Enjoy Ohio's Autumn Beauty
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TODAY'S TIRES They Spin Longer, More Safely SK any motorist when his Car tires Improving existing quality-line tires is and appearance. Alast exploded in a whoosh of air. no easy task. Sole contact between the High structure carbon blacks, for ex Then stand by for his searching look as vehicle and the road surface, a tire must ample, change the muddy shades of he tries to recall. provide a soft, quiet ride. It also must be natural rubber and most synthetics to Rarities now, blowouts once were attractively designed and assure such jet black - the color motorists expect a among the drawbacks of driving - and "musts" as stability, long wear, and tire to be. More important, carbon blacks the subject of countless anecdotes. In safety under the most grueling stop-and are essential reinforcing and bonding 1905, a motor trip to Grandma's farm go superhighway conditions. Advances in agents in rubber. was considered a harebrained stunt unless research and quality control in cord ply the driver took along at least three spare materials, tread compounds, and other OR wintery climes, some tough rubbers tires. With luck, one of these natural tire components give today's tires up to Fmust hold ceramic or metallic studs. rubber doughnuts might roll for 2,000 six times the mileage at twice the speed The sure road grip and skid resistance of miles. compared with products of 50 years ago. these snow tires are making them in Eight years later, motorists were con Present-day tire "firsts" are even more creasingly popular with motorists. fidently making out-of-town tours with prolific. Radial tires, popular in Europe Naturally, the revolution in tires neither just two tires in reserve. Manufacturers for several years, are beginning to appear occurred overnight, nor resulted from then were packing 5,000 miles of wear in the U.S. Conventional tires have layers chance. Tire manufacturers have invested into their tires. of cord set at approximately 30-degree nearly $100 million for laboratory and Tire improvements kept coming. By angles to one another, forming a diamond road testing facilities. Currently, they are 1935, a long drive could be made with pattern around the wheel. Radials have spending more than $25 million to check four airtight wheels on the ground and cords set at 90-degree angles, forming a their products. Today's tires are torture one in the car trunk. And, to the joy of pattern of crosses which, manufacturers tested under far more strenuous condi the economy-minded, quality tires could say, puts more tread on the road as the tions than they ever will encounter on the safely stand 20,000 miles of road work. car accelerates. Tiremakers, such as Atlas highway. "Spectacular as comparison between Supply Company whose branded tires The unceasing tests that Atlas makes 1905 and today is," comments an in9us have been stocked by Sohio service sta on its top-rated Plycron® tire indicate try spokesman, "it is eclipsed by tire im tions since 1930, are studying whether how costly a thorough inspection can be. provements that have taken place in the the public prefers the radial to smoother To date, more than 16 million miles of last decade." riding conventional tires. controJled road tests are behind the Ply- Last year, according to the Rubber Tires still are made of rubber. But not Manufacturers Association, Americans much of the tree-grown variety is used. bought more than 148.5 million tires, choosing from 1,000 brands produced by LENDS of synthetics and natural rub 17 United States companies. Bber are upgrading tire performance. Few motorists realize just how complex Cord fibers, used to make the carcass of and precise a product their dollars pur tires, are entirely man-made. Since 1938 chased. Reports Time magazine: "During the industry steadily has improved the the 25,000 miles or so of its whirling life, rayon cord in tire plies. Atlas, for example, the automobile tire bites the road in strengthens its four-ply tires by adding hundreds of thousands of stops, gets some 2Y6 miles of Tyrex® - a specially scraped by sidewalks and bruised by developed rayon cord. Nylon, introduced potholes, and runs long and hard at in 1947, is strong and light, but tends to temperatures as high as 275 degrees. make thumping noises for the first few Through all this, the tire is generally miles. The noise is a result of nylon's ignored until the day it goes flat." tendency to "flat spot," meaning it flat Spmred by current congressional hear tens slightly when the car stands still. ings, state governrrents, and the press, In recent months polyester cords have manufacturers are rolling out new tires been making limited appearances on the which are even safer and better performers American market. Reports to date are than previous models. enthusiastic about the synthetic's heat resisting and watershedding qualities. Besides these cord fibers, developments Scientist gets clue to tire's traction traits in rubber compounds are paying drivers Multiple X rays of randomly selected tires by closely noting its tread "footprint." dividends in added safety, mileage, \vear, seek weaknesses invisible to the eye. 7 cron. Some of the driving was at speeds be evenly spaced and pass tests for tensile Overinftation and underinftation are in excess of 100 miles per hour over all strength, elongation, and other qualities. prime tire ills. Both conditions will cause kinds of roads, in terrain as diverse as the Tread and sidewall rubber stock is a tire to touch the roadway improperly. Southwest's hot, flat plains to its cold, checked for stretch and strength. Samples The result is increased wear and loss of rugged mountains. are microscopically examined for carbon traction. Constant in-plant inspections at com black dispersion - a factor in tread life. Specifically, overinflation causes tires panies which manufacture these tires Other tire sections are parted under tem to run hard, making them prone to impact and tests conducted at the Atlas labora peratures duplicating actual road condi damage and weakening of the carcass. tories in Springfield, New Jersey - assure tions to see how well cord plies, sidewall, Excessive wear in the center of the tread conformance to specifications and per and tread are bonded together. Finally, also results. formance standards set by Atlas Rnd the rubber stock is either reduced to ash Sohio. in a furnace, or dissolved in fluids to NDERINFLATED tires wear faster, too. separate and measure its components. USafety especially is involved here Na reversal of the manufacturing proc When a tire meets these - and dozens of since underinftation adversely affects the I ess, tires are reduced to their basic other tests - it is declared ready for the operation of the car's braking and steer components. Sensitive instruments check motorist. ing systems - and the transmission of for tire variations. Tread "footprints" are power from the motor to the road. It's taken, then the tire is spun and squashed s with products of other leading advisable to consult your car owner's in tests designed to measure its ability to A manufacturers, Atlas tires comply manual when unsure about proper tire soak up bumps and to flex uniformly. A with Rubber Manufacturers Association pressures for various driving conditions. special, high-speed band saw reduces test standards. These safety and performance Here are some other tips that will help tires to sections which later are pulled guidelines apply to all new tire lines and your car's tires absorb more miles more apart to expose the cords. Each cord must price ranges. safely; Safe as modern tires are, however, it's 1. Have tires rotated every 5,000 miles up to drivers to keep them in good condi to equalize wear. tion and replace them when they wear out. 2. Regularly have your car's wheels " /'J Says RMA president Ross R. Ormsby: checked for balance and alignment. /. "Back in the Nineteen Forties, you At Sohio service stations, where such would go to the gas station once a week work is a specialty, car tires also are and put air in your tires because the tires inspected carefully for cuts, wear, and then were not as good containers of air. casing breaks that could be dangerous Today you drive in and check everything under high-speed highway conditions. else, but the natural tendency is not to Your spare tire will be pampered, too. look at the tires for months at a time. But, unlike early day motorists, chances Tires do wear out, and they can become are good that four good tires will be all > damaged." that's needed to get you there. ' .......... ~ -....~.. ~ <-. I, Skilled draftsmen solve the intricacies of tread design long before production starts. New tires are torture tested at high speeds for pro In another quality control test, giant metal wheel longed periods under road and weather conditions spins Atlas Plycron in grueling laboratory dem more severe than most drivers will encounter. onstration of tire's wear and strength qualities. 8 Enjoy Ohio's Autumn Beauty o me, the Ohio countryside in autumn is the stocked. New vacation-type inns are planned Tmost beautiful in the world. I enjoy driving for several state parks. I am sure that many in the fall and seeing the prosperous farms, the who toured Ohio during the summer vacation woodlots changing color. I also enjoy hiking season have noticed the change in our recrea with my family or friends and seeing-or tional facilities. sensing-the teeming life of nature. It's fun to Because I enjoy the outdoors so much, I urge get out early in the morning while the frost is you to taste the same, simple adventures.