RoadTraveler.net is launched by Redline

[Redline]

snip... argued (yes, argued, didn't even use foul language) for about a half an hour before I left, broken ratchet in hand. That was 2 years ago, haven't set foot in a Sears since, never will. I will buy any tool I need from any other company - never again from Sears.
.
That said: Nice article James!

You are a patient man, seriously. Maybe you should join me and try SK? I ordered some today.
Eventually I'll write about the tools after they get some use.

I'm on a roll, maybe I should slow down, back to a crawl... here's one more post for the week

I've been waiting to post this for several weeks. Our endless autumn weather in Nevada has finally changed to winter (thankfully), so I'm motivated to share and provide commentary. I had to search a while to find the original, uncut version that I viewed last month, which includes *the car driver's and passenger's relief and exclamations after, as well as the police toward the end.
In addition to the oh #@!^ moment close call and entertainment value, there are some driver control lessons we can glean. I'll name a few.

Visit the blog for the rest.

 

[jim65wagon]

oooh! That gives me a great idea! You can send me some of the fancy schmancy SK's and I can give you a secondary opinion on the quality, construction and usefulness! I swear I will provide an absolutely unbiased opinion......honest:sombrero:

 

[Redline]

I'll think about it

 

[Redline]

tools arrived

A snip from yesterday...

ToolTopia.com is based in Louisiana. When I ordered my new S-K 3/8-drive socket set on Monday I figured I’d be lucky if it arrived by Friday…tomorrow. Once the FedEx shipping information was available online, I saw that tools were coming from Fresno, California, just next door. Free ground shipping had the tools in my hands in just two days.

 

[jim65wagon]

That's a nice looking ratchet set. I like the knurled bit on the extensions. I wind up turning the extensions with my fingers before I tighten them down with the ratchet, knurling would make that easier....

 

[Redline]

Wheels, Tires, and Sidewalls

...A gentleman asked how much sidewall is enough as he's planning to use 37-inch tires on 20-inch wheels on a full-size diesel pickup...

Monday's post is just a click away.

 

[Redline]

Tires? No Way.

Channeling wheels and tires right now…imagine that

Part of being The Tire Meister means that I need to have wheels on which to mount the treads I'm evaluating. Unless I want to constantly remove my proven, primary tires, extra wheels are desirable. Extra wheels make for better...

http://roadtraveler.net/forged-17-inch-tundra-trd-wheels/

 

[jim65wagon]

Those Rock Warrior rims are coolio.....

 

[Redline]

Those Rock Warrior rims are coolio.....

Thanks, I dig them, a nice OE solution.

A few posts since then, not related to tires or wheels.

I'll return to tire tech soon.

 

[Redline]

Traction Tire Preview Prelude

http://roadtraveler.net/traction-tire-preview-prelude

For several years I've been a fan of what are often called aggressive all-terrain tires. Labels and classifications can be difficult, sometimes neither descriptive nor adequate as there is much crossover, gray-area, and blurred lines with tread designs. These tires are not as open as a mud tire, but offer much more void than the typical all-terrain or all-season tire. Current examples include Mickey Thompson ATZ 4-rib, ******** Cepek F-C II, Cooper S/T Maxx, Goodyear DuraTrac, Dean SXT Mud Terrain/Cooper S/T, and the Toyo M55. These treads are also called traction or commercial traction designs.

Looking for clicks and comments on the blog...

 

[teotwaki]

http://roadtraveler.net/traction-tire-preview-prelude



Looking for clicks and comments on the blog...

Done. I was wondering where that term "commercial traction" came from!

PS: any info on gas mileage hits with the Duratrac? Net reports talk of slightly higher noise levels which says there is likely to be more rolling resistance.

 

[Redline]

Done. I was wondering where that term "commercial traction" came from!

PS: any info on gas mileage hits with the Duratrac? Net reports talk of slightly higher noise levels which says there is liekly to be more rolling resistance.

No personal experience with the DuraTracs. Word is some get great traction and wear, while others (heavy/commercial trucks) get much shorter wear. One example is a buddy with a heavy work truck that was only able to log about 15k. But you know how the saying goes... your mileage may (will) vary.

 

[Redline]

Cooper S/T MAXX part 1

http://roadtraveler.net/cooper-st-maxx-preview-traction-tire-part-2

After deciding the LT275/70R18 was my perfect 33-inch tire for an 18-inch wheel, and seeing there is a nice selection of tires in this size, a tread had to be chosen. This was relatively easy as I'm familiar with most of the popular light-truck tire treads. I'm a fan of Cooper Tires and their subsidiaries, and the new S/T MAXX design was already on my to try list, offering the type of any-terrain tire I prefer—not too biased toward on or off-highway. Cooper calls this a 50/50 tire (on/off pavement) and I'd say they are very close to hitting that mark.

 

[Redline]

Cooper S/T MAXX Part 2

http://roadtraveler.net/cooper-st-maxx-lt27570r18e-part-2

And it continues...

All thirty-threes are not created equal, because they're not all exactly thirty-three inches tall. The very common 285s are typically 32.8-inches tall while the 255/85R16 is almost always over 33 inches; the Toyo M/T is 33.5-inches! Removing the ******** Cepek F-C II 17-inch 285s, slapping-on the 18-inch Cooper S/T MAXXs, and taking a few measurements showed that the taller 275/70R18 MAXXs were good for 3/16" of additional clearance under the rear differential. Nice.

 

[teotwaki]

Amazingly good writing and technical information. I am hooked.