Monthly Archives: November 2021

How Much Do You Know About Tire Tread?

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It is easy to take your tires for granted, but what you should know about tire tread is that it plays a critical role in ensuring your safety while driving. While tires are primarily thought of for the utility purpose they serve, many drivers may not realize the extent to which they are engineered for safety. Today’s tires are made from specially formulated rubber compounds and the tread is engineered to provide specific safety features. 

Tire Tread Image

The Evolution of Tire Design

The earliest wheels were simply a solid curved piece of wood. Eventually, leather was added to improve the smoothness of the ride. Over time, designs transitioned into a piece of solid rubber, then a pneumatic (air inflated) radial tire. From that point, tire design gradually became more sophisticated with the development of bias ply tires and radial tires.

About Tire Tread Designs – Performance and Safety

Tire tread is another important development in tire evolution. What you should know about tire tread begins with knowing the parts of the tread. The components of tire tread include tread blocks or tread lugs, tread grooves, tread voids, wear bar, and sometimes features such as rain grooves and siping. Tire tread goes across the entire surface of the tire from shoulder to shoulder, where the tread meets the sidewall.

The areas between the tread blocks are referred to as the tread voids or tread grooves. Tread voids promote traction by allowing the tread blocks to move and flex as the tires grip the road. They also create channels that let the water escape when roadways are wet. Tires with a high tread to void ratio provide superior wet traction and braking ability.

Specialized Types of Tire Tread

What many drivers don’t realize about tire tread is that tread types are designed to match the intended performance of the vehicles. Tire tread can help cars to corner tighter, accelerate more smoothly, and brake reliably. Tire tread can also promote fuel economy.

Knowing more about the role of tire tread reveals why maintaining  proper tire tread is so important. Look for our next post to find out how much you know about how to maintain your tires and tire tread.

Do You Know How to Jump Start a Car?

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Be ready for a dead car battery by reviewing these simple steps.

As winter approaches, keep in mind that low temperatures can lead to sluggish batteries, so your chances of experiencing a dead car battery will be increased. Now is the time to make sure you are equipped with a reliable set of jumper cables in your car, and that you know how to jump start a car safely.

Jump Starting Car Battery

Prepare for a jump start emergency.

Once you have purchased your jumper cables and have them stowed in your vehicle, take some time to review these steps so you will be prepared to use them. Though it is not difficult to jump start a car, it can be dangerous if not done correctly. Since jumper cables transmit electrical current from one car to another, it can be dangerous if not done correctly. It is necessary to take precautions to prevent dangerous electric shocks.

Prepare for the Jump Start:

  • Park the running car so the cars face each other, about one to two feet apart. Make sure that the cars are not in contact with each other.
  • Set the parking brakes on both cars. Turn off both cars and take out the keys.
  • Lay out the jumper cables on the ground, making sure the clamps do not touch each other.
  • Open both car hoods and locate the batteries and battery terminals. (See your owner’s manual for details). The two terminals on each battery are usually covered in red or black, with a + or – sign on top. Identify which is positive, and which is negative, as this will be crucial to the success of your jump.
  • Dirty or corroded battery terminals should be cleaned off with a rag or wire brush.

Attach the Jumper Cables to the Car:

  • Attach the red, positive cable clamp to the positive (+) battery terminal of the dead battery. Make sure you have a solid connection to the battery terminal.
  • Attach the red, positive cable clamp on the other side of the jumper cables to the working battery’s positive (+) battery terminal
  • Connect the black, negative cable clamp to the working battery’s negative (-) battery terminal. In the vehicle with the dead battery, attach that clamp to a metal part of the car that is unpainted, as far from the battery as the cable will reach. This will ground the circuit and help prevent sparking.
  • Once you have one end of the jumper cables connected to a car, it is critical that the other end of the cables do not touch the metal clamps to anything other than the specified components on the other car. Make sure that none of the cables are in contact with moving engine parts before starting the engine.

Perform the Jump Start:

  • Start the engine of the car with the working battery.
  • Allow the engine to run for several minutes. The time required for a successful jump may vary depending on the age and condition of the battery.
  • Attempt to start the car with the dead battery. If unsuccessful, allow the working car to charge the battery a little longer and try again.
  • As soon as the disabled car is running again, you can disconnect the jumper cables, starting with the black, negative cable clamps. Never allow the clamps to come in contact with each other while any part of the cables is still attached to a vehicle.
  • Taking the charged car for a short drive lets the battery build up a charge so the battery doesn’t die again once you turn off the car.