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By NAPA
Losing traction in the snow is no one’s idea of a good time. Even in areas not known for abysmal snowstorms, winter can create icy and hazardous road conditions that drivers must be prepared to deal with. Luckily the solution of adding snow chains for tires used on vehicles that need to brave the wintery roads. Adding
link hidden, please login to view for cars can be a workable solution to get you where you need to go when the roads are not your friend — but they can also be a pain. Knowing when you should be putting chains on tires can help you get out of a slippery situation, but you have to know what you’re doing first. Here’s how to tell if it is time to use snow tire chains on your vehicle. Technically Speaking
While tire chains are legal in all 50 states different
link hidden, please login to view regulate chain usage in different states. Even Hawaii has a law on the books for tire chains (only if you are driving on on Mauna Kea though). Before you invest in a shiny new pair, make sure you know whether chains are allowed, permitted or even required in some cases. Generally, a chain “requirement” means you must have them in your vehicle if you want to pass certain checkpoints that pop up in inclement weather. Some go as far as requiring tire chains to be installed when road conditions reach a certain point with fines and penalties for non-compliance. Places where chains are permitted usually come with some disclaimer that restrict their usage, so make sure you know the law and follow it. There may even be different tire chains laws for passenger vehicles versus commercial trucks. Most tire chain laws are meant to help protect the roadway surface from damage caused by using chains without enough snow coverage. Leaving snow chains on tires when the conditions don’t warrant it can also damage your tires. The other important factor to consider is whether your vehicle is suitable for chains. You can find chains for most tire sizes, but there must be enough clearance for them to fit on without causing damage to the body, undercarriage or brakes. Make sure to check clearance around the front tires with the steering wheel turned fully to each side to make sure nothing rubs. If clearance is tight you may want to consider
link hidden, please login to view, which sometimes have a lower profile. Consult your owner’s manual for tire chain specifications and allowances. Be Prepared link hidden, please login to view
Because chains are something you will likely need to take on and off at least once per trip, and because the conditions surrounding their use are usually cold, soggy and snowy, it’s best to practice installation first, ideally when the weather is still nice. Without driving the car anywhere,
link hidden, please login to view and take them off a couple of times to get the hang of it so that when you do eventually need them, you aren’t stuck fumbling and trying to figure out how to get them on with freezing fingers. Also, if you’re carrying car tire chains, pack a safety vest as well. There’s a good chance you’ll have to pull onto the side of the road at some point to adjust or remove them, and if it’s snowing, visibility will be low. Using Chains For Tires Under The Right Conditions
Tire chains for cars should only be used if there is a layer of snow or ice on the road. Using chains on bare pavement can cause substantial damage to both your tires and the road itself. If you turn onto a road that’s clearly been plowed and salted, pull over and remove the chains.
It always pays to be
link hidden, please login to view, but chains require a whole new level of attention and care. Snow chains for car, truck and SUV applications all work the same way to increase grip but there are limitations. When on, the car should not be driven above 30 miles per hour and you have to be mindful of curbs when parking. On two-wheel drive vehicles, chains must be attached to wheels on the drive axle, but ideally you get them on all four. If installed only in the front there will be a tendency to oversteer and a tendency to understeer if they’re only in the back. Four-wheel drive vehicles should have chains installed on all tires. Once the tire chains are installed drive a block or two and tighten them again. Some vehicles with selectable driving modes may need to be in the appropriate mode when using snow chains, so check your owner’s manual just in case. Once you get to an area of clear roadway, take off the chains. The aggressive traction that make tire chains so effective can also cause increased tire wear, so only keep them on when you need them. Though they can be cumbersome, snow chains make a real difference in winter weather when you need to get somewhere without mother nature’s permission, but only if they’re being used safely and effectively. Otherwise, you’ll just be spinning your wheels. Once you are done using your snow chains inspect them for any breaks, corrosion, or physical damage before putting them away. Give them a good spray with WD-40 so they will be ready for next season.
Check out all the
link hidden, please login to view available on link hidden, please login to view or trust one of our 17,000 link hidden, please login to view for routine maintenance and repairs. For more information on tire chains for cars, chat with a knowledgeable expert at your link hidden, please login to view. Photo courtesy of
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By Counterman
The Charles Dickens classic “A Tale of Two Cities” produced one of the most famous opening lines in all of literature: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times … ”
More than 150 years after “A Tale of Two Cities” was published, the phrase is an apt description of what life has been like for aftermarket suppliers, distributors and retailers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As Paul McCarthy, president and CEO of the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), kicked off the 2022 AASA Vision Conference in Dearborn, Michigan, he observed that the line “rings true in this age of uncertainty.”
“It has been some of the hardest times to simply do our jobs – to just get our products to the customer – yet it has also been some of the greatest prosperity that the aftermarket has ever experienced,” McCarthy said.
Stimulus-driven DIY sales have led to the best of times for the aftermarket’s publicly traded parts retailers, and they reported record growth in 2020 and 2021. At the same time, supply chain disruptions have made it challenging for some suppliers and distributors to get their hands on parts and raw materials.
“Typically, part of our industry’s appeal is our slow, steady, reliable growth – our consistent cash-flow generation,” McCarthy said. “During the pandemic, we seem to have found another level of demand for our products. And we’ve also been in a battle for availability. The reality over the last two years is that if you could get the part to the customer, they would likely buy it.”
While the past two years have been prosperous for many aftermarket participants, it’s also been the worst of times in the sense that the economy has been hit with “a flock of black swans.” Even before this once-in-a-century pandemic hit, the aftermarket was grappling with tariffs on imported Chinese goods as well as the biggest changes to U.S. trade policies in decades.
“We haven’t had a supply chain disruption of this magnitude for 75 years,” McCarthy said. “It’s been over 40 years since we’ve seen inflation like this. It’s been decades since we’ve seen a job market this tight. If that wasn’t enough, members tell us that we’ve experienced some of the highest levels of government intervention in the aftermarket, maybe in our history.”
On top of that, there’s a land war in Europe, and U.S.-Sino relations are as tense as they’ve been in decades. Potential curveballs on the horizon include more interest-rate hikes, gas-price increases and the specter of Russian cyberattacks.
Still, although it’s “an environment where it may not be easy for us,” it’s one “where we can do very well.”
“Our ability – despite all these obstacles – to fill orders, to keep our businesses running, to sustain our teams, to work together up and down the value chain, it’s frankly amazing how well the aftermarket has performed,” McCarthy added. “It proves our resilience and our endurance. So don’t expect things to get any easier, but the aftermarket and aftermarket suppliers, we’ve shown that we matter.”
A New Golden Age?
Despite all the “bumps in the road,” McCarthy posed this question to AASA Vision attendees: “Is there a chance that these strong sales that we’ve seen are not a blip, that instead they are the start of a new golden age?”
“The transformative cultural shifts that we’re seeing as a result of the pandemic, we think they bode well for the future of the aftermarket – that we are leaving the pandemic with a more auto-centric lifestyle than when we went into it,” McCarthy asserted.
To buttress his point, he noted that used-car prices are higher than they’ve been since World War II; there are more than 280 million vehicles in operation in the United States; and the miles-driven recovery “has exceeded all forecasts.”
With commuters and travelers still fearful of mass transportation, “Americans are moving toward more car-centric locales and lifestyles,” he added.
“We see it in consumers’ desire for more space. We see it in the house prices, in people moving to the West, to the South, to smaller cities, to exurbs. Coming out of COVID, where most Americans now seem to want to live, they need a car or a third or a fourth car. They need us, the aftermarket.”
While technology might be a source of angst for some, “this unstoppable march of increasing vehicle content has been incredibly powerful for the aftermarket ticket,” McCarthy declared. “And we think that will continue.”
And the increasing in-vehicle connectivity “is making our time in the car more entertaining, more productive, more appealing.”
“We would argue that this is a global opportunity that the pandemic underscored to consumers around the world: the safety, the appeal of individual transport and the freedom that it brings. So we think we could look back in 2040, 2050, and say that this was the start of a new golden age of transportation. And we could say that we grabbed this opportunity and we created new ways forward.”
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By Counterman
Whenever a shopper finds a product they need on DormanProducts.com, they now instantly can see which nearby stores have that part in stock, using a new real-time inventory tool announced by Dorman Products.
To use the new functionality, visitors to
link hidden, please login to view can search for a product using either vehicle year, make and model; keywords; VIN; OE number; or visual-hardware drilldown. When they find what they need, they can scroll down on that product description’s page to the updated “Where to Buy” section. There they can view on a map what stores near them have that part available, as well as get directions and click to call. “We are always looking for ways to make it easier for repair shops and DIYers to finish a job. With this new capability, it’s now incredibly easy to find our full range of products,” said Steve Gisondi, Dorman’s vice president of marketing. “You can quickly search our tens of thousands of parts and components on a computer or smartphone, and find where they’re available near you, without the hassle of having to call around to multiple locations.”
This industry-first capability is made possible through a strategic relationship between Dorman and Epicor, a global leader of industry-specific enterprise software. By leveraging Epicor channel connectivity among leading parts-distribution businesses across North America, the Dorman website now connects directly with store-inventory systems at a variety of retailers and distributors to let users know if parts are in stock at specific locations, according to the company.
“Dorman is one of the automotive aftermarket’s most innovative suppliers, so it’s no surprise they are on the leading edge of solutions that bring increased access and convenience to the industry’s end-users,” said Tim Hardin, senior vice president and general manager of Automotive at Epicor. “We are very proud to have played a role in enabling this important new solution for Dorman and the many parts distribution businesses that offer Dorman’s products.”
Dorman parts and components are stocked by hundreds of retailers and distributors throughout North America. Real-time inventory is available now on DormanProducts.com for most of Dorman’s largest retail partners, and new partners and locations are continuously being added.
For more information,
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By CarPartAU
Sell your all makes and model used vehicles for cash online with Sydwreck.com.au. We offer same-day car removal services and our process of selling your car as safe and fast as possible. We also offer top dollar for diesel and heavy Trucks, Suvs, Caravans and more.
Date Listed:04/08/2020 Last Edited:05/08/2020 Make:Nissan Warranty:yes Condition:used Visit at link hidden, please login to view
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By Thomas Metcalf
I wanted to know if y’all could tell me if this is real or not! I don’t mind if it isn’t, but would just like to know, thanks!
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