Hub Centric Rings

What is Hub Centric Ring? 

The hub centric ring is a device used with the aftermarket wheels and are installed between the car wheel hub and the wheel. The purpose of the hub centric ring is to fill the empty space between the wheel hub and the center bore of the wheel. Hub centric rings are usually made of durable industrial plastic or aluminum.

Why needed? 

Hub centric rings are needed when the hub hole (the center bore) on the wheel is larger (typically 73.1mm) than the wheel hub of the car. The wheel manufacturers deliberately make the hub ring as large as possible for the rim, taking in to consideration the hub hole, to allow the same wheels to be sold for the various different models of car using hub centric rings.

Hub centric rings are usually needed only for aftermarket wheels, since the original wheels usually come with a center bore of the right size. Usually the hub centric rings are used with alloy wheels, but sometimes steel rims may need hub centric rings.

The purpose of the centric ring is to perfectly center the alloy wheel to the wheel hub and hence prevent vibration to the steering wheel during driving and the shaking which typically appears around speeds of 40-60 mph.

Steering Angle Sensor Reset

    The steering angle sensor (SAS) is a critical part of the ESC (Electronic Stability Control) system that measures the steering wheel position angle and rate of turn. A scan tool can be used to obtain this data in degrees.

    Many vehicles require the SAS be reset or recalibrated after an alignment is performed or parts in the steering system are replaced. If the SAS is out of calibration, most vehicles can tell if they are traveling in a straight line, but if the angle is too far off, the ESC could become disabled. If the steering angle sensor is not reset, the ESC system will be disabled and some warning lights will appear on the dashboard. ABS, Traction Control, Stability Control and other systems may be disabled. After an alignment is performed on a vehicle equipped with a Steering Angle Sensor, it is required by the manufacturer to reset the system.

* Steering Angle Sensor Reset is not optional. If car requires it, it MUST be performed.

* Most cars from 2008 and up have SAS. Some cars before 2008 still have it. If car does not have ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System), it will not have ESC.

* For ESC (Electronic Stability Control), different manufacturers use different names, such as ASC, DSC, ESP, PSM, VDC, VSA, VSC, etc.

Puncture Repair

1. The puncture must be within the crown of the tire. (About 2-inches from each sidewall.)

2. The puncture must also be no larger than a pencil thickness. Approximately 3/16-inch or less.

3. If the sidewall has been compromised, (driven on with low pressure) the tire must be replaced.

4. Run Flat Tires can be repaired just like radial tires so long as the integrity of the tire hasn't been compromised. The tire must be removed to inspect for inside damage.



This picture shows the inside of a tire that has been compromised. Notice the bits of rubber compound. Also, you will see a 'Worm' style tire plug. These plugs are not recommended and are considered a temporary fix. In many cases these plugs will still leak air.

 
Here is the outside of the tire that faces the inside of the vehicle. The wear mark on the side wall indicates the tire has been driven on with low pressure, AKA Ran Flat.






This is the same tire. But this is the side facing outward on the vehicle. Most people only look at this part of the tire. As you can see, it looks to be in good condition. As we saw in the previous pictures, we know this tire has been compromised and is unsafe to drive on. This is why you must always inspect the whole tire, inside and outside.  

 

Here is a good example of a tire that is NOT repairable. The nail has punctured the shoulder of the tire. Punctures on the shoulder or sidewall can NOT be repaired. This tire will need to be replaced and can be claimed under "Road Hazard Warranty", if applicable. 

Malone Tuning by Hankook Tires Lynnwood

Thanks for contacting us for your Malone Tuning needs. Here are some frequently asked questions from our customers...

• How does it work?
• You probably already heard that ECU tune can increase the power output by adjusting primary parameters such as timing, fueling and turbo boost. This is particularly true for forced induction system (such as turbocharged engine). Yes, it will definitely increase the power (horse power and torque), yet there are several things to consider before moving forward. Most modern Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, Mercedes Benz, and Porsche cars that we are working on, are OBD2 flashable, meaning we do not have to take ECU physically out of the car to get it flashed. This means installation will be clean and reversible (there are certain exceptions, which requires ECU to be removed from the car and flashed on the special device then to be re-installed to the car, so please send us email before making assumption). 
• What's the flash process?
• Once we make appointment with you, we will take your car on that day, read the original map from the ECU, send it to Malone Tuning headquarter (they will do the magic), receive the tuned file, and we will flash your ECU with the new file. No physical hardware change is necessary for most case (unless customer decided to get more power by changing exhaust system or fueling system, such as injector). Our primary focus is ECU flash, not the hardware installation. If you need assistance in installing those hardware, we can either do it or refer you to the experienced local work shop.
• How soon can we do it?
• Because we have to collaborate with Malone Tuning headquarter, it is strongly advised we make appointment in advance by at least 3 days. Sometimes they can do it for next day service, but we do not recommend waiting until last minute and trying to get all done quick. Please plan for at least 3 day advance, so that we can prepare for all the necessary tools and TIME for successful re-flash.
• Do we send ECU out?
• Certain old ECU needs to be still soldered physically (Mk3 TDI cars). We do not offer such service. If you have this, you are advised to contact Malone Tuning directly.
• Most modern cars can be flashed via OBD2 port, and those are all flashed in-house.
• How long does it take?
• Before proceeding, we want to make sure car is in fully operational condition without existing error codes in Engine and Transmission. Then we read the map from ECU, tune it, and flash it to ECU. The entire process takes about 2 hours. For those cars going for Stage2 and above with DSG transmission will take longer time for additional TCU flash (1 hour additional).

If you have any additional question, please send us email (info@lynnwoodtires.com). We have limited staff who works on this part of business and our availability is quite limited. Thank you.

Korean Service

한국어 서비스를 원하시는데 제가 자리를 비운 경우...
저에게 info@lynnwoodtires.com 으로 이메일을 보내주세요.

제가 자리를 비운 경우는 출장일 경우가 대부분이므로
빠른 답변을 드리기 어려울수도 있으니 미리 이해해주시기를 바랍니다.

이메일보다 카카오톡이 더 편하시면 카카오 아이디 JaeLim911 로 연락주시기 바랍니다.
감사합니다.

Run Flat Tire Pros & Cons

If you have modern BMW (or Mini Cooper, or Toyota Sienna, etc). you may have heard about Run Flat Tire (RFT). Basic idea is you can run when tire is flat (no air). Specifically, you can run about 50 mile at the speed of 50mph maximum (this differs by tire). That's the main advantage of RFT : when you have experienced puncture or damage to tire, you can still go to some (close) location.

Obviously vehicle manufacturers want that location to be their dealers, where you will spend money on these high priced tires. Yes, they are expensive, way more expensive than non-RFT. Let's look at the pros and cons about RFT in more detail:

Self Supporting RFT (Run Flat Tire)
Sidewall of conventional tires is very thin, yet it is the main part that supports the weight of the car (typically 3000 lbs or more). It cannot support weight of the car by itself without air. That is why air pressure is important. In RFT, side wall is reinforced (thick) to support the weight of the vehicle for short period of the time, in the event of air loss due to tire damage or puncture. This comes with big cost of price of RFT as well as compromised ride quality, due to stiffened side wall.

How expensive?
If you compare two identically sized tire prices (one RFT and one non-RFT) online...
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearchResults.jsp?width=225%2F&ratio=45&diameter=17&performance=ALL
Looking at the very common tire size, 225/45R17...
There are more than 160 tires to choose from (Non-RFT 130 & RFT 30). 
Non-RFT ranges from $70 ~ $200 per tire, and RFT ranges from $140 ~ $240.
As seen, RFT is way more expensive and also more expensive to install (mount and dismount).

Weight of the tire
RFT is typically heavier than non-RFT. Heavier tire means greater rolling resistance, which means more fuel to burn to turn that mass. 

Higher Rolling Resistance
Sidewall of the tire continuously changes its shape as it rotates, to ensure optimal traction against the road it touches. Stiffer sidewall requires greater force for it to shape, which also means higher rolling resistance.

Standard Tire

Run Flat Tire

Is it flat for not?
If you look at the non-RFT, it's quite easy to tell whether air pressure is too low, as bottom will look flat (hence "flat tire"). On the other hand, it's quite difficult to judge RFT's air pressure only by looking, as even RFT without much air still looks more round than non-RFT with no air. This is why TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring Sensor) is almost always required when manufacturer equips the car with RFT. TPMS can be convenient, yet it adds more cost to entire car and job.

Where is my spare?? 
Cars with RFT typically do not have spare tire. Instead, there's tire sealant, a bottle of chemical that you can inject through valve stem to temporarily seal the air leak. Even RFT with big leak can fail very quickly, so owner's manual states it is necessary to seal the tire with tire sealant and pump air to vehicle specification. Please note that this is temporary fix, just to get to the closest service station.

So what's good about RFT? You have more trunk space because there's no spare tire. You get that much weight reduction (but with added weight of RFT). Even when tire is completely flat, you can go somewhere. However, when you actually arrive at the tire shop or dealer, you will be likely surprised that RFT is not in stock, special order, and extremely expensive. Perhaps it's a good idea to buy non-RFT next time, save a lot of money and use that money for actual spare tire or AAA? It's up to owner's decision.

To be continued...

How To Find Tire Size

Before buying tires, the first thing you need to know is the tire size.

There are a few different ways to find the correct tire size for your vehicle. The first way is to check the side of the tire for a combination of letters/numbers. In the example below, you can see the tire size is 205/40R17.

The original tire size is also printed on a sticker (called "placard"), located inside the door jam, usually on the driver side (sometimes on the inside of gas cap). In the example below, the tire size is 225/45R18.

You can also check owner's manual for the correct tire size. 

If you have any question, you can always contact us at 425-243-7999 or info@lynnwoodtires.com.