The Trainer #45: How to professionally inspect car tires

The Isle of Man TT is among the world’s great races and you don't have to be a motorcycle fan to appreciate the skills and talent riders bring to this almost 38 mile long “track”, actually a road course that traces a path through the countryside and small towns of this tiny island located in the Irish Sea between Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales. Riders reach speeds of nearly 200 miles per hour while negotiating a seemingly never-ending barrage of bumps, bends, manhole covers and stone walls. As they lean these high horsepower machines over at angles that appear to be nearly horizontal, one has to wonder, “What keeps them on two wheels?” The answer quite literally is “where the rubber meets the road”. In their case, a tiny cone-shaped tire contact patch that allows the motorcycle to turn by leaning, rather than by a directional input to the front wheel. And while our customers have two more wheels and a lot more steel around them, the contact patches their tires lay on the asphalt are no less important. Their car can have gobs of horsepower, the best suspension money can buy and stopping power to rival the arresting cable on a Navy carrier, and it will all matter not if the tires cannot pass those advantages on and keep a solid grip on the road. With all the responsibility tires have, why is it one area of the vehicle that is most overlooked? When was the last time you checked the tires on your own car, let alone a customer’s? Do you make it a habit to air the tires on every car you bring in? In this edition — September 2015— of “The Trainer”, we’ll take a look at what you should be doing when inspecting tires and give you some pointers on what causes common tire wear. Click this link to subscribe to the print or digital edition of Motor Age! http://bit.ly/MA_YT_freesub Due to factors beyond the control of Motor Age, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. Motor Age magazine (Advanstar Automotive Group) assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. Motor Age recommends safe practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of Motor Age, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not Motor Age magazine or its corporate parent, Advanstar.