How to Make Your Road Trip Safer and More Enjoyable?

A road trip is a great opportunity to spend time with your friends and family. However, you’re not the only one to have the same idea and you will find many others traveling as well. If you’re traveling with your family and pets, you should consider many things especially when it comes to the vehicle you will be traveling in. Your vehicle should be big enough to carry all the necessities and spacious enough that everyone can travel comfortably. Here are a few tips from AudioCityUSA on how to make your road trip safer:

1. Carry an Emergency Kit

If you want to drive long distances, you should ensure you will be safe in the instance your car breaks down, you get into an accident, or if you run out of gas. The best way to prevent this is to pack an emergency kit that will help you in all of these situations. Make sure you have gloves, tire changing tools, a flashlight, jumper cables, and some extra blankets.

• Plan the Route

This is one of the most important things you should do before you go on a road trip. There are still plenty of spots in the nation where your phone could lose service. Additionally, planning the route can also give you an idea of places where you can stop to refuel, rest, or see roadside attractions. The more you plan, the more you’ll be able to enjoy and safely know where you’re going.

• Give the Car a Check-Over

If you’re planning any serious trip, you want to make sure you get your car inspected before you go. Typically, cars need oil changed every 3,000 miles. Additionally, you need to inspect your tires as well as your spare. Make sure your car is also topped off with all your important fluids and coolants. You should ensure that luggage or bags are properly tied to your car, and if you’re bringing along bicycles, ensure it’s completely locked down.

• Pack Water and Snacks

You should make sure you’re fully hydrated on your road trip because driving under the hot sun will make your body dehydrated without drinking water. You should also try to avoid a lot of sugary drinks that will increase your dehydration and pack plenty of snacks. When you’re driving long distances, you only want to make necessary stops or your two-day trip can turn into three.

• Check Tires and Wheels

It is very important that you thoroughly check and maintain the conditions of all the tires before you head out onto the road. You should ensure to keep a good spare tire as well. You should also check wheel alignment, tread depth, and wear and tear to ensure that the wheels are in the best condition. You should also keep your tire pressure to an optimum level.

If you’re looking to buy aftermarket wheels, AudioCityUSA is your place to go. The company provides high-quality wheels for an enjoyable ride while also imparting an unmatched look to your vehicle. The online store offers aftermarket wheels from a plethora of world-renowned brands including Niche, XD, Blaque Diamond, Lexani, Giovanna, Rohana, and various others.

What You Need to Know About Wheel Alignment

Being a car owner comes with a lot of responsibilities, you should care for and maintain your car regularly. Wheel alignment is essential to your car’s functionality. However, bad roads and driving habits can wreak havoc on a car and wheels. If you drive on poorly maintained roads, drive through potholes, or hit a curb, your wheel alignment can be greatly affected. Even a slight, tiny alignment issue can accelerate uneven tire wear. You should make sure you have your alignment checked every 6,000 miles.

Why Does the Wheel Alignment Need to be done?

The main reason why wheel alignment should be done is that wheel angles change over time. This happens as a result of the deforming and wear of various rubber bushings in the vehicle suspension and sagging of the springs. You should also check the wheel alignment after hitting large potholes and curbs, as well as after accidents. Wheel alignment also needs to be done after you have replaced a major suspension or steering components. Similarly, alignment should be done when lowering or raising the suspension.

What are the Signs of Improper Wheel Alignment?

Here are some common signs that you are dealing with misaligned wheels:

• The steering wheel is off-center when driving straight
• Vehicle pulls to one side when driving on a straight and level road
• The vehicle doesn’t hold the road well, feels unstable, wanders from side to side
• Tires are screeching when turning
• Tires wear unevenly

How Often Should Wheel Alignment be done?

For most cars, there are no specific requirements when wheel alignment should be done. The expert typically recommends doing the wheel alignment every two-three years or if there are signs that the alignment is off. Wheel alignment is also recommended when new tires are installed. The alignment should be done more often if your car has wider tires or it’s a sporty car.

However, if you re-check the wheel alignment after a year or two of driving, usually it will be slightly off. If you hit a large bump, the alignment will most likely be off. However, if your vehicle holds the road well, doesn’t pull aside and tires are wearing evenly, you shouldn’t do wheel alignment every year as it is not necessary. Car manufacturers typically don’t include the wheel alignment in the vehicle’s maintenance schedule, but advice checking it if you find a tire is worn unevenly.

If you’re looking to buy new wheels, AudioCityUSA is your place to go. You can call 888.814.1158 to contact the team at the online store for more information.  The online store offers aftermarket wheels from a plethora of world-renowned brands including Moto Metal, AC Forged, Blaque Diamond, and others.

How Does Temperature Affect Car Tires?

The weather you drive in always affects your tires no matter whether you are using all-season tires or season-specific tires. Even with the best tires, you can afford, the weather effects will still take place to some extent. Most people drive throughout the seasons without thinking about how the weather will impact their tires. Depending on the season you are in, there are certain things that you should be watching out for. Here is how the temperature and weather can affect your cars’ tires:

Summer

During the hot summer weather, your tires can overinflate. While most cars are equipped with a system that regularly monitors the pressure of your tires that will go off whether one or all of your tires are underinflated. However, you will not receive a signal when your tires are overinflated. So you must perform checks instead of relying on the car’s pressure detection system. Combined with the scorching hot pavement and a heavy load for long car trips, your tires could potentially blow out in the middle of a driving session.

You will also want to be on the lookout for tire wear, which will lead to greater difficulty in handling your vehicle. Tread wear is measured in 1/32ths of an inch. Uneven wear patterns and a tread depth that is lower than 3/32 of an inch are good indicators that your tires need to be replaced. When the winter season approaches, your tires will be accustomed to the hot weather and the pressure in your tires will lower significantly due to the contraction of the tires once they come in contact with the cold weather.

Winter

In the winter season, you face the opposite problem than that in the summer. Your tires may be underinflated while driving and the tire pressure will be lower, and this can be very dangerous. Your car’s pressure system will be an accurate assessment of your tires and whether they are underinflated. Additionally, your gas mileage will be negatively affected due to underinflated tires, and you will find that it is more difficult to handle your vehicle.

You should also keep your car inside your garage in colder temperatures instead of outdoors. This is especially important during the winter season as the cold weather will affect your tires. This translates to higher fuel costs that can accumulate into an unnecessary expense if the problem goes unsolved. Even with this system in check, you should still manually check the pressure of all of your tires including the spare tire.

Looking to buy state of the art wheels? Check out the massive collection at AudioCityUSA. You can call 888.814.1158 to contact the team at the online store for more information. The online store offers top quality wheels from brands such as Fuel, Moto Metal, Blaque Diamond, Niche, Lexani, and various others.

How to Choose the Right Off-Road Wheels for Your Vehicle?

Off-road driving is an exhilarating activity that allows people to have a blast and an adrenaline rush when driving. Unlike normal driving which is done on asphalt roads, off-road driving is done on uneven and natural terrain such as gravel, sand, etc. Off-road driving is a difficult task even for professional drivers, much less new drivers. Before you embark on an adventure of your own, you need to make certain changes to your vehicle to ensure that your vehicle can perform properly on the rough terrain. These changes include high ground clearance, various safety equipment, and many more. One of the main changes you need to make in your vehicle is installing off-road wheels. Here is a guide on how to select the right off-road wheels for your vehicle:

1. Size

The size of the wheels you select will impact the type of riding you’ll take part in. For off-road driving, you should choose a heavy-duty wheel with tires at least 35 inches in diameter because a bigger diameter can clear the brakes. For muddy and sloppy terrain, you should choose a more aggressive tread design than a hard-packed wilderness floor would require.

• Backspacing

Backspacing is the measurement of the space between the mounting face and the inside edge of the wheel. Your lift kit will let you know the maximum amount of backspace allowable. That’s because as backspace increases, the wheel moves further into the wheel well. For off-road rims, you want to keep the backspace as low as possible so that the wheel moves away from the well.

• Offset

Offset measures the distance between the center of the wheel and the mounting surface. Many people often confuse backspacing and offset. Backspacing is measured in inches and offset is measured in millimeters. You should decrease the offset to move the wheel further out on your truck. A decreased offset gives you more space between the inside edge of the tire and the suspension.

• Material

The biggest consideration is the material from which the wheels are made. A good set of truck wheels and tires need to be manufactured from high-quality materials. Steel wheels are great for hardcore off-roading, where you need a tough, durable rim that can withstand constant impacts but they’re too heavy. Alloy wheels are made from a lightweight aluminum composite that allows for a wide variety of designs.

• Manufacturer

The manufacturer for off-road wheels matters when it comes to choosing the wheels. AudioCityUSA knows that picking just the right off-road rim for your truck, Jeep, or SUV can be a challenge. That’s because you need wheels that not only looks good, but you need one that fits your needs perfectly. You must buy off-road wheels from a highly respected manufacturer.

Looking to buy top-notch off-road wheels for your car? You can check out the massive collection at AudioCityUSA. You can call 888.814.1158 to contact the team at the online store for more information. The online store offers top quality off-road wheels from brands such as Fuel, Moto Metal, XD, HELO, Hostile, and many more.