Making a tire swing

Remember the old days when you were a kid and played with the tire swing? Well, why not make one for your kids. Tire swings back then used old fashioned rope. This time we will use sturdy chains. Make sure that the tire is in a horizontal position and not vertical, its much better that way!

Instructions on Making a tire Swing:

  1. Pick the tire out. Make sure that the tire is not too bum or the kids wont be able to sit on it. Look at the tire and decide on which side looks better. The side that looks best will be used for the top. Then flip it over and drill holes into it around the edges, try to space it out equal.
  2. tire for swing
  3. Then flip the tire again. You are now going to drill three holes, that together, are in the shape of a triangle. Then attach an eyebolt to each side. Thread the eyebolt with a net and fender washer. On the inside of the tire place another fender washer and lock washer with another nut.
  4. pieces
  5. eyebolt
  6. Attach the S hook through the eye bolt . Then use a pair of big vice grip pliers to squeeze the attached side of the hook. Do this on all the s hooks.
  7. attachments
  8. Attach the chains, to each of the s hooks. Once you have attached the chain, make sure to use the pliers to close it in again.
  9. finished tire swing
  10. Then take the three chains and hold them together. Attach the top S hook to the three chains. Then use the pliers to close the bottom part again.
  11. holding chains
  12. closing with pliers
  13. You will need a few items for to attach to the top part of the hook : swivel, connector link for the, clip hook, ratchet
  14. more tools
  15. Attach the swivel to the top of the S hook. Then use the pliers to close the s hook again.
  16. s hook close
  17. Take the connector link and attach it to the swivel, then attach the clip hook to the connector link.
  18. clip attachment
  19. Then take another chain and swing it over the tree branch.
  20. chain on tree branch
  21. Attach the two sides of the chain to the clip hook. Your done!
  22. final attachment


Tire Sandals

Some wild and crazy ideas for used tire use!
sandals out of used tires

Tire sandals? Who would have thought of it? The soles can be made from old tires. I mean, you look at tires and they have some sort of 70,000 mile warranty, or some other grandiose labeling. Meanwhile your shoes are done after the 100th mile. What gives? Don’t you wish you had a shoe that was as durable as your tire? Well, why not put two and two together and make a tire shoe! No kidding. You can try moccasins, and rubber soles, but nothing is quite like a tire sole.

How to make the tire sandal:

First, Place either your left or right foot on a big piece of paper. Then trace around it. Next, take the pencil and draw a point down from your ankles. On each side. Also make a point from the bone behind your big toe.

Then take your foot off the paper. Then draw a bigger outline around your foot tracing. You should add about 3/8 of an inch for the toes and the sides, but not for the back. Then take out a ruler and draw a line extending 3 inches from the heel. This will help you draw the back tab. Then connect the marks you made for the ankles. Extend the line three inches outside the tracing on each side. Then extend a line from the point you made at the bone behind your big toe and extend the line three inches outside on each side.

Then with the 3 inches as a guide draw tabs. There should be two tabs at each side and one at the back. The tabs should be 1 ¾ of an inch across. For each tab sketch out a hole that will be used to place the thread strapping in. Cut this sketch out, it can be sued for both samples, assuming that your feet are similar.

When you go out and get the tires, the best to use are truck tires. Make sure that the tire does not have some sort of steel cable running through it. This is seen in newer tires. To cut the tire you should use some wood chisels or a bandsaw.

A saw also works well for cutting the tire You should cut out a piece that is at least ½ inch longer than the trace pattern. Then trace the pattern on the inside of the tire. Make one sandal at a time and then try it on. The next step is to thin out the tabs. The tabs should not be as thick as the sandal itself.

Then to make the tabs flexible, take a blade and slice it into the point where the tab is attached. Slice until the plies inside are exposed.

Then use the chisel to cut the holes, where the strapping will be placed. For the straps use nylon harness straps. You can then use a match to secure the end of the thread. For the back tab you will need to connect it to the two side tabs made at the ankle.

tire sandles cut out



Tips on used tires

Checking tire pressure saves money

Safety first, that’s the motto most Americans have about driving. Many of them don’t even realize however that they are neglecting a very important part about their cars, their tires. Having proper tire pressure can effect the way a vehicle handles in an emergency situation and the statistics are there to back it up. According to the national highway traffic safety administration, under-inflated tires contribute to crashes that result in 660 fatalities 3300 injuries each year. Only 15% of motorists properly check their tire pressure and 46% of drivers don’t know what the right pressure was for their vehicle. When you consider that the tire is the only part of the vehicle that touches the road, these statistics are alarming. Tire experts say that there are a few easy rules to follow to make sure that you keep up proper tire pressure at all times : check the tire pressure monthly and get the recommended pressure from the vehicle manufactures label (on the driver side door) also, check the tires when they are cold, when they have been sitting overnight or have not been driven for hours.

Good Tips for buying used tires – how to tell if the tire is too worn out.

Some of the signs you see when looking at a tire is the tread wore indicator, this is a bar going through the tire, it’s a visible strip of rubber going through the tire, you can see that at 230 seconds, at 230 seconds that tire is legally bald and due for a replacement.

Channel cracking, which means that the side wall of the tire is cracking this is not a safe condition and is a result of too many flat replacements.

Sidewalk cracking is another indicator, and even people who have had tires for only 5 months, but have had poor alignment will need to replace it because of excessive wear to one side and not the other.



The dangers of sleepy driving

Just about everyone you talk to could use a little more sleep, but do you know when you are too tired to drive? Global statistics show that fatigue is responsible for 30% of the deaths on the world’s roads. Those most at risk are those that are sleep deprived, or those who have a sleep disorder. There are also certain times during the day when people are more at risk for falling asleep. Shift workers for example are at risk for falling asleep, and coming home from work early in the morning after working all night.

When many people feel themselves becoming sleepy in the car, they will try a number of remedies, like turning the radio on and rolling open the window. These remedies are however, minimally effective. The most effective thing to do is to pull over and take a nap. Another key strategy is to have a coffee before you sleep. That way, when you wake up the caffeine will be in your system before you drive off. Moreover, talk shows are more apt to keep you up than music.

Some signals of low alertness and sleepiness are: level of steering wheel control. Those who are sleepy have more difficulty straightening the wheel. Moreover, if your eyelids sag, it means you are sleepy. Sleeping at the wheel is a huge problem, a number of accidents are caused by this, and moreover, it is more common than alcohol related accidents.



How to dispose of used tires

So you are looking to get rid of your tire. You just need to know how to do it. It’s great that you want to know how because disposing of these tires properly can help to prevent the harmful effects on the environment. Its for this very reason that the government regulates tire disposal practices. Therefore its important for car owners to know the proper way to dispose of them, not on for the governments sake but for your own sake. Now, lets get started :

  • If you want, you don’t have to chuck that tire out after all, clean the old tires using warm soap and water. Then place it in your garden! No, really, you can use the tire. Fill it up with some good soil, then add some nice plants or flowers. You can then cover the actual tire with the soil to make a nice mound.
  • Do you have kids? Pets? Well, clean the tire and use it as a training obstacle! I know you have seen this on TV, and it is really a cheap way to make the training obstacle. For this one you will need more than a few, so save your used tires.
  • Bring your used tires to a local recycling facility, tire retailer, or service station. Somewhere that accepts tires and then recycles them. As a warning, most tire retailers expect that you purchase a new tire before they take your old one.
  • There are local municipalities that offer tire amnesty. These places allow you to bring in a certain number of tires to drop off for free! If you wish to dispose of a large number of tires, contact your solid waste management agency.
  • When you recycle it decreases air pollution, water, and soil contamination. Sell the tires for them to make new tires with.
  • You can use the tire to make a tree swing, if you have kids this will be great. Choose your tree, one with a very strong branch, and choose whether you want a vertical or horizontal swing. Then buy some nylon rope that is made to hold weight. You can contact a professional to tie it on for you.
  • *** remember that burning tires is both illegal and harmful to the environment
  • **** don’t keep old used tires in a pile outside, this is an easy spot for pests.


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