Tire Sizing
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Passenger Tire sizing is typically displayed as: P215/65R15 89H The "P" stands for "P-Metric" or "Passenger". This means that it is a North American tire sizing designation. European tires typically don't have the "P" attached to the size. Tires with higher ply ratings will generally start with "LT" which stands for "Light Truck". This indicates the tire is an LT metric and will always have a Load Range indicated. It is important to note this for vehicles that call for LT metric tires. Never substitute a P metric tire for an LT metric tire, even if all the other dimensions are the same.
The "215" is the width of a tire, also known as the "section width". This is the width of the tire in millimeters at its widest point from sidewall to sidewall when mounted on the recommended rim width. The actual tire width can vary depending on the rim width it is mounted on.
The "65"is known as the Aspect Ratio. It is calculated by dividing the section height by the section width and multiplying by 100. (In this example, the sidewall will be 65% of 215)
The "R" stands for Radial, meaning it has a radial construction. Radial tires have ply cords that extend to the beads and are laid at 90 degrees to the centerline of the tread, the carcass being stabilized by a circumferential belt. Other possibilities include "B" for belted construction and "D" for diagonal construction. This means the ply cords extend to the beads and are laid at alternate angles less than 90 degrees to the centerline of the tread.
The "15" stands for the diameter of the wheel in inches. This is the exact size that this tire will fit. There are some older rims called "TRX" which are metric measurements like 390. You CAN NOT mix TRX rims with regular tires or vise-versa.
The "89" is the load index
The "H" is the speed symbol.
When do you need to Replace Tires?
Tires are typically replaced when their natural lifespan has come to an end. There are any number of factors that can affect this including storage, temperature, surfaces they are driven on, how aggressive of a driver you are, punctures, etc.
The usual recommendation for replacing tires is when they no longer feel safe to the driver. You can see when they are legally worn out using the tread wear indicator or a shiny new US Penny. A typical set of tires under normal driving conditions will last approximately 40,000 miles, V rated and higher can last a lot less miles. Some T Rated tires are designed for much longer, even up to 80,000 miles.
Lift Kits for Trucks or SUV's
In my business, I get a lot of calls from people wanting to put a lift kit on their trucks or SUVs. People who want to know if it’s safe, economical and responsible to lift their vehicles for recreational or visual purposes. If you’re having these or similar questions, be assured that you are not alone.
A lift kit can be look really cool on truck or SUV or when you want larger tires to fit on your truck. Lift kits can increase ground clearance, lessen the jarring of the automobile that is caused by irregularities in the road, and give the vehicle a unique and beefy look. However, before you jump into the world of lifted vehicles, there are a few things you should consider in finding the correct lift kit.
Suspension Lifts vs. Body Lifts
There are two main types of lift kits available today. Suspension lift kits are a system of springs used to raise a vehicle by suspending the frame, body, engine and power train above the wheels. Body lift kits are a system of blocks used to raise a vehicle by suspending the body above the frame. I recommend suspension lift kits for the performance-minded customer, and body lift kits for the cost-minded customer.
If you are only interested in a lift kit for the visual effect, I normally recommend the body lift kits. They are easier to install, do little to nothing to effect the ride quality of the vehicle, and allow for the addition of bigger Bad Boy Tires if desired. A body lift kit can make a vehicle look tough at a cost-effective price.
However, if you are interested in the performance capabilities of a lift kit, or would like to learn to drive skillfully off-road, I would recommend a suspension lift kit. Although a bit more expensive, suspension lift kits give a vehicle the capabilities to crawl through dirt roads, rocks and trees, and even mud and water. They give a vehicle the capability to go where most vehicles cannot, and see awesome natural wonders.
The Best Lift Kit Manufacturers
Once you’ve decided on either a suspension or body lift kit, you will need to know what type you want. Now when it comes to body lift kits, there is one world-popular company that I always recommend: Performance Accessories
offers high quality components, easy-to-follow installation instructions, and low prices.
When it comes to a suspension lift kit, the decision becomes a little more difficult. There are many great suspension lift kit manufacturers that offer many different features. In choosing the correct one, you will need to consider cost, performance capability, ride quality, warranty and customer service.
Cost
If pricing is your major concern, I normally recommend either Pro Comp or Trailmaster. For what you get, these two companies offer among the best prices around. Both companies have comprehensive lift packages, including all necessary components and hardware, with tough trail-ready parts.
Performance Capability
If your truck’s performance in muddy or rocky conditions is your major concern, I normally recommend either Fabtech or SuperLift. Although a little more expensive than many of the other manufacturers, these companies build kits for hard-nosed off-road fun. With quality components and multiple packages, Fabtech and SuperLift will give a truck or SUV high performance capabilities in any off-road situation.
Ride Quality
Most people already know that a suspension lift will affect your vehicle’s ride quality. If this is a concern, there are manufacturers whose lift kits get great reviews for on-road ride and comfort. Personally, I hear the best testimonials for Rancho and Skyjacker. Rancho and Skyjacker are two of the oldest and most respected lift kit companies in the world. Their kits are created for good off-road capabilities without negatively effecting ride quality. Their kits will help a lifted vehicle maintain at least some of its factory feel.
Warranty & Customer Service
And finally, when purchasing a suspension lift kit, you must do some research into the company with which you plan to make your purchase. Lift kits of any kind can have problems, missing pieces or defective parts. I highly recommend checking each company’s warranty guidelines, as well as seeing how easy it is to get them on the phone or reach them via email in case of an emergency. It is essential to find the company you feel will backup their product the best.
Overall, purchasing a lift kit can be a great learning experience. If you follow these rules, you should be able to maximize that experience by choosing the best lift kit for your needs.
Bad Boy Mud Tires & Bad Boy Mud Driving
Driving through mud is a cross between ice skating and walking through quicksand. Some types of mud have a greasy top layer with a hard baked surface underneath, while other types can be a bottomless quagmire of gooey mush.
Different types of mud require different driving techniques, equipment and Mud Tires. Greasy mud with a hard bottom layer is best suited to narrow mud tires to allow them to cut through the top layer to bite the hard surface below. Wide mud tires in this situation tend to float on the greasy top layer without reaching the hard surface underneath.
Thick gooey mud tends to favor wide mud tires as they give some flotation, similar to wide tires favoring sand driving. Lowering your tire pressures can help just like when sand driving, though its best not to lower tire pressures below 20-25psi for mud.
Regardless of what type of mud and what width tires are fitted, the tread pattern needs to have large lugs to allow the tire to 'clean' itself. If they don't, the lugs fill with mud and the tire becomes a 'slick' with little chance of getting traction. Road orientated tread patterns tend to have closely spaced lugs to put more rubber on the road and to reduce tire noise at highway speeds. When it comes to mud, road tread tires are at a significant disadvantage, whereas in sand they help avoid 'digging in'. Dedicated mud tires have large open spaced lugs to keep the tire clean. However, they handle worse on bitumen as there is less rubber in contact with the ground and in sand they tend to dig in. Also they can have an annoying drone at highway speeds.
Mud Driving Techniques Mud Tires
Unlike some other types of terrain, mud-driving techniques vary on the type of mud. Reducing tire pressures can help in 'bottomless' mud whereas it can make things worse when a hard surface is below the mud. Mud usually tends to hide obstacles such as tree roots and sticks just waiting to slash your sidewalls, so its best to avoid reducing tire pressures if you can avoid it.
Driving on the peaks between tire tracks can provide firmer ground, as water tends to collect in the wheel tracks. Though sometimes the existing wheel tracks have cut through to the firmer surface underneath and provide the best traction.
Moving the steering wheel left to right about 90° from the center can help the front wheels bite into the mud in search of traction. Do not turn the wheel too for as you can end up making things worse.
As you have probably gathered by now, mud driving is unpredictable and you need to have a knowledge of different driving techniques to know which one to apply in each situation. What doesn't change is the need to have good mud tires with big self-cleaning lugs and good recovery equipment.
Maintenance
Mud, especially clay and thick mud, tends to stick wherever it touches, It can build up under the wheel arches to the point it acts as a brake on the tires. This type of build-up is obvious and has to be cleared immediately, but other types of build-up that are not so obvious but still need immediate removal is on the rims. Even a small amount can throw your wheel balance out dramatically and can lead to uneven tire wear and a vibrating steering wheel.
Once all visible mud has been removed, its necessary to check items like diff and gearbox breathers to ensure they are clear, otherwise it con lead to seal damage in the long term. Also check all drain holes on the chassis etc to ensure they are not blocked. Its surprising how mud can even find it’s way to block drain holes on the bottom of doors!
BAD BOY MAXXIS TIRES FOR MUDDING
Learn How to Drift Race
Drifting is a driving technique and a motor sport where a car slides at an angle, with its side moving in the direction of the turn.
Things to do Before You Begin Drifting
Set up a cone in the middle of the lot. Drive up on the cone and rip the handbrake in an attempt to do a 180. Practice this until you are no more, and no less than 180 degrees from when you started.
Learn how to countersteer by ripping the handbrake from a speed of 10-20mph and trying to control the car to a destination until the car stops.
Increase speed of each of these things until you are comfortable
try to do the 180 cone turn put instead of stopping, hit the gas hard and power out and away from the cone.
Drifting with Rear Wheel Drive and Manual Transmission
Find a car with both rear-wheel-drive and a manual transmission. Ideally it should be a sports car with as close to a 50/50 ratio as possible, and enough power to keep the tires spinning is ideal.
Head to an open area (i.e. an empty parking lot) safely free of pedestrians and motorists and police!
Hand brake technique:
Accelerate and shift into a gear with room to rev. Second gear is generally used because it allows the widest variance of speed and is best for harnessing the engine's torque.
Push in the clutch.
Flick the steering wheel to the inside of the turn as if you were going to turn around it. While simultaneously pulling the hand brake.
Immediately out some pressure on the gas pedal, let out the clutch, and steer the car in the direction of the slide, using throttle to control the angle of the drift.
More Throttle will make the car turn more, and also move the car away from the turn center. Less throttle will reduce angle, and allow the car to move towards the inside of the turn more freely. You're drifting!
Clutch Kick technique: Used while you are already moving to increase angle and/or revive wheel spin. While you are drifting, you may feel the car begin to lose its drift angle and power. If this happens, you can kick the clutch to attempt to revive to tires spinning speed. This is similar to powershifting, and you are in escence trying to 'chirp' the tires again and again.
Enter a drift.
while you still have the power put on, kick the clutch pedal in and out a few times as fast as you can until the car is drifting again.
end with your foot off of the pedal.
continue the drift, and when you feel the car begin to lose angle/power try to clutch kick again.
Drifting with Rear Wheel Drive Auto
Find a large, open area.
Accelerate to a speed of 20-30(depending on lot size and room)
Turn the wheel hard and floor it. You should feel the rear end slide around if this is done correctly. Only use full throttle to start the drift, after this you should use proper throttle control to continue through the corner.
Preparing to Drift with a Front Wheel Drive Car
Go to a large, open area.
Pull the handbrake or use the parking brake, riding it out the first time or two to get over your initial fear.
Set up a cone in the middle of the lot.
Drive up to it at speed (between 20 and 30 is desired).
Pull the hand brake and turn toward the cone. Immediately after you feel the back end come around, turn to the opposite direction. This is known as opposite lock.
Repeat the opposite lock at that speed until you can control your car well. Practice this for at least several weeks regularly until it becomes second nature. (Don't do this on roadways. It is dangerous to others and can get you fined.)
Slowly increase speed until you are proficient in a speed you are comfortable with. Get to know that speed--you should never drift above that speed unless you are practicing.
Upgrade. At the same initial speed, flick the steering wheel opposite of the turn and swing it all the way into toward the CONE (not turn, you aren't ready at this stage). As before, when you feel the rear end come around, go to opposite lock.
Drifting with a Front Wheel Drive Car
Approach a turn at a comfortable speed, preferably in mid 2nd gear.
Pull the handbrake while turning into the corner, try not to lock the rear wheels.
You should still have the power on, try not to go less than 1/2 throttle at any time during the drift.
- When you feel the car start to understeer, and lose angle, pul the ebrake harder. - When the car seems to turn too much, give it progressively more throttle, and release the handbrake some.
No two cars react identically; try to "feel" yours to familiarize yourself with its reactions.
In a rear wheel drive vehicle, you don't need to pull the brake as you improve, but it is often necessary when first learning.
Starting out in the rain will save tires, and allow you to practice at slower speeds.
Check out the Drift Bible, which outlines some of the more complex techniques involved in drifting a car.
Try to find How To Drift: The Art of Oversteer by Paul Morton for really DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS AND PICTURES
Good choices of cars to drift include: Nissan 240SX, 180SX, 350Z, and Skyline, Mazda RX-7 and Miata, Toyota Supra, AE86, Corolla, Silvia S14, and Silvia S15, Chevrolet Corvette, Viper, GTO, Solstice, G35, and SC300, etc. These cars have close to a 50/50 wight ratio, rear wheel drive, manual transmission and enough power to keep the wheels moving.
Never drift on the road. It is illegal. It might seem fun, but it's really not worth the risk.
Don't go faster than you can handle. Recovering from a spin takes skill and experience.
Because severe or uneven wear is a driving hazard, be sure enough tread remains on the tires when finished drifting, but the tires should either be checked out by a professional or changed immediately.
If you intend to drift a SUV or pickup, use extreme caution. This can be done but you must be very experienced at drifting.
A car with wheels, an engine, tires
suspension, a race track or open lot (recommended you have asked local authorities, tickets are not cool)
Cones or other markers.
BAD BOY TIRES FOR DRIFTING
The Falken RT-615
