re: "Google Wallet may be making a return" (and "Why is it so complex

But that's not what we were talking about.

:-)

Less sidewall flex therefore more directional steering. IOW, they reduce the slip angles. Given the tyres perform 10% or more of the springing function, lower profile tyres will ride more harshly than the standard profile tyre.

Disregarding pick up trucks, most SUVs never see even a *gravel road* much less go off-road.

Looks cool - so they say.

You weren't, I was. And did.

unlike you, who makes up stuff as he goes along, i use the established engineering definition, which is a parameter that can be measured.

no.

not just for high current demands.

but at least you somewhat understand that high current demands requires low internal resistance, which means that when the internal resistance increases due to age, it reduces the peak loads a battery can source.

he's referring to emissions checks that are done by reading various sensors in the vehicle via obd-ii, versus the older tailpipe checks, sometimes done on a dyno and sometimes while idling in the inspection bay, depending on the state.

if the sensors report no issues, the vehicle passes.

they're made of glass, which means you could easily see what was inside, *without* 'taking them apart', an odd way to describe smashing the glass and potentially damaging the innards.

<snip>

Not sure what country you're in, but that statement is untrue in the U.S.. Where most vehicles, SUV or not, do drive on gravel roads on occasion. Many trailheads for hiking involve gravel roads, i.e. "Head south for 8 miles on House Rock Valley Road to the Wire Pass trailhead. House Rock Valley Road is not paved, but it is usually passable in a two-wheel drive vehicle as long as the car has a decent amount of ground clearance." We did this hike, and while I was driving my Toyota 4Runner, the majority of vehicles in the parking area were not 4WD off-road vehicles, they were 2WD rental cars of various types.

Off-road is uncommon for most SUVs. There are also roads that are unpaved but technically not "off-road" where a 4WD with high clearance is necessary. I drove one of those once in my old Land Cruiser, and it was harrowing

. In California and Oregon, a lot of people buy 4WD SUVs, with all-season tires, to avoid the requirement to put on tire chains in winter in the mountains in the snow (occasionally chains are required even for 4WD with snow tires, but if conditions are that bad then the road is usually closed, I've only run into this two times, both times in National Parks).

only on rare occasion do they drive on gravel roads, and for a small number of owners. you're actually confirming what he said.

chains are only required because the majority of drivers there have no idea how to drive in the snow, and for california, also the rain.

the traffic reports in california correlate with the weather. lots of crashes, it must be raining.

No. The discussion wasn't about that.

Oh, I know.

I just find it telling that HE didn't know.

:-)

Linux? For consumers?

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLLOLLOLOLLLLOLOLOLLL

Riiiight.

Because there couldn't POSSIBLY be any other differences between different pads...

Bullshit.

And what makes one pad "better" than another?

Bullshit.

Which spec do you use for that rule for brake pads?

So is more better with cold/hot friction...

...or less?

Why would I care?

This is just you doing that thing where you try to pretend you're smart by making an allusion to something that doesn't matter.

Remember when you alluded to the idea that 9 volt batteries contained AAA cells?

Why?

I'll ask you to SHOW this.

Rotors for $15 to $25? For a BMW?

Bullshit.

What constitutes "lower" when buying a rotor? What "specs" are you even given?

Even worse, it's my observation that most SUVs in the _very flat_ Silicon Valley are 4WD, and almost _none_ of them ever get off the shoulder of the road.

However, quite a few visit Tahoe to go skiiing... which is likely _why_ they added the 4WD option when new, as it often (but not always) negates the need for chains as per whatever the CHP declares on the highways in bad weather conditions.

In fact, habitually, the people stopping people let the 2WD vehicles go through 'cuz most SUVs out here in California appear to be 4WD even as most of California doesn't get snow or ice.

Having grown up in upper NY state, I would agree with nospam that California drivers can't even drive in the first rain, although it's _different_ here in that the first rain is an oil slick since it doesn't rain for about 10 months prior to that first rain.

It's funny, actually, in that first rain though, as it's like the first snow in the middle states when they get an inch and the traffic is snarled.

Funny thing, in Tahoe they can get _feet_ of snow, and they're back in business the next day, so it's all in the planning and equipment I guess.

This is true. California is a funny state that way. Also if the power goes out, a bird must have landed on one of the PG&E power lines.

Never say California isn't a wacky state 'cuz it is.

They never have to fight the weather like you need to do back east.

What's telling is that nospam's IQ is at least double that of Alan's. And Alan's is around 40 where he disputes everything that _nobody_ else would dispute - purely because that's the nature of people like that.

Most people would strive to _add value_. But what Alan Baker strives for is to _subtract_ value from every post.

Each time Alan strives to subtract value, it's always for one reason. Because Alan Baker's self esteem is (rightly so) in the toilet.

That's the _only_ reason Alan Baker posts to Usenet. Just watch.

Says the guy who things there is a "OBDII sensor"...

I was _wondering_ why you always disagree with what _everyone_ knows about internal resistance of (real) current sources (theoretical ones aside), until you made that statement above - which tells me why you hate facts.

I didn't say anything about internal resistance changing over time where the fact becomes obvious by what you just said given you're always trying to claim Apple has some super secret battery chemistry that _only_ kicks in when phones need to be _secretly_ throttled.

This is despite your claim that Apple has a super secret battery chemistry that only kicks in on certain iOS updates & on certain iPhones (but not iPads) & which requires Apple to admit guilt in criminal courts, and to pay over a billion in civil courts to not admit guilt (particularly about the backdating of release notes that they lied about before they got caught)...

You're _always_ defending everything Apple, to the death, no matter what. Because of that, you not only can't have a normal conversation on Usenet...

But you _never_ attempt to add value in any post. All you do is strive to _subtract_ value.

This isn't even about Apple and yet you try to protect Apple from itself. Stop it.

Dude... ...you're writing gibberish; raving about things no one has ever claimed.

And making claims that are completely false.

I'm 27 years old, so I'm still allowed to use the "kid" excuse ;)

To be fair, tires have gotten far more safe and reliable over time. I

*have* recently driven on over 50 year old bias ply tires. The rubber hardened up, and on a slick morning, I learned *really* quickly how fast an old boat could skid (see picture of my back yard that I posted; green-ish 1968 Ford Galaxie). I sold the car, so didn't bother with the tires.

I've run some down that far, but I really try not to. Many cars, I don't keep long enough to see that. Of course, living in Ohio, I could

*never* drive something like that in the winter. I did buy a couple of new tires for my current winter car (new tires are rare for me).

I guess the Windows 7 groups don't count anymore. I'm still subscribed to alt.windows7.general

I'd love to have a lift, but the ceiling isn't high enough for the standard 2 or 4 post professional lifts. I could get a scissor lift that takes the car up a couple of feet, and I might do that at some point.

I was looking at that harbor freight set that you posted. Looks like one would need the balancer, manual changer, and the bead breaker?

By "cheap", I suppose I meant more inexpensive. I usually buy whatever the lower cost set it at Auto Zone or a local auto parts shop. I've bought flat out "cheap" pads on rockauto.com, and regretted it.

Sign me up!! Lol. Ohio state doesn't have car inspection, so I buy basically "give away" sub $700 cars, tinker with them, drive them until I tire of them, and usually sell them for what I have into them. I've owned at least 30 some cars (I'm in my 20's, for reference). I currently have 10 in my possession, unfortunately.

Exactly. I have a couple of roads in town that are basically off-roading, where bamboo and trees hang down. Dirt roads; boy are they fun. One is rather steep. I'll run up in an old pickup truck with a ladder rack on it (I always have to have one of those), and there will be a collection of bamboo in the bed of the truck that the ladder rack caught.

He had a gas torch. I need me one of those!

How on earth do you find those prices?? I can't even get rotors turned for that price!

I've heard that it's usually built up brake pad material on the rotors.

Oh wow. Most of "us" on Usenet were born before your parents were born! :)

Yup. Bias ply tires suck compared to radial ply tires for example. And suspension systems have also improved. Drive trains too.

When is the last time you had to replace a ball joint & tie rod end? And how many u-joints have you had to replace in the past few years?

Probably none. And yet we did that all the time "back in the day"...

Don't even get me started on winding our own alternator coils, or setting dwell or timing or replacing points and condensers and adjusting carbs...

The good news is car maintenance & repair just gets easier over time. (Just as the maxim of electronics getting better faster cheaper over time.)

Skids are fun, when they're done in the open fields. We used to find a big parking lot back east and slide around in the snow. Lot's of fun and it's a learning experience too.

One problem is sliding down a hill though, when it's all ice. Almost nothing except studs or chains will help there at any speed anyway.

Where it rains, it doesn't make any sense to wear the tread to the level that I habitually wear it to. There's a reason for the "legal limit".

Yup. You'd be skiing on those slicks. Here, in California, you get _more_ traction on the dry pavement.

But I don't do it for that reason. I just do it because I'm not afraid of a worn tire like most people are.

I really want you to check out Simple Tire for their prices.

Please pick a set of tires by size and tell me what the least expensive tire is and then I can tell you whether it's a good deal or not given whatever the OEM tire spec is for that vehicle.

I think you'll find that new tires are very often less expensive than you think, simply because they're commodities that you can buy by the spec.

The mounting and balancing is almost free (you pay for a new valve every few times and you pay for wheel weights every once in a while & that's it).