in all of us. James Thurber’s retiring character daydreamed himself in all sorts of heroic roles. And so do most ordinary people as they imagine swatting a basesloaded homer in the World Series or playing a torrid movie scene with Robert Redford. When it comes to driving, only a handful can actually take part in events like the Indianapolis “500” or the Grand Prix of Monte Carlo. But a growing number of Americans are fulfilling their urge to compete in events sponsored by local sports car clubs around the nation. The sports car club helps keep alive the period when owning a car was an adventure. The sports car rally, an event that tests navigational skills, is a throwback to the earliest days of motoring when roads hardly existed and road maps did not. Thus the way to grandmother’s house was a sketchy set of instructions that read: Go left at the red bam. Turn left at Watkins’ grocery. Proceed to the Y in the road and veer right. Rallies today test drivers’ ability and vehicle condition as contestants prove their way around an unknown route at prescribed speeds. Other sports car club

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favorites that set drivers against their own skills include gymkhanas, autocrosses, slaloms and field trials. These track meets for cars are the most popular form of motorsport in the country. These close-coursed time and maneuverability events place an emphasis on the skill of the driver and the condition and ability of the cars. A group of cars dodging tricky obstacles on parking lots, open fields and even frozen lakes in winter is a common weekend sight. A fairly recent activity of sports car clubs is the fuel economy rally which probes the driver’s ability to maneuver a rally course with the most efficient use of fuel. At sports car club events, careful attention is paid to the condition of the car. At club races, each car is checked for soundness of all safety equipment as well as wiring, suspension and firewalls. In non-speed events, items like tires, brakes, seat belts and brakes are inspected before cars can compete. With 100 independently chartered regional clubs and more than 20,000 members, the hub of activity is the Sports Car Club of America. SCCA conducts hundreds of races, hill climbs and rallies annually.