Offset in Wheels

Thinking of replacing your wheels?

Replacing your stock wheels can be a tricky process, and it is easy to make mistakes if you are not familiar with how wheels, and their fitment, work on different cars. Depending on the look you are going for, additional equipment may need to be added to the car - this would include spacers, lift or leveling kits, and more.

The way a vehicle is built, and the look you are going for is critical when it comes to the offset of the wheel. We will explain what this means - it is not as mysterious as it sounds!

O.E. Wheels

When you buy an O.E. wheel, it does not necessarily mean you are getting an actual factory wheel - in the aftermarket wheel world, O.E. refers to a wheel that is the same size and dimensions of the original equipment (O.E.), the diameter of the wheel, the width of the wheel and the offset are all identical to the original wheel that came on your car.

If the wheel you are looking at is an O.E. fitment, there will be no issues with the wheel working properly on your vehicle. It is when you are going for a more aggressive or sporty look that the offset of your wheel in important.

What is Offset?

The offset of a wheel is the number which describes the position of the hub mounting surface (see pic below) in relation to the width of the wheel. 

The hub mounting surface is the flat silver circle - this part of the wheel seats to the hub. 

This is measured in millimetres. If the hub mounting surface is exactly in the center of the wheel width, it has a 0 offset.

A positive offset is when the hub mounting surface is closer to the street side of the tire, so with an offset of +18, the hub mounting surface if 18 mm towards the street side of the wheel as measured against the center-line of the wheel.

A negative offset is when the mounting surface is closer to the back of the wheel, and is designated by a 'minus' sign, such as -12. As above it means that the mounting surface is 12 mm towards the inside of the rim from the rim's center-line.

Image Supplied by MSA Wheels - Maiden Tire & Wheel is an authorized
distributor for MSA Wheels

Get Professionals Involved

The offset of your upgrade wheels can be very important - a high negative offset pushed the wheel away from the interior of the car, while a positive offset pulls the wheel in tighter to the brakes and suspension. Both of these can cause problems. It is recommended that you do not deviate from the factory offset by more than 5 points in either direction. 

When you are pulling the wheel inwards, it may impact part of the suspension or hit the brake calipers, either of which can cause serious problems. A high negative offset that pushes the wheels further out can have negative impacts on handling, stability and could cause severe over-steering.

So if you are deviating from the factory specs get your local professionals involved - this will eliminate any potential problems.

Maiden Tire & Wheel has been supplying high quality automotive wheel and tire solutions for over a decade - for your tires and wheels in Maiden or any of the surrounding area, call us for solutions now!

Maiden Tire & Wheel

13 N Carolina Ave

Maiden, NC 28650

828-428-8681

www.maidentire.com

Wheel Locks - Why We Love To Hate Them!

Wheel Locks - What Could Go Wrong?

As it turns out, quite a bit - wheel locks were very handy in the 1990's when wheels were being stolen at a pretty high rate, especially in some specific areas. At that point in time, hot wheels weren't just a toy!

But, the car industry always evolves, and where there were relatively few bolt patterns across the industry back then, today there are many, many more. What this means is that it is much harder to sell used wheels than it used to be, because a set of wheels will only fit specific, select vehicles.

This is the same reason that many wheels must be special ordered as opposed to being kept in stock - and it also means that wheel locks are not as important as they used to be.

What Can Go Wrong?

What can go wrong? As it turns out, quite a lot when it comes to wheel locks. 

First of all, they are easy to lose - either by dropping them in the snow when you're trying to change a tire, or in a ditch on a dark night - or, the last guy that changed your tires might have forgotten to put it back in the car. If you lose it before you get the locking lug nut off, you are stuck - you will need to call a tow-truck or mobile mechanic to break the locking lug nut off.

The other major reason locking lugs quit working is because the key itself becomes degraded. There are several different types  of locking lug systems. The most common is a hollow nut with a 'clover'design on the inside that latches into the same design hollowed out on the lug nut; another type is called a spline design, but these can be replaced pretty easily at most auto-parts stores, whereas the clover locking design cannot be replaced at auto parts stores.

The picture below is of the clover locking design; take a close look at the pattern inside the lucking nut and you can see the ridges have been degraded through use - this lug nut is useless now, and this type of damage is common.

This is a locking lug nut - as you can see, the key above is to degraded to lock into the grooves

A damaged lug nut key

All It Takes To Be Stranded

All it takes to be stranded is to lose the key, or as in the picture above for the key to be damaged (which does not take much on these keys). Unless you have really expensive wheels and tires it is usually not worth the aggravation of keeping the key - it is my experience that it will work perfectly until you really need it, and then you will be stuck.

So take off the locking nuts and replace them with regular lug nuts - or if you don't want to bother, any tire store can help you with that, like Maiden Tire & Wheel who is a dealer of new tires in Maiden NC!

What to plant - for the rest of this year!

We Love Gardening!

We love gardening here at the Maiden Times blog (as you can tell from previous posts), and one of the many great things about North Carolina is the fact that you can get an easy three growing seasons in!

It is to late for the cool whether Spring season, but there is moore than enough time to plant some great Summer crops, and in early September it is time for the fall cool whether crops!

Plant What You Like To Eat - And More!

Of course, you will want to plant the veggies you like to eat, but I also like to plant vegetables that I have not had that great an appetite for - for this reason. If you grow the plant, and tend it, you will be much more likely to try a vegetable that you never cared for before. And having been through this a number of times, with many vegetables it is not the vegetable itself, but more likely the it was prepared - so keep an open mind!

Some of the best summertime plants for this area are listed below!

• Beans
• Cantaloupes
• Corn
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Okra
• Peppers
• Pumpkins
• Southern peas
• Squash
• Sweet potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Watermelons

And of course for tomatoes and peppers there are many different varieties. 

Artichokes can also be planted in the first year but will not produce any vegetables until the second year; if you like them plant each year because after the second year the plant will die off - that way you can have a rotation for these plants and get produce each year.

Cool Weather Crops

And, as fast as time goes, it is never to early to start thinking about what to plant for the third season - the cool fall season. It's best to begin planting these plants in early to mid September, that way when they start coming up the temperature will be cool enough (most years) for these plants to thrive. Some of my favorite veggies are cool weather veggies, and while some are very frost resistant, some will need to be harvested before the first heavy frost. Carrots and radishes can both live through frost events, and in fact they thrive - and without cold weather, carrots do not produce the sugars that give carrots their sweet flavor, The frost triggers sugar production so the plant does not die of frost.

• Beets
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Collards
• Kale
• Kohlrabi
• Lettuce
• Mustard
• Onions
• Peas
• Potatoes
• Radishes
• Rutabagas
• Spinach
• Swiss chard
• Turnips

Use containers or just dig a few little plots, and you can have some great fresh veggies this summer and into the winter months - eat healthy, and eat food you grow, it's a great way to really appreciate food and nature on a deeper level.

This blog post was sponsored by Maiden Tire & Wheel, your local tire store in Maiden!

Summers Here - And old tires feel the heat too!

Summer Heat Kills Old Tires

We've had a nice cool spring this year, but the heat is definitely on the way - it is supposed to get into the low 90's today, and the road can easily heat up to 160 degrees.

This is a major factor for older tires; as the rubber degrades, heat will have a big impact on tires that are older than 10 years, and sometimes less than that.

This can result in simple leaks, broken belts and blowouts, even if the tire has a lot of tread left - as rubber ages it gets more brittle, and at a certain point the tire will fail.

Inspect Your Tires!

This is a good time of year to inspect your tires to see if they are in good shape - pay attention to the sidewall and the treads, and look for small cracks in the rubber, especially where the tread meets the sidewall, and on the tread part of the tire look for cracks in between the treadblocks. The tire below is about 12 years old, and you can see how badly the rubber has degraded

How Old Are My Tires?

Every tire sold in the US has a date code of when the tire is manufactured - in the picture below, you will see a small oval pressed into the rubber with 4 digits - this is the code to tell you when the tire was manufactured.

You can see on this tire the number 1616 in the small oval. In these date codes, the first two numbers are the week and the second two the year, so this tire would have been made in the 16th week of 2016 - you can also see how smooth the rubber is compared with the tire pictured above. 

If the numbers were 0809 it would have been manufactured in the 8th week of 2009.

So, take a look at your tires before it starts getting to hot, and if you need new tires in Maiden give us a call - Maiden Tire & Wheel is your local connection for tires, tire and wheel packages and more!

Cooking Corn on the Cob the Right Way

A SPRING SUMMER AND FALL TREAT!

Although it is a bit early for fresh grown corn from here in NC, this is a great time of year for corn on the cob!

Throughout history, corn has been a favorite, but sometime in the more recent past some people have lost sight of how to cook corn. We’re going to go over the two most popular ways, and then one of those will be eliminated because it is like episode 4 of Star Wars!

THE WRONG WAYS TO COOK CORN

Never use a microwave to cook corn (or nearly anything else – they’re great for popcorn and reheating soup).

The other wrong way to cook corn (but admittedly way better than the microwave) is to boil the corn. This is a good standard, but once you have corn prepared the proper way you will never want to go back to boiling!

THE RIGHT WAY TO COOK CORN

That’s right, there is really only one correct way to cook corn – by roasting it! It is best in a grill – you don’t even have to shuck it if it still has the husk on it, just toss it on the grill and turn every 5 – 7 minutes for about 20 – 30 minutes. This will depend on how hot your grill is, and how well done you like the corn.

Add caption

If it does not have the husk on it, wrap the ears of corn in tinfoil, cook on the grill, and with this you can take the corn out of the tinfoil for the last 5 – 7 minutes and cook directly over the grill for a nice seared treat, like the picture below.

If the husk is still on, once it is done cooking it is very easy to peel the husks back and pull out the corn hairs, then cut off the tail end of the ear for easy handling!

The oven also works quite well (if it’s raining for instance); just preheat to 400 degrees, then follow the above directions!

HOW TO EAT IT

There are many more ways to properly eat corn than there is to cook it (you know my ideas on that subject), but I have to say there is one way to eat corn which I do most often; but first, a few other ideas!

From Mexican street corn to butter and cinnamon sugar to bacon and basil toppins, I like to look at what other people are doing but really the sky is the limit when it comes to corn on the cob – in this link, you can get some great recipes for the Mexican Street Corn and others:

https://www.thekitchn.com/5-must-try-delicious-ways-to-liven-up-grilled-corn-tips-from-the-kitchn-205793

BUTTER AND SALT

Yes, I know – it’s an old standard. But old standards are old standards for a reason, and the simple deliciousness of spring corn cooked on a grill, then liberally coated with actual butter and salt is sublime. ACTUAL BUTTER, folks!!!!!!!!!

We hope we have given you some great ideas about the best way to make corn, but in the end it is a treat that can fill many different flavor needs in a delicious, and healthy as well!!! (if you use enough butter)

This post has been brought to you by Maiden Tire & Wheel - if you need tires for your lawnmower, rototiller, farm wagon or trailers or your cars and trucks, call now or visit www.maidentire.com

Growing a simple garden - there is plenty of time!

GROWING A SIMPLE GARDEN IS EASIER THAN YOU THINK

With more people staying at home as this year slowly ticks by, many people are thinking more and more about starting a small home garden.

We think this is a great idea!

Like many things, gardening can be easy and cheap or complicated and expensive – today we are going to concentrate on easy and cheap!

DON’T WORRY – IT’S NOT TOO LATE!

Even though it is the second half of May, there is still plenty of time to establish a garden – we will go over some of the crops and methods here, and I will supply some great links on some more specific information. In fact in North Carolina and a lot of southern areas a fall crop is available for all kinds of plants!

Don’t worry! If you don’t have any tools, gardening tools are pretty simple – the maximum you need are a shovel, a hoe and a hula hoe (for weeding once the garden is established). If you don’t want to dig a small plot, hire a local handy-man or go with container gardening!

Containers are easy to build and not super expensive, such as this one:

https://www.wayfair.com/outdoor/pdp/gracie-oaks-buckingham-wood-raised-garden-w003038440.html?piid=1107936670

This bed is 71” long by 35” wide and 5.5” deep, and is suitable for all kinds of vegetables and flowers. It is only $119 dollars online, but is not deep enough for some vegetables, especially carrots, potatoes or other types of tubers or root vegetables.

However you do it, whether you break the earth with a shovel and hoe (as seen in the picture below) or use raised beds, the first thing you will want to do is think about what veggies you like and eat on a regular basis.

When using a shovel, start by digging up the earth in the outline of the plot you want to construct, and then turn the earth of inside that area. Once all the earth has been turned by shovel, break up those chunks with the hoe. A great way to use the old grass is to throw the grass/root sections in a pile or wheelbarrow and compost them, they will make great nutrients the next year you build your garden, and since the soil will already be broken up it is very easy to turn the earth each year in your plot. 

Some crops, such as carrots, radishes and lettuces are cool weather crops and it is probably to late to plant them, but there is plenty of time to plant tomatoes, peppers, artichokes, and vine plants such as cucumbers, squash and zucchinis.

I personally like scattering my veggies out and incorporating them with my flower beds, and there are many flowers which actually help garden veggies grow (for instance, marigolds help tomato plants by keeping away insects and treating the soil naturally against certain types of molds). This is called companion planting, and it also really dresses up your garden beds. You can learn more about companion planting here!

https://www.farmersalmanac.com/companion-planting-guide-31301

SEEDS OR NURSERY PLANTS?

This is where things can get expensive – it is a lot easier to grow nursery plants as opposed to planting seeds, but the cost can be quite a bit higher. For a normal tomato strain, such as an heirloom or a nice Roma, it is usually less than three dollars for a packet of at least 25 seeds (some veggies such as lettuce often come in 100 seed cou

nts).

Compare that with plants of various sizes – you can find small seedlings of many different plants for 3 – 4 dollars per plant (sometimes less than that), but the larger the plant is the more expensive it will be. An 18” tomato plant can run up to $15 - $16 dollars, but there is a certain satisfaction to seeing the plants in the ground and ready to go.

It also makes weeding easier.

But there is another sense of satisfaction in seeing the seeds you plant coming up out of the ground in neat little rows and seeing how the plants form themselves as they grow. It does take a little more effort in weeding until the seeds reach a certain size, but a few minutes at the end of the day is well worth the effort, and helps you keep a close eye on the growth of your plants.

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

Growing flowers and veggies can be a lot of fun, but it can also be aggravating – from rabbits and other animals eating the plants to various diseases and rots, and sometimes just poor soil, growing a garden can be a lesson in humility, but it is a lesson well learned, and the rewards in my experience are much greater than the (inevitable) failures and pitfalls.

There is something deeply satisfying about seeing a plant that you planted and tended producing food which you eat at your table, and it is a great lesson for children of any ages to actually see how some food is produced.

The larger plant to the left is squash, the smaller plants are a bush bean

There is more than enough time this year, and if you don’t want to do much just get a few large pots (3 – 5 gallons) for some tomatoes, peppers, or other veggies. Smaller pots are great for herbs, and these are great to add to any recipe – I plant sage, oregano, basil, cilantro, parsley and rosemary each year, and it is a great way to spice up nearly anything you are cooking – some sage and oregano added to a jarred tomato sauce gives it a whole new, full and rich flavor.

You can find a great list of the most popular herbs here:  https://www.delallo.com/blog/fresh-herbs-spices-primer/

Gardening can be easy and fun, and it is more than satisfying once you start eating the fruits of your labor – so take advantage of the outdoors, whether you are in a condo with a small patio or small front yard or you live in a house with a yard big enough for a big garden, it is great fun, great exercise and in the end a delicious lesson on how nearly everyone used to live, by growing the food they would eat themselves.

 For lawnmower tires or tires for your yard tractor, car or truck, come see us at Maiden Tire & Wheel!

Getting The Most Mileage Out Of Your Tires

Make Your Tires Last!

Many things on your car can cause your tires to wear out more quickly than they should; work out shock absorbers or struts, worn out suspension parts, or just a car which is not properly aligned. 

These types of problems can make tires wear out much quicker than normal, and generally result in very specific type of wear - this is why it is so important to inspect your tires on a regular basis (at least once a week check both edges of the tire; this can help catch any potential problems before the tire is destroyed from uneven wear.

Even if your car is perfect mechanically, though, tires will wear unevenly if they are njot maintained. 

There are two areas that are easy to ignore - tire pressure, and making sure the tires are properly rotated at the recommended intervals.

35x1250R20 Mud Tires in Maiden, NC

Pump 'em Up!

Check on your tires for the proper inflation; many cars recommend a lower tire pressure than the tire manufacturers - you should always used the recommended pressure that is on the tire, not what the car says. Over pressurized or under pressurized tires will make the tire wear more quickly (over inflated tires will wear out in the middle of the tread, under inflated tires will wear out on the inner or outer edge).

That is an advantage of cars with TPMS sensors, but it would not hurt to occasionally check your tire pressure to make sure it is in the recommended range.

Tire and wheel packages in Maiden NC

Rotate Rotate Rotate!

Rotating your tires is one of the easiest routine maintenance duties on your vehicle to forget, but rotating the tires properly is the most important thing you can do to make sure your tires last as long as possible - most tire manufacturers recommend rotating your tires every 6000 miles or so.

You will want to refer to your tire's manufacturer to see how often they recommend rotations. Another important thing to remember about tire rotations is that if you do not have your tires rotated on schedule, it voids any tread wear warranty that may have come with your new tires. 

Keeping your tires rotated and properly inflated can extend your tire life as much as 1/3 further than you would normally go without doing those things, which can add up to a lot of money over the life of your car.

For rotations, and deals on new tire and wheel packages, Maiden Tire & Wheel has been serving folks that need tires in Maiden NC for 10 years!

Custom Tires and wheels in Maiden NC