|
About Me
Name: Loren Wong Recent Posts
Categories
Links
CarSpace The Outside LineIn motorsport, passes made on the outside are always cooler and more breathtaking! Welcome to my blog about automotive-related things...and some that are not. Feb 10, 2009 - Debris owned me
On the night of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Monday, January 19, 2009), I drove over a piece of debris on the 10 East while I was passing through Downtown Los Angeles and approaching the East LA interchange. During my drive to work the next morning, I noticed a white 2005-2007 Subaru Outback 2.5i in the adjacent lane to my right slogging through traffic on the 60 West with me. A minute or two later, he honked his car's horn to get my attention. I put the right front window down for him to tell me the right rear tire was flat. Love. It's what makes a Subaru, a Subaru. This notice completely surprised me because I did a quick walkaround (with a flashlight) when I got home the previous night looking for damage. That "inspection" was prompted by a loud bang I heard from the left front when I ran over the debris (remains from an accident?). I was really surprised the right rear tire had been affected. As displayed above, the right rear tire's sidewall had been slashed. By the time I pulled the car off the freeway and stopped, the air pressure reading I took showed 0 psi. I was impressed with how well the tire's sidewall supported the weight of the corner and prevented the car from riding on the wheel/rim. Also surprising was the fact that I didn't perceive that the tire was low. After stopping the car in a Jack-In-the-Box parking lot, I took out the 12V comprossor than came with the emergency kit I bought a while ago from the Tire Rack. Minutes later the tire was now at 37-38 psi. With air in the tire, I completed my morning commute to work. I measured the tire pressure again when I got to work and saw that it was still around 37 psi. I decided to take the car to Stokes Tire Pros. during my lunch break for a closer inspection. There, a technician noticed the gash in the tire's sidewall. Jack presented me with my options and I drove back to the office. My plan was to order a replacement BFGoodrich g-Force Super Sport A/S tire (P215/45R17) from the Tire Rack (I only needed one because the left rear tire was still relatively new) and have it drop-shipped to Stokes. While waiting the two days for the new tire to arrive from the Tire Rack's distribution center in Reno, Nevada, I thought it'd be okay to use my full-size spare tire. The gash in the sidewall was amazing in the sense that it usually remained closed which allowed the tire to retain its air. The tire didn't lose any air over the course of my trip home! I swapped my full-size spare tire, an old Bridgestone Potenza S-03 Pole Position P215/45R17, with the right front tire and moved the right front to the right rear. Why didn't I simply put the spare on the right rear corner? As a former summer/track tire,I knew the spare had a lot of wear on it (I prayed it wouldn't rain) and thus, wouldn't have a circumference similar to the left rear tire's. Having different circumference tires on the rear corners could potentially overwork and damage the rear (limited-slip) differential.
In 9-1/2 years of driving, I had never lost a tire to a nail, screw, or other road hazard. It was that thinking that led me to think I would be okay without the Road Hazard warranty the Tire Rack offers. Now I'd think twice before passing up on the warranty again for my next set of street (read: primary use) tires. On one hand, it'd be great to have that protection and peace of mind. On the other hand, the coverage isn't worth it if it'll be another long time until I need to replace a tire or tires due to unforeseen circumstances.
Jan 18, 2009 - The drive for five
Saturday, January 3, 2009 marked five years of life together with my 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX Sedan, a.k.a. Devoted Dan. After 104,000 miles, it continues to run well and provide smiles per mile. Below is a brief rundown of our time together. 2004 January 3 - Took delivery from Frank's Irvine Subaru in Lake Forest 2005 January - Retrofitted Subaru 4-pot/2-pot brakes, installed Prodrive springs, Group N STI strut tops, and Goodridge stainless steel brake lines 2006 January - Participated in a track day at Buttonwillow Raceway, obtained 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX stock wheels and tires (Bridgestone Potenza RE92 -P215/45R17) 2007 April - Returned to Buttonwillow Raceway 2008 March - Ran at Buttonwillow Raceway again 2009 February - Already registered to return to Laguna Seca Raceway Happy New Year! See you later! :o)
Dec 4, 2008 - The sting of blingAt this year's Los Angeles International Auto Show, there were some factory-modified vehicles that some brands prominently displayed. Hear are a few of the atrocities my eyes (and camera) couldn't resist. 2009 Ford Focus Coupe Now, let's compare the Focus above with the 2009 Ford Focus RS hatchback available in Europe.
2009 Toyota Venza The 2009 Toyota Venza is Toyota's all-new wagon/crossover born with an identity crisis. For the most part, it's basically a Camry Wagon. On the other hand, it also shares components with the Highlander. The sad thing is "dubs" (20-inch or larger diameter wheels) come standard on factory stock V6-powered Venzas.
Here's what I think of all of these: Next week, I'll share some of my favorite vehicles featured at this year's LA Auto Show.
Nov 26, 2008 - How I equipped my car with 12 tiresHappy Thanksgiving to everyone who reads this! What are you most thankful for? Why select an all-season tire in (Southern) California? Or rather, why not? First, I have a separate set of Bridgestone Potenza RE-01R (P225/45R17 91W) extreme performance summer tires that I use for the track. Second, I like knowing that my car can be driven in snow if necessary to go snowboarding, skiing, or to retreat sites. Third, it would be nice to have a set of tires that last for a while compared to summer tires or even the factory supplied Bridgestone Potenza RE92 tires, which only have a treadwear rating of 160 compared to the BFG's 400. So how exactly did I equipped my car with 12 tires? The answer is I didn't. But in a way, I did. BFGoodrich's g-Force Super Sport A/S tire replaced the venerable g-Force T/A KDWS. The g-Force Super Sport A/S is constructed with three distinct rubber compounds to provide traction in dry, wet, and snowy conditions. Many all-season tires may have three distinct zones, but each zone uses the same rubber compound.
Dry: The outer sides of the tread feature large shoulder blocks designed to maximize traction while cornering. Additionally, these same blocks also contain sipes to aid with acceleration and braking in snow. Displayed in the middle, the continuous center rib provides the driver with excellent steering feel. Wet: The center rib and grooves on its sides work with the swept lateral grooves to effectively channel water and reduce hydroplaning. Snow: In-between the dry and wet tread zones is the snow zone. Working in conjuction with the outer shoulder blocks' sipes, the intermediate tread block provides a snow hook shape to function like snow chains. You don't have to take my word for it, though. In May, the Tire Rack conducted a test of the BFGoodrich g-Force Super Sport A/S tires against its chief competitors. You can see their results here. Although it finished second in their comparison, the g-Force Super Sport A/S produced the dry performance numbers. It didn't have the wet grip of the Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS Pole Position tire (another tire I was considering at $150 each) or the ride comfort, but I figured most of the miles I would accumulate would be on dry tarmac. Thus, I decided to sacrifice road manners for better handling (after all, I'm still young, right?).
If that's not enough to convince you of what an excellent tire this is, Car and Driver also plays host to a BFGoodrich Tires Virtual Test Drive (Adobe Flash required) mini-site. There you can learn more about BFGoodrich tires including the g-Force Super Sport A/S. Four-time SCCA Trans Am champion and host of SPEED Test Drive and SETUP, Tommy Kendall, will talk, or rather, drive, you through the features and construction of the tire. You can even ride along with Tommy as he drives a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX on the track at Miller Motorsports Park. Here's a cool did you know (dyk): BFGoodrich is owned by Michelin (FRA) like Firestone (USA) is owned by Bridgestone (JPN) With old man winter upon us--or right around the corner--there isn't a better time than the present to make sure your vehicle's shoes will keep you and your loved ones safe in inclement weather. If your tires' tread depths are less than 4/32 of an inch you should consider replacing them as soon as possible. 2/32" is the legal limit, but grooves shallower than 4/32" are less resistant to hydroplaning. Not sure how to measure your tires' tread depths? Here's an excellent article you may find useful. Remember to keep your tires properly inflated as well! Tire Rack: Measuring Tire Tread Depth with a Coin
Nov 3, 2008 - 100K the hard way
Here are the number of revolutions each of these tires must turn to travel a mile: - Bridgestone Potenza RE92 (P215/45R17) - 847, 2% inflation over stock Multiplied over "100,000 miles," one can figure out that Devoted Dan has probably only traveled ~98,000 miles. For you automobile enthusiasts whose vehicles are no longer on the factory-supplied shoes, the same circumstance probably applies to you. With "100,000" in the book, here's to many more miles and more importantly, many more good times! :o)
Sep 9, 2008 - Sedan silliness
While I believe every person should be allowed to do what he or she wants to do to his or her automobile, I detest the things people do to bread-and-better family sedans. As point-A to point-B people-movers, they were not designed with sporting intentions in mind. What about cars such as the Toyota Camry SE you say? No! It's still a Camry! It's not wrong to own a Camcord or any other typical mid-size family sedan. I simply believe it's wrong to modify one in such a disgusting way. Current generation Toyota Camry
1998-2002 Honda Accord
2002 Toyota Camry on dubs (20-inch or more wheels for those who aren't with the "lingo") Here's a classic web site pointing out more ridiculous transgressions against the automobile. What do you all out there think?
|
