World of Wheels

Car Loans to Bring Home Your Prized Possession on Wheels! (Hot wheels cars)

Tempted by the new charismatic looks of the latest cars? You must have started dreaming about them! If you have made up your mind to own one of those mean machines and looking for means to bring it home, think of borrowing car loans and gear up for the drive!

Car loans are available to finance your car. Many financers and lenders have also started covering up the insurance charges and other service charges included in the ex-showroom price of your new car. Car loans have become popular for the ease of financing a car of one’s dream and the necessity of job.

However, car loans are also available for buying a used car. If you are a new licence holder and want a car to practise well with your learner’s licence, you can approach a lender for car loans to finance any used car in a good condition.

To borrow car loans, all you need to do is to decide the amount that you need for buying a new or an old car. With your estimate and the decision to offer collateral, you can choose between secured and unsecured car loans. Both the products have their own advantages and disadvantages.

When you decide to take out secured car loans, you will have to offer a security in terms of your assets to the lender. Generally, your car servers as collateral when you borrow a car loan for financing a car. These loans are low rate loans and the repayment term is long as the lender has the security deposited as collateral.

But when you do not want to risk your car by giving the legal rights over your car to the lender, you can apply for unsecured car loans. However, these loans have higher rate of interest in comparison to the secured loans but it is worth paying as you are keeping your prized possession away from the legal clutches of repossession.

Moreover, if you are in a hurry and cannot resist the temptation of flaunting your car, apply online for car loans and add speed to the processing time. How about taking a test drive while waiting for a loan quote?

Add comment August 21st, 2008

Pacer wheels – Affordable Vacation Home on Wheels

We all dream of a place to go to that is ours. Somewhere near the ocean, in the woods or in warm climate. Some folks buy Time shares or condos. Some even buy 2 or 3 vacation homes. But most of us do not have the resources to do that, especially if you’re a Redneck like me. But I found a great solution.

A Trailer or 5th Wheel.

No, I am not suggesting you live like trailer trash, I really think this is a good idea, and I did it last year in Sequim, Washington.

I love Fishing at John Wayne Marina, in Sequim, Washington. I go there every weekend to Halibut and Salmon fish, along with a little crabbing. It’s about 150 miles from our home and it really gets old driving it all summer.

We looked at land up there, and it averages about $150,000. So we did a little math and here is what we came up with.

I already have a 26 ft trailer, so lets say it cost about $20,000. About the same as a down payment for land up there. Then, if you actually bought some property up there, you still need utilities installed and monthly utility payments every month. Also the average monthly property payment of $1000.00, to $1600.00 including taxes.

Yes, some would argue that it’s an investment, but what if you hate it in 5 years and can’t get rid of it?

So we took our 26 ft Trailer to Sequim Bay RV Resort, right across the street from John Wayne Marina, and setup a monthly site with them for $400.00 a month.

Now we have our own place in Sequim. We can come and go anytime we want and know one cares if we have our two dogs with us.

So tell me. Does it make more sense to buy a trailer, and locate it where you want at about 65% less cost than buying a piece of land. Is it not true that a loan to buy land, would cost more a month in interest, than $400.00 a month?

You now have a vacation home and extra money to actually enjoy it. So go by a new or used trailer and move it around the country. It’s Great!!

Come over and visit our site at http://www.rangerrob.com or http://www.retirementonlinefind.com to get some great vacation ideas.

Add comment August 18th, 2008

Inline Skate Wheels — Before You Buy (Dakota wheels)

Inline skate wheels have the greatest impact on your skating performance. They come in different sizes, shapes, and composition, and are made to suit different styles of skating. Therefore, selecting the right wheels based on the way you skate is of prime importance.

You should buy inline skate wheels based on your:

• Body weight
• Blading ability
• Skating style
• Speed comfort zone

Furthermore, before you head to your local sporting goods store for replacement wheels, it’s best to learn something about the physical properties that are used to describe the typical, inline skate wheel.

Learning about the Physical Properties
The four properties are hardness, size, core, and profile. You need to understand these properties so you’re in the know when it comes time to purchase a new set of wheels.

Hardness
The durometer reading is a measure of the hardness of the material that makes up the wheel’s tire. The higher the hardness is, the harder the wheel. In addition, the harder the wheel, the longer it lasts, but the less it absorbs shock and vibration when skating.

Most wheels on the market range from 74A (softest) to 88A (hardest), where the letter A denotes the durometer scale. However, recreational skaters are normally interested in the narrower range from 78A to 82A. This hardness range provides good control, grip, and a smooth roll for most trail skaters.

A harder wheel with a higher, durometer reading, such as 82A, exhibits the following characteristics:

• Good for skating fast on smoother surfaces
• Lasts longer and is more durable
• Generally used by heavier people
• Better wear properties
• More vibration on rougher surfaces

On the other hand, a softer wheel with a lower durometer reading, such as 78A, provides the following benefits:

• Better traction
• Greater shock absorption
• More cornering grip
• Enhanced rebound
• Less vibration on rougher surfaces
• Good for rougher surfaces

Size
The size of the wheel is the outside diameter measured in millimeters (mm). The larger the wheel, the faster the skate due to reduced rolling resistance. Wheels in the 72-mm to 80-mm range are just right for recreational and fitness skating. They provide good maneuverability and speed for skating longer distances on trails.

However, wheels in the 84-mm to 90-mm range and up are faster wheels that provide the best performance at higher speeds. However, larger wheels are less stable and consequently require more skating ability. Racers and marathoners typically use wheels in this size range.

Check your owner’s manual or with the manufacturer to find out what size range your skates can accommodate. For example, the frames of K2 Exotech skates can hold up to an 82-mm wheel in the larger sizes and down to a 76-mm wheel in the smaller sizes. It’s important that you find out the size range supported by the wheelbase of your skates, especially if you are planning to move up or down in size versus the original wheels that came with your skates.

Core
The core consists of the hub and spokes. The inner hub houses the bearings and spacer, which is where the axle resides. The outer hub and spokes bond to the tire material itself, which is the polyurethane.

The core design and material of construction gives a wheel its stability. A wheel undergoes stress from many different directions. The design and material determine the strength of the wheel. Cores range from a solid construction in aggressive wheels to lightly-spoked in racing wheels. The standard hub is called a 608 hub, which means it houses a 608-type bearing.

Profile
The profile is the cross-section of the wheel where it meets the ground, when viewed head on. The profile or curve determines how much of the wheel is in contact with the surface at any given time.

As an industry standard, all wheels are 24-mm thick, but it’s the variation in a wheel’s footprint that provides different functionality. The larger the footprint, the better the traction and stability.

Selecting new Wheels
The hardness and size have the biggest impact on your skating, so base your choice on these properties. Cores and profiles have significant, but less subtle consequences. Compare cores and profiles after you’ve decided on the correct hardness and diameter for your weight, ability, style, and speed.

Choosing a Hardness
As mentioned previously, the harder the wheel, the longer it lasts, but the lower the grip, and the less it absorbs shock and vibration on the trail. Recreational skaters normally look for wheels in the range of 78A to 82A. This hardness range affords good control and a smooth roll on most trails.

However, that being said, you’re not required to use the same hardness on all your wheels. Some skaters use mixed durometers to achieve a better balance of grip, shock absorption, and durability than is possible with a single hardness.

Wear Patterns: Before you rotate your wheels during your monthly maintenance check, note the wear pattern on your wheels from the front to the back. Do any of your wheels tend to wear a lot more than the others? If so, you might want to put harder wheels in those positions.

Some skaters tend to wear the inside edges of their two front wheels much quicker due to the aggressive way they push off when striding, as well as from the number of rolls they skate during the summer months. If you’re in this category, you may want to experiment and try an 84A in the #1 positions, and a 78A in the #2, #3, and #4 positions on each skate.

Durability and Shock Absorption: You may find your wheels wear down faster then you’d like when you skate on rough surfaces, which can happen on some stretches on certain trails. You could opt to buy all harder wheels, such as an 82A across the board, but you might experience a rougher ride. One alternative is to replace only half of your wheels with a harder durometer. Half of your wheels could be 78As and the other half 82As.

The following are two, recommended orders from the #1 position to the #4 position as you move from left to right:

78A-82A-78A-82A
82A-78A-78A-82A

This wheel mix gives you the shock absorption of a 78A wheel and the durability of an 82A wheel, or the best of both worlds!

Picking a Size
Inline skate wheels in the 72-mm to 80-mm diameter range are about right for most recreational and fitness skaters. At the low end, skates with 72-mm wheels are appropriate for the lighter, female, recreational skater.

At the higher end, skates with 80-mm wheels are best for the heavier, male, fitness skater. For the mid-weight, male or female, inline skater, a good compromise is to use 76-mm wheels.

Some recreational skaters, who want to achieve an even better workout while trail skating via longer distances, higher speeds, or short sprints, opt for the largest diameter wheel they can fit on their skates. If your skating ability and style warrant the larger diameter, and you’re comfortable skating at higher speeds, you may want to consider moving up to an 84-mm diameter.

The larger diameter means more speed and the wheels last longer than shorter wheels of the same hardness. However, check with your owner’s manual or the skate manufacturer to find out if your frame or wheelbase can accommodate wheels in this size range.

Summing Up
I hope the above guidelines come in handy the next time you need to buy wheels for your skates. Remember that hardness and size are the most important properties, especially if you’re a recreational skater who plans on doing a lot of trail skating this summer. Check your skates to see if you have a noticeable wear pattern on the front or rear wheels. If so, you may want to refit your skates with harder wheels in these positions.

Add comment August 15th, 2008

Mounting Racing Go Kart Tires On One Piece Wheels (Deals on wheels)

I am asked for advice on removing and mounting racing go kart tires on one piece wheels often. So in this guide I will attempt to explain how to do both. These tips are what has worked best for me. There is a risk of injury when mounting and removing tires and I will not be responsible for any injuries that result from trying any of these techniques.

Let’s start with breaking down a go kart racing tire first. There are several kinds of bead breakers made to accomplish this task such as the RLV bead breaker or the H.D. bead breaker we sell. A RLV bead breaker looks a lot better but a heavy duty bead breaker certainly works better.

This task will be much easier if the tire is hot or at least warm. If you do not have an oven or tire box to heat a tire up, even placing tire in the bright sunshine for a while will help. First, deflate tire and remove valve core completely and place core in a secure place as you will not need it again until you have a new tire mounted on the wheel.

Next, determine which side of wheel is the short side. Most of the time the shorter side will be the inside (side without valve stem) of wheel. Place wheel in bead breaker with the shorter side facing up. Adjust bead breaker to fit the size wheel you have and simply push tire off bead. Flip wheel over and repeat process on the other side.

That was the easy part. Now you need to get tire off wheel. There is a trick to doing this without using tire irons. It just takes some practice to get the hang of it. But once you do get the hang of it you will be able to remove a tire without risking damage to the tire or wheel which you will be risking if you use tire irons. With the inside of the tire, roll the top of the tire inward, making the bottom tire bead extend itself over the rim. Grab the extended bead and slowly work the tire off the rim until the entire bead has been removed over the rim.

Now, flip tire and wheel over and push the rim on to a piece of carpet at about a 45 degree angle. Hold rim with your left hand and use your right palm to slowly work the outside bead over the inside surface of the rim. This method does take some practice to get the hang of it. If you can’t get the tire off using this method then here’s how to do it using tire irons, or, heaven forbid, screwdrivers.

After breaking both beads place the wheel on apiece of carpet with the valve side down. Push one edge of tire to the narrow middle section of wheel Take the tire iron and place it on the other side and pull down. Take the other tire iron and do the same thing. Once you have about half of the bead over the rest of the tire should pull over by hand, Flip tire and wheel over and the other edge can be pulled off by hand. Be very careful not to mess up the edge of rim or the bead of tire if using tire again. If you are tossing tire, you don’t have to worry about that.

Now, on to mounting a racing go kart tire on a one piece go kart racing wheel. To accomplish this task you will need a tire mounting ring or tire band as they are sometimes called. There are two basic types, one is a Ratchet style tire band and the other is a Screw type tire band. I have used both and had no problems with either. You will also need an air compressor, of course. I would suggest using a compressor with at least a 20 gallon tank on it. Before starting to inflate tire release some air until compressor kicks on, that way tank is completely full.

Now is the time to heat tire if you have a way to do so. Heat simply makes the rubber softer, thus easier to stretch. Next make sure valve core is removed from wheel. DO NOT FORGET THIS! Identify the smaller edge of the wheel rim. Most of the time this will be the inside edge of wheel. Most Douglas wheels have equal size lips but if you look closely one lip is thinner than the other and the edge is more rounded. This smaller edge is the edge you will slide tire over first..

It is now lube time. Use something slippery to lube up the edges of wheel and tire. I have used tire snot, dishwashing liquid, Simple Green, WD-40,and Greased Lightning. Avoid getting lube on the inside of tire as much as you can. Place wheel on a mat or pice of carpet between your knees. Hold tire like you would a steering wheel and push it against wheel at about a 45 degree angle so that the bead contacts the wheel at 2 points. Now push the tire on to the wheel. The first few times you do this you will most likely be using brute force to accomplish this step. After you have done this several times you will figure out the trick and you will be able to do this without breaking a sweat. Flip tire and wheel over and repeat process for other side.

Place tire and wheel in th tire mounting ring. Then, either turn knob or use ratchet to secure tire band around tire. Never use band with open end facing up and your face right over it. If tire blows your face is toast. Lay tire band on floor on it’s side with open ends facing left and right instead of up and down. With everything out of in front of the open ends, and both edges of wheel and tire lubed up, connect and begin pumping the air to it. When tire seals on bead you will hear a very loud POP, that will almost make you go in your pants. Do not stop pumping air when you hear the first pop. Keep pumping air to it until you hear the second POP. Release air as soon as you hear the second POP. And since you remembered to remove valve core, all air will release immediately. You probably do not even want know how much air was in tire when second bead pops on.

Put valve cores back in wheels and inflate tires to a middle pressure that you run. Now would be the time to balance your wheel. I have written another guide to explain this process.

As you know, there are several brands of racing go kart tires such as Dunlop, Vega, Maxxis and others. Some brands of racing go kart tires will mount with less effort than others, and a softer tire is much easier to mount than a hard one. There are several types and brands of go kart wheels as well. We stock Douglas polished wheels in 5″ or 6″ diameter, as well as 6″ fully machined Douglas Q + and WMS Tru-Roll wheels. You can find these parts at many kart shops including ours http://smokinjoeracing.com.

Add comment August 12th, 2008

Brake Dust Shields Protect Your Wheels (Keystone wheels)

The quickest way to ruin the wheels on your car is to let brake dust gather unimpeded. Sure, you can clean the dust off on a daily basis, but who has the time? What if you ruin them by using an abrasive cleaner? However, if you don’t do something about the problem, your wheels’ finish will most certainly corrode and deteriorate. This is not something you want to see: your pricey AMG 129s eating dust! Fortunately, in this world of ever improving technology a permanent and cost effective solution will take care of the problem for less than $100.

Brake dust shields [also known as wheel dust shields] can successfully protect your wheels from dust. Made of high strength aluminum alloy, brake dust shields fit securely between the hub and wheel just like an inside hubcap; the turbo-venting design of the shield enhances brake cooling.

Properly installed brake shields are a great idea for the following reasons:

They will keep your wheels shiny and like new; protects them from damaging brake dust.

Are easy for you to install; no special tools are necessary.

Are made of a one piece no-maintenance aluminum alloy.

Come in a variety of sizes that fit virtually all cars, trucks, and SUVs equipped with factory wheels.

Will not impact your new car warranty.

Brake dust shields are sold in pairs and are custom made for your wheels. In most cases you can order and receive two pairs and have them shipped to your home for under $100. When you consider that your AMG 129s cost $863 each, the investment is well worth it; almost like having wheel insurance without reoccurring annual charges!

Currently, there is only one manufacturer of wheel dust shields, Kleen Wheels. Some cars come factory equipped with these shields as the importance of protecting pricey wheels is not lost on some car manufacturers, particularly those marketing high end car lines.

A tip: When ordering brake dust shields you are ordering them for the wheel not the car. Shields will be different if your wheels are factory delivered or after market installed. Make sure you are clear on this when placing your order as you could learn that the shields you ordered do not match your wheels.

Yeah, AMG 129s are totally cool. Without the brake dust, that is!

Add comment August 8th, 2008