Kumho Tires names new V.P.

Rancho Cucamonga, CA ... On Monday, March 3rd, David Hudrlik, Kumho Tires VP of Sales resigned his position at Kumho effective as of February 29th, 2008. In the wake of Hudrlik, Kumho Tires went to look for his replacement. Kumho did not have to look very far as they choose to fill the position internally and stick with a Kumho team member who already understood the Kumho culture and philosophy. Effective, March 4th, Jim Milhaupt will assume the position of VP of Sales for all of Kumho Tire USA. Most recently Milhaupt was the Regional Vice President for Kumho Tire USA's Western Region.

From everyone here at Wheelsnext.com we wish both David and Jim the best of luck in all their future endeavours and look forward to a very prosperous 2008 in relation to Kumho Tire business.

TIRE FEATURE: Nitto Dune Grappler Off-Road Tire

To say that the Nitto Dune Grappler has a unique tread pattern would be a great understatement. The Nitto Dune Grappler has a tire tread pattern that is both functional and unique. The pattern is an interlacing of fire flames that are engineered for both on-road comfort and off-road performance. It is the perfect tire for the weekend off-road warrior that doesn't want to have to change tires every time they need to get back on the street. The Nitto Dune Grappler is also build tough.


With its 3-ply polyester sidewall construction, the Nitto Dune Grappler is made to resist the dangerous sidewall puncture. The Nitto Dune Grappler even comes in higher load ratings to meet heavyweight truck demands. The Nitto Dune Grappler has a "R S T" performance rating, 500 UTQG treadwear, "A" traction rating, and "B" temperature rating.


The Future of Tires...the TWEEL!

Michelin views the tweel and the next step in the evolution of tires. Fifty years ago, their invention of the radial tire revolutionized the industry and is still the industry standard. They hope the tweel will follow down a similar path.

The beauty behind the tweel is that is a strikingly simple looking hub and spoke design that alleviates the need for air pressure while still providing the performance only seen from pneumatic tires. The spokes are fused to the wheel which will deform to absorb the shock and rebound with ease. With the air needed by conventional tires no longer necessary, the tweel will provide you with high grade performance in weight-carrying capacity, ride comfort, and will minimize the threat of any road hazard.

Michelin has discovered that tweels can be tuned independently from each other. This allows for a customized optimization in vertical stiffness (which affects ride comfort) and lateral stiffness (which affects handling and cornering). Doing so can push the tweel past conventional tires in overall performance. Recent test of the tweel prototypes have demonstrated that it is within a five percent of the rolling resistance and mass levels of current pneumatics. This means within one percent of the fuel economy of the original equipment fitment. Michelin was also able to increase lateral stiffness by five-fold, which makes the tweel exceptionally responsive in its handling capabilities.

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