Quality assurance starts with product design and extends through production and final test. But it also includes monitoring product performance where it matters most. In the case of tires, that means on the road.

To help make sure Toyo tires perform as designed and provide feedback for ongoing product enhancements, we recently purchased two state-of-the-art GSP9700 Vibration Control Systems from Hunter Engineering. One will be maintained at our Claim Adjustment Center in Ontario, CA, with the other used at our center in Austell, GA.

These systems utilize the latest digital technology to go beyond traditional balancing for a complete "road test" of a tire and wheel assembly to isolate and eliminate virtually every cause of vibration relating to the tire and rim.

A special road force wheel is applied to the spinning tire to identify non-balance related vibration problems resulting from radial force variation caused by stiffer or weaker areas of the tire under load, tire and/or rim runout, improper bead seating of the tire to the rim, and balancer mounting error.

These conditions can now be analyzed to a degree previously possible only by using industrial “uniformity graders” costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. All Toyo tires submitted by our dealers with vibration complaints will be mounted and analyzed for out-of-round or out-of-balance conditions.

Three goals will be met resulting from this program:

First, it will allow Toyo Technical Services to more accurately determine the actual level of such problems and report improved data back to the factory for quality control purposes.

Second, we can more accurately monitor market acceptance levels for vibration in tires and wheels. The results might include fine-tuning of tire construction based on the anticipated fitments in terms of specific sizes, vehicles, etc.

Third, we can track how often tires are submitted for claims but do not show any problems. In fact, Toyo Technical Services reports that over 90% of tires submitted for vibration problems are OK. The real problem may often be based on improper balancing or out-of-round rims. This information can help us make sure our dealers are receiving the training they need to effectively handle such situations with their customers.

These new Hunter GSP9700 systems can also be used by dealers to upgrade their vibration troubleshooting and balancing services, with additional opportunities for perhaps offering a two-tiered level of services expand base revenue profit in this area.

From Toyo Tires “Ways & Means” magazine, Fall 1998, pg. 7