Knowledge-base

Nitrogen Use

Tires are designed and manufactured to offer maximum quality and safety during use, but they must also be properly maintained. A key element of proper maintenance is maintaining the manufacturer's recommended pressure. Nitrogen is an alternative solution for filling tires with significant advantages: It is an inert gas and the size of its molecules is larger than those of atmospheric air. This has the consequence that there are no losses from the tire walls-valve resulting in the fluctuation of the tire pressure. As an inert gas, it has an unchanged volume regardless of ambient temperatures-pressures, a property very important for tire wear - life-span. In relation to the atmospheric air, it is drier, so it does not allow the creation of oxides that lead to long-term aging of the tires and oxidation of the rims at the points of contact with the tires. However, in order to maintain all these beneficial properties of nitrogen, if necessary, it should be filled only with nitrogen.

Tire change

To achieve uniform wear-tread life-span, tires should be rotated according to the type of vehicle and according to the manufacturer's instructions. Exchange every 15,000-20,000 kilometers or earlier when uneven tread wear is found between the two axles.

Tire Tread Check

Checking the tire tread at regular intervals helps us identify if it needs replacing. Tread wear indicators are raised points at 1.6mm in the main longitudinal grooves on its surface, indicating the minimum depth permitted by law. On winter tires the indices show the legal tread depth at 4mm. Below we list the most common forms of tread wear: Tread cavities or dips in the front tires are usually an indication that the wheels are not balanced correctly or that parts of the suspension system are worn. Sawn edges on the tire tread is an indication that the wheels are misaligned. Wear in the center of the tread is usually an indication that the tire is over-inflated. Tire pressure and alignment checking. Wear on both ends is an indication that the tire is under-inflated. Tire pressure checking.

Tire Pressure

Tire pressure plays a crucial role in the life and safe performance of your tires. Tire pressures are set individually for each vehicle model by tire and car manufacturers. Consult the user manual or the label on the fuel cap or vehicle doors to find the correct tire pressure. Under- or over-inflation, in addition to reducing the ability to grip the road properly, can cause irregular-excessive wear, possibly resulting in tire overheating, excessive fuel consumption and even the risk of a flat tire. The tire pressure is checked when they are cold and according to each manufacturer's instructions.

Wheel Alignment

It is important that every vehicle has all four wheels aligned. Otherwise, problems are caused in the movement of the car as well as uneven wear of its tread. Tire alignment is about adjusting the angles of the vehicle's wheels to ensure that the wheels move in relation to the car's geometric line. Each wheel has its own set of dynamic elements (camber, caster, etc.) determined by each manufacturer.

Wheel Balancing

When the tires are not balanced they cause vibrations when the car moves at certain speeds. This results in premature-uneven wear of the tires as well as strain on the front suspension system of the car. Balancing is done before fitting new tires or when they are refitted after a repair. When a tire is mounted on a wheel, two nearly perfect units are joined to form an assembly. The chances of this assembly losing the absolutely accurate weight distribution around the lateral and circumferential centers is next to impossible. Wheels usually have two types of imbalance: static & dynamic. Static imbalance is caused when there is a heavy or light spot on the tire. So the rolling of the tire is not smooth and together with the wheel they can move up and down. Dynamic imbalance is caused when there is unequal weight on one or more sides of the widthwise centerline of the tire-wheel assembly. Most provisions present both types of imbalance.

Speed Index

This index is symbolized by a Latin letter and indicates the maximum speed in km/h for the particular tire when carrying a maximum load.

Load Index

This index is a numerical unit (in kilograms) that indicates the maximum load that a tire can carry at the corresponding speed and at a specific air pressure. Tires intended for commercial vehicles must carry the functional load limits (double load index). The first number indicates the load capacity of the tire in a single configuration while the second number refers to the dual configuration.

Tire Labeling

All the basic information that characterizes the tire is written on the side surface of the tire: Tire width in millimeters (mm) Tire series : sidewall height / tire width ratio in millimeters (mm) Frame type (RADIAL) Rim diameter in inches Load index Speed index EU approval: number in a circle indicating the country where the tire received type approval U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Approval Mark Approval number declaring compliance with the EU regulation (R30) Production date (four-digit code where the first two digits indicate the week and the following two the year of tire production) Tubeless tire fitting indicator Tire manufacturing country Alphanumeric symbols (N0,N1,N3,N3,K1,AO,*,MO,A,VO,S1,DT1 etc.) indicating first installation by a specific manufacturer Wear index Grip index Temperature Discharge Index Rolling resistance index