Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1973-05-10, Page 21Cover lieseittifiv WITH SIMPLE, LOW COST INSURANCE . FROM • DpN EATON Accidents Can Happen To Safe Drivers Too! 'Play it SAFE behind the wheel of your car. De-e pend on AUTO INSURANCE to meet the cost of repairs, injuries and liability claims. GET THE FACTS from DONALD_ G. EAtON INSURANCE 'AGENCY LIMITED OFFICE IN THE MASONIC BLOCK PHONE 527-1610 SEAFORTH How to Get Maximum Safe Miles Out of. Tires by Expert By RODGER WARD I've learned a' lot about tires and what makes them last' longer, perform better, thanks to my years as a race car driver and profes- sional tire tester. Now that I have a performance safety 7.•••••••••••••:••••••••••:,•••••••••••••••••••••••.•.•••••••....T....... tire on the Market with My name on it I'm even more interested in seeing that ' motorists everywhere get the right facts on prolong- ing 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 driv- ing techniques will help ex- tend tire life, as will taking care of your car's 'Wes from tithe to time. l tia„Ye list of See Us for Carefree Summer Driving "Serving Seaforth and District Since 1940" P 527-1750 SEAFORTH ?YOUR CHEV-OLDS DEALER' Complete Line of Genuine GM Parts and Accessories • Complete Line of Uniroyal Tires Modern Efficient Body Shop 'ALL LICENSED MECHANICS IN, SERVICE pEPT. New and Used Cars • • • 'a Winner of the Indianapolis '500' in 1959 and 1962,41edger Ward knows how to get every safe mile possible out of tires. His advice to ea't' owners is presented in the accompanying article. This photo was taken in 1966, W,ard's last year in competitive racing. 1fr seven things to do that I know will prolong the life. of your tires, WATCH THAT INFLA- TION: Perhaps the greatest single determining factor in tire mileage is the air pres- sure 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 how use. The Department Transportation estimates that some 33 million tires a year are destroyed by under- inflation., This .represents a loss of some $750 million to car owners. So remember, the few minutes. a simple tire pressure check takes will save you' money. 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 undeisized 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. • '11 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, some- 'times with 'disastrous re- sults. 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 • as' though it may be dam- aged, there's only one thing to do. Have the tire removed and the inside checked for ' possible cord damage. Bubbles that indicate rub- ber layer separation are • cause for immediate re- • placement -also. A young tire With a sidewall bubble should be taken back to the point of purchas, for war- ranty consideration. SUSPENSION ADJUST- MENTS CRITICAL TOO: Proper aligmment 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' front- end alignment will improve the wear of all road tires. Another point to remem- ber is that shock absorbers also should be checked reg- ularly for effectiveness and correct operation. If the shocks are weak they won't keep those tires on the road and frequent bouncing im- pact will' take its toll in shortened tire life. High-mileage cars should haye their ball joints checked since wear of these components also can lead to rapid tire wear. Maintaining regular wheel balance is an- other key to longer tire life. The wheels should be bal- anced according to the car maker'S suggestions, or when you feel any unusual minor vibration in the chas- sis • or steering. • STARTS, STOPS, COR- NERS 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 side- ways 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 spec can do more damage to ply 1 cords than the aver- 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 pres- sure changes due to tem- perature shifts. Hilt 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 ad- justments. TURNPIKES & FREEWAYg: Finally, a tip that will de- stroy 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. Ybu're supposed to add air — about 4 psi over normal, in fact. THE HURON EXPOSITOR, SEAFORTH, ONT., MAY 10, 1'47,1