Happy New Year & Thank you!

The year is almost over and what a year it has been for  Alignment Simple Solutions!  Thanks to all of you, we are well on the way to creating more jobs and establishing ourselves as the foremost authority in quality DIY alignment tools! 

In 2012 you have helped us

Ø  Win the Governor’s Excellence Award

Ø  Take the QT systems global while keeping the jobs at home

Ø  Become an official SEMA member (Sold QT Systems during the show)

Ø  Continue to manufacture quality products here in the USA in our own shop!

Ø  Show the world what true American Made Craftsmanship is all about

We will be running various drawings and contests in 2013 as our continued thank you!

We have been fortunate to attract some major investments and welcome co-owners James & Jill Taylor to our QT Family!

We are off and running for 2013 and we hope you will watch us on the season opening episode of TruckU on SpeedTV the first week of March (More Details to come).

To  Bottom line it… Thank you!  We would not be here without you!  You can keep up with the new designs, contests, our weekly blog on alignment tips & updates on the TruckU episode, by joining us on social media through the icons below.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

https://www.facebook.com/AlignmentSimpleSolutions

http://twitter.com/MrQuickTrick

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!!

Truck U, SpeedTV & QuickTrick™ Alignment Products

The folks behind the scenes at Truck U

Bruno & Matt with the QuickTrick™ Alignment Product  T-shirts & Case

Bruno & Matt - Hosts of Truck U demo the QuickTrick™ Alignment Product 

We hope you will join us, the first week in March 2013, on SpeedTV's Truck U as they utilize our QuickTrick™ Pro Alignment System to get this work truck aligned and back out to the worksite!



We would like to thank all of the great folks at Brenton Productions for treating us and our QT products so well!







Stay tuned for more information on the time and date.
 

How Temperature Affects Tire Pressure..

Keeping your tires in proper condition helps save money and, of course, avoid accidents. Understanding how temperature affects tires and their pressure is imperative for car maintenance.

Tire pressure is the amount of air in your tires. This is measured in pounds per square inch, or psi. The recommended pressure level is usually listed in the owner's manual.

Changes in the air temperature affect your tire pressure. For every 10-degree fluctuation in temperature, your tires gain or lose one pound of pressure. This makes it important to consistently check your levels because changes in the season will affect your pressure. A tire that is inflated just right at the start of August may become underinflated as the winter months begin.

The heat from friction created by the contact between your tires and the road will increase tire pressure. As the temperature of your tires rise, so will the pressure levels. This increase can cause overinflated tires to blow or underinflated tires to appear acceptable. Check your tire pressure often and stay with all regularly scheduled maintenance with your QuickTrick™ Alignment Product.   Stay safe, have better performance & save some money!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!                                See you next week!!!  

The Importance of Tire Pressure & Alignment

So, today we explore the importance of Tire Pressure as relates to your wheel alignment.  Many people have no idea that a temperature drop in winter or rise in summer can greatly affect your tire pressure, but all of us know that if there is an issue with your tire, it will affect your wheels and therefore alignment!

In 2003, all vehicle manufacturers were directed to place tire information labels in a standard location and follow the same format. Tire information labels identify the Original Equipment tire sizes and inflation pressures (including the spare), along with the vehicle weight capacity.  

In addition, the new vehicle owner manual must also reflect the five subject areas:

·      Tire labeling

·      Recommended tire inflation pressure

·      Glossary of tire terms

·      Tire care

·      Vehicle load limits

Vehicle manufacturers can also list alternate tire pressures based on load and/or speed in the owner's manuals.

Vehicles produced between 1968 and 2003 have the original tires size(s) and inflation pressures (including the spare) listed on a vehicle placard (sometimes alternate pressures based on load and/or speed conditions are provided).

The 1968 – 2003 labels are found in one of the following locations:

·      The driver-side door or doorjamb

·      Rear passenger doorjamb of Ford sedans

·      Fuel filler door

·      Glove box or center console door

·      The engine compartment

As far as temperature affects, a good rule is that pressure varies 1 PSI for a temperature change of 10 degrees Fahrenheit.  So for example, if you measure your tire pressure at 90 degrees Fahrenheit, the "standard" pressure at 68 degrees would be about 2 PSI less than what you measure. If you want, say, 44 PSI at 68 degrees, but it's 90 degrees outside, then put some extra air in your tires, wait for it to adjust to the outside temperature, and bleed or top off the tire until the gauge reads about 46 PSI.

Just remember to maintain your pressure and perform your scheduled QuickTrick™ routine measurements and your car performance will be better, your tires will last longer and you will be the master of your own “wheel” domain!!

Have a great week!

Mr QuickTrick

Final Segment - Tire Rotation

Portions of this post are compliments of our friends at Tirerack.

Four (4) Tire Rotation

What tire rotation pattern should be followed? The Tire & Rim Association has identified three traditional rotation patterns covering most vehicles (equipped with non-directional tires and wheels which are the same size and offset). The first being the "Rearward Cross" (Figure A); the second being the "Forward Cross" (Figure C); and the third is the "X-Pattern" (Figure B). The X-Pattern can be used as an alternative to A or C.

Today’s performance tire and wheel trends have provided the need for two additional tire rotation patterns.

• The "Front-to-Rear" (Figure D) pattern may be used for vehicles equipped with the same size directional wheels and/or directional tires.
• A "Side-to-Side" (Figure E) pattern may be used for vehicles equipped with different sized non-directional tires and wheels on the front axle compared to the rear axle.

If the last two rotation patterns do not provide even wear, dismounting, mounting and rebalancing will be necessary to rotate the tires.

Vehicles that use different sized directional wheels and tires, and/or wheels with different front and rear offsets with directional tires will require dismounting, mounting and rebalancing to rotate tires.

Five (5) Tire Rotation

While many vehicles are equipped with temporary spares that cannot be included in a tire rotation program, if the vehicle’s four wheels and tires on the ground match the spare wheel and tire (if non-directional and not branded "for temporary use"), they should be included in the tire rotation pattern. Follow the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended tire rotation procedures, or if not available, insert the spare in the right rear position at every rotation. Place the tire that would have gone to the right rear in the trunk as the spare until the next tire rotation.

• On front-wheel drive cars with full-size matching spare, rotate the tires in a forward cross pattern (Figure F)
• On rear-wheel or four-wheel drive cars with full-size matching spare, rotate the tires in a rearward cross pattern (Figure G)

Five tire rotation results in equally distributed use that will help maintain equivalent tread depths on all five tires throughout their life. When applied to many four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles, this is required to prevent driveline damage if a flat tire forces a new spare to be put into service with partially worn tires on the other three wheel positions.

Once again, any time you make adjustmnents to tie rods, suspension, wheels, rims and tires, please use your QuickTrick™ alignment product to check your measurements and adjust if needed!

Be safe, Be fast & Be careful!

See you next week!

Mr QuickTrick™

Tire Rotation.. Just the Facts to save on the Jacks!

Tire rotation is beneficial in many ways. Rotation at recommended times can preserve balanced handling and traction and even out tire wear. Tire rotation will also provide performance enhancements.
Most tire mileage warranties require tire rotation in order to keep a valid warranty.

So…When should tires be rotated?
We recommend that tires be rotated every 3,000 to 5,000 miles.  Tire rotation can be done with oil change intervals while the vehicle is off the ground or in your own driveway for you DIYer’s. This is also a good time to have your tires rebalanced and use your QuickTrick™ Alignment Product to check your alignment measurements against your specs.
Tire rotation helps even out tire wear by allowing each tire to serve in as many of the vehicle’s wheel positions as possible. Tire rotation does not correct wear problems due to worn mechanical parts or incorrect inflation pressures and this makes it critical that you establish the proper timeline along with routine maintenance on your QuickTrick™ measurements to address potential issues before they become a costly fact!
It is best when all four tires wear evenly because as wear reduces a tire’s tread depth, it allows all four tires to respond to the driver’s input more quickly, maintains the handling and helps increase the tire’s cornering traction.
When your tires wear out together, you can get a new set of tires without being forced to buy pairs. If you replace tires in sets, you will enjoy the original handling balance.
We will cover rotation patterns next week.  Until then..
Have a great week!
Mr. QuickTrick