Goodyear’s UG7 Wins ADAC Test
ADAC, the German automotive association, has published its new winter tyre test results. Engineers tested tyres in sizes 175/65 R14T and 195/65 R15T – and Goodyear’s Ultra Grip 7 was declared the winner in both categories. In the smaller size Bridgestone’s Blizzak LM 20 and Pirelli’s Snowcontrol followed Goodyear, as did Semperit’s Wintergrip. Bringing up the rear was Matador.
Continue ReadingRyan Transport Endorses Bandag
Ryan Transport of Cardiff, Wales, is a mid-sized general haulage company, whose fleet consists of 10 tractors, 30 trailers and five rigid trucks. The company is enthusiastic about Bandag retreading and services, having fitted the tyres consistently over the past decade. All its wheel positions behind the steer axle are fitted with Bandag tyre products: • BDE (E) on all rigid truck drive axles • BDE1 (E) on all tractor unit drive axles • B164(E) and BWBT (E) on all trailer wheel positions
Continue ReadingProduct of the Year Award For John Bean 3D Alignment System
The John Bean Visualiner 3D Arago aligner picked up the Bodyshop Product of the Year Award for 2005 at the Bodyshop Magazine’s Industry awards ceremony held at the Novotel in West London 16th September. The Visualiner 3D Arago fought off competition from a number of other high-tech products but obviously the features that the Visualiner 3D Arago offers bodyshop owners proved a winner in the end. “It is the only 3 dimensional digital alignment system, and the only self-calibrating alignment system in the world. The award is testament to it’s unique and innovative design. In my 30 years of selling wheel alignment I’ve never seen a product that has advanced alignment technology more so than the Visualiner 3D Arago,” commented Stewart Levitt, Alignment Specialist at UK Equipment, who accepted the award.
Continue ReadingSumitomo to Acquire US Retailer TBC
Sumitomo Corp, the third-largest trading house in Japan, said it has reached an agreement to acquire US automobile tyre retailer TBC Corp this year for some 120 billion yen (£600 million). Sumitomo said it will complete the acquisition at the end of December. The acquisition is intended to solidify Sumitomo’s existing tyre business and increase profits by expanding into tyre retailing, the company said in a statement. The Japanese company plans to expand its tyre business in the U.S. by adding TBCs more than 1,000 retail stores to its Treadways Corp. wholesaling business.
Continue ReadingTeam MRF Clinch Asia Pacific Rally Championship
Jussi Valimaki (Finland), of Team MRF Tyres, won the Indonesian round of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship at Makassar during the September 10/11, 2005 Gudang Garam International Rally 2005. Driving a Mitsubishi Evo 8, the Indonesian victory also confirmed the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship Drivers title for Valimaki, the 31-year old MRF Team driver, who collected 15 points and reached a total of 70 points in the Drivers Championship - a lead that no APRC driver can match this year. Valimaki wins both the overall and the Group N categories.
Continue ReadingNokian Introduces Studdable Tread
Nokian Tyres will expand its popular Noktop 41 product family with a new studdable retreading tread, designed to offer superior grip in icy winter conditions. Studding can improve tyre grip on slippery ice by more than 20% compared to unstudded treads, says Nokian. Intended for buses and timber, container and goods transportation, Nokian Noktop 41 Stud is a safe and environmentally friendly product. It is manufactured from HA oil-free rubber compounds developed for Nordic conditions.
Continue ReadingBridgestone Launches Long Distance Steer Tyre
Bridgestone UK is introducing the R249 – a new, long distance steer tyre, for trucks of 16 tonnes and heavier. Before designing the R249, Bridgestone surveyed almost 1,000 fleets of varying sizes in the six main European markets in order to see exactly what they required from a steer axle tyre.
Continue ReadingUp to Three Years’ Credit on Teng Tools
Teng Tools has joined forces with the Bank of Scotland and Alliance and General to give selected stockists the ability to offer their business customers a choice of two or three years credit. This applies to any products from the Teng Tools range of mechanics hand tools as well as their Toolstars sister brands of Limit measuring tools and Race air tools.
Continue ReadingFirst CM Shredder Sold in Spain
DYMAC, a representative of Columbus McKinnon’s Tyre Shredder Division, with offices in Manresa, Spain has recently sold a CM Liberator, Model 2R to DAPAR Reciclajes located in Cordoba, Spain. DAPAR needed a machine that would separate the wire from the tyre shreds and produce a clean rubber product for further processing as well as clean wire for resale. Pepe Santamaria, salesperson for DYMAC said: “This is the first Columbus McKinnon machine to be sold in Spain with prospects for many more.” DYMAC has been representing Columbus McKinnon’s Shredder Division since October 2004.
Continue ReadingNew Bandag Dealer in Sweden
Galdax AB is located in Vara, 100 km northeast of Göteborg, and is Bandag’s new ally in an ambitious plan to increase its market share in Sweden. “As a tyre business, we are ideally situated where we are,” says Claes Amnäs, General Manager of Galdax AB. “We are located not far from the main roads that link Norway, Stockholm and Göteborg. Many fleets operate in the area and we are within striking distance of Sweden’s most industrialised cities.”
Continue ReadingBridgestone Exhibits Updated Dynamic In-Wheel Drive System
Bridgestone has launched an improved version of its revolutionary in-wheel motor drive system for electric vehicles. First announced in September 2003, Bridgestone’s system was seen as an advance in in-wheel motor drive systems that use motors installed inside vehicle wheels. Installing the drive motors inside the wheels allows for controlling each wheel individually, which supports excellent handling, Bridestone says. It also eliminates the need for the differential and drive shaft and therefore allows for unprecedented freedom when designing vehicles. Designers can allocate more space to the driver and passengers without increasing the overall size and weight of the vehicle.
Continue ReadingContinental Tire Nears Union Agreement
Continental Tire North America Inc has reached a tentative agreement with union representatives on a severance package for hourly employees laid off last year at the company’s Mayfield, Kentucky, plant. Details of the agreement have not been disclosed, pending a ratification vote by laid-off workers represented by the United Steelworkers of America, the Charlotte Business Journal Reported.
Continue ReadingPirelli to Fit New Peugeot 407 Coupé
Pirelli has announced that its tyres will be fitted as OE on the new Peugeot 407 Coupé, at an international press conference in Granada, Spain. The new 407 will be exclusively equipped with 18 inch P Zero Nero UHP tyres.
Continue ReadingVan den Ban: Flexible Distribution Service
Dutch wholesaler, Van den Ban, has announced that it will add a new exclusive brand to its tyre portfolio. The new brand, Clear, is already available in a number of sizes. Van den Ban says it intends to introduce further sizes in the coming months ultimately leading to 30-size strong high performance portfolio. A further range expansion is planned for next year.
Continue ReadingCooper’s Avon Tyres Gets High Marks in Consumer Survey
(Akron/Tire Review) In a consumer survey conducted by The Tire Rack, Cooper Tire & Rubber Co’s Avon Tech M500 and Tech M550 A/S tires earned top ratings by UHP summer and UHP all-season tyre owners. Some 95,000 respondents were asked to rate their tyres according to the following criteria: traction in dry, wet and snowy conditions, cornering stability, steering response, ride and noise comfort, resistance to hydroplaning and tread wear. In the UHP summer category, 40 tyre lines from 12 major tire brands were rated, according to The Tire Rack. Avon owners, according to The Tire Rack survey, said they would buy the same tires again. The Avon line, originally available in European markets, was launched in North America in May 2004. For complete results visit: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=UHP http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=UHPAS
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