<!-- p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Casual} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Casual; min-height: 16.0px} --> Ever wonder what the difference is between your OE Steel Pontiac Wheels and the typical Alloy Rims that come on your car? No worries, this the exact reason why I'm here : to help you understand. Hopefully you understand when you're through with this article. Steel Wheels are often called "Steelies". Whether they're Steel Wheels that come from Pontiac Vibe Wheels or Steel Rims that comes from Dodge, they're going to be called "Steelies". Because of their fairly cheap & simple design, they're pretty much everywhere and on most cars that are on the road. Since they're so simple looking (and almost ugly looking), most people will cover up they're Steel Pontiac Rims with OE Hubcaps. They're typically included as the Original Wheels that are on the cheapest trim on the cars that are for sale at your local dealership. OE Steel Rims have been considered a staple of the automotive industry for a long time - pretty much since they first came out .. which is a long time ago. The very first wheels that came on cars were wooden wheels (I wonder how far those wheels got them). I guess you can say that they were just modified wagon wheels that were redesigned to go on cars. Since the manufacturers kept coming on with new cars with more speed and heavier things, they needed to make their wheels more and more sturdier. Around the 1900s, the very first ever steel-spoked wheels were introduced to the public. The initial designs of these steel-spoked wheels consisted of a steel hub and a bunch of different steel wires that were designed to be connect the hub to the actual rim. The introduction of steel wheels had simultaneously existed with the proliferation of air-filled tires - this provided greater overall resiliency to road defects with more comfort for the passengers. The designs of Steel Wheels have not really changed at all that much in the past 100 years that they've been on vehicles. Even though the manufacturing process of different wheels - like the 2009 Pontiac Vibe Wheels - has been changed so much over the years, most of these wheel innovations and changes have taken place in the field of alloys and not steel. Usually, a Steel Wheel that's pressed together from completely different pieces of sheet metal - like the Steel Pontiac Wheels - is heaver than an OE Alloy Wheel that's the exact same size. When the wheel is that heavy, this means that it makes it less fuel efficient, slower when you try to go fast, and even a little bad at handling. Whether you clean it as best you can or don't clean it at all, Steel Rims are going to rust as time goes on. Not only that, they can also bend and even warp if you've had them long enough. The main advantage that they have over Aluminum Wheels is that they're way cheaper. They're low price is one of the main reasons why manufacturers keep making them and … [Read more...]
New Leverless Wheel Service
The Ranger RX3040 features the latest in touchless wheel-service technology and provides your shop with the most advanced tire changing capabilities on the planet. Put those tire irons and levers away because you don't need them. The RX3040 is a hydraulic powered workhorse designed to work on all wheels without damaging the rim and without the use of clumsy toolbars, bead locks or tire levers. Why risk the chance of damaging expensive wheels when you can go touchless? With the Ranger RX3040, tire irons and levers become a thing of the past. The unique reversible tool head effortlessly mounts and dismounts the most stubborn tires with no wheel contact. Ergonomic joystick control combined with a precision hydraulic actuator allows you to inch the bead hook or lifting tip into position for gentle handling of delicate alloy wheels. Take your pick; a durable Nylon tool head or hardened steel with replaceable nylon inserts. Both come standard giving you the option to choose just the right tool to make those delicate services as simple as can be. The Ranger RX3040 is a durable day-to-day performer with the flexibility to service a wide variety of wheels with ease; including OEM configurations and exotic performance wheels with ease. The full-menu of time saving features includes automatically operated bead breaker rollers with controlled penetration and loads of power, a power-assist traveling drop-center arm, and a power-drop assist roller that allows you to change even difficult run-flats and low-profiles with minimal effort and maximum efficiency. So whether you're dealing with standard steel wheels or expensive custom alloys, you can tackle them with confidence. No More Heavy Lifting An integrated wheel lift with easy-guide rollers helps facilitate the handling of heavy wheels and virtually eliminates operator injury. Powerful Assistant Tools A powerful pneumatic drop-center tool dramatically reduces the effort required to change tough-sidewall tires. Workers can concentrate on working safer and more efficiently. This must-have feature holds tire sidewalls in the drop-center area of the wheel then follows the bead around as the tire mounts. The reversible drop-center tool also doubles as a convenient tire hook for lifting tires up and off the wheel flange, reducing the effort required to demount the lower bead. A power-drop top bead assist roller helps position top beads at an optimum position during both removal and installation of tough sidewall tires. Quick and Precise Set-Up Tires are secured to the changer in the same manner as a wheel balancer for user familiarity and super-fast set up times. A rubber base mount combined with multi-size center cones and a patented no-mar "Quick-Nut" makes mounting wheels fast and easy while reducing the risk of wheel damage. Wide Service RangeThe Ranger RX3040 provides an expanded service range of 10" – 30" to 22" wide, giving you the ability to work efficiently on a variety of wheel styles and … [Read more...]
Two Wheels and some Good Luck
Exploring Mexico via bicycle is not something I would recommend to everybody. In fact, it would probably be smartest just to discourage or advise strongly against it; no liability issues to deal with later. However, there will always be some who like things their own way and if it involves a long distance bike trip they will undertake it, no matter where. There is always enough time to worry about troubles as they come up. If you think that the best way to visit Mexico is an all inclusive deal at a five star resort that you will only leave for hours at a time using guided tours and the like, then this article is not for you. Those with an open mind however might find some useful advice here. Everything I am writing about is first hand experience. I have entered Mexico by bicycle at the beginning of December 2009, after a month long trip from Orlando, FL and cycled on via Matamoros to Veracruz. From there I have done a tour into the Mountains via Xalapa, Perotte and ventured into the State of Puebla before returning to Veracruz via Codova. Here are the key experiences and points to consider: 1) Crossing the Border When I first entered Mexico last December I had no idea what to expect. The only information I had was from wildly exaggerated crime stories that somebody had heard from somebody else who had seen it on the news. If all of these tales would have turned out to be true I’d probably not be writing this today. I crossed the Border from Brownsville, Texas into Matamoros, Tamaulipas. Other crossings should be very similar. First there was a toll bridge to cross. I honestly don’t remember how much the toll was exactly. It is best to have a couple of quarters and dimes ready to avoid the hassle of changing large bills. As soon as you’re leaving the toll booth there are customs booths, they seem to be just for cars though. A uniformed guard waved me aside right away to ask questions about the purpose, destination and duration of my trip. The next step was to find a suitable place to lock up the bike, a guard rail in my case, then go inside the customs building and obtain a tourist visa. It was nothing more than filling out a form at one counter and then paying a $ 20 fee at another. Of course it helps a great deal to know some Spanish as the border guards do not necessarily speak English. It is also important to keep the tourist visa together with your passport. There are other checkpoints further down the road where officials check for it. The real adventure started as soon as I stepped out of the customs building. After unlocking my bicycle I spotted a “tourist guide” in uniform that was already aggressively waving to get my attention. “Great” I thought, “he would probably have a map.” As it turned out he did not. He actually tried desperately to appear trust worthy, pointing at his badge repeatedly while talking to convince me to let him guide me through the city with his car. Of course this was a “no-no”, … [Read more...]