DIY Tire Swing

In honor of National Tire Safety Week we'd like to give you an alternative option for when your tires are no longer safe to drive on. 

The used tires you have on hand may come in a variety of sizes, but all can be reused into a staple at your local park or even in your backyard. Creating a tire swing out of an old tire is a great way to reuse it and will also give the kids hours of fun in your very own backyard. 

What does it take to make one of these? It’s pretty simple actually. All you’ll need is a tire, eye-bolts, S-hook, 3 shorter chains and 1 long chain, clip hook, connector links, and a swivel piece. Now, if you’re not a handyman this may sound intimidating, but check out this website with step-by-step directions and you’ll soon realize that any man or woman is capable of making a do-it-yourself tire swing. 

http://bit.ly/14Vblnn 

After you create your very own personal tire swing you can feel proud of not only the work you have done, but also that you did a little part in helping the environment. 

Give it a second chance.

We've talked a lot about what you can do to maintain a healthy vehicle, but have you ever wondered what happens to old Betsy, your 1995 rusted, green escort wagon, when she has no more life to live? You're not alone. Many people are unaware of what happens to their old or totaled vehicles when they are no longer fit for life on the road. The answer to this question is simple; Old Betsy is recycled. 

Each year it is estimated that 95% of vehicles that have taken their last ride around the block are recycled. Recycling your old or totaled vehicle not only benefits your pocketbook, but it also benefits the environment. 

Recycling benefits the environment in a variety of ways. One benefit is the amount of energy that recycling saves. To put into perspective how much energy recycling saves us we look to the steel industry. Recycling steel saves enough energy to power about 18 million households a year. That’s enough energy to power households in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and part of Iowa for a year. 

Another benefit recycling provides is the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gases are emitted when we create new products with "virgin" resources. When we use recycled materials to create new products in place of virgin resources less greenhouse gases are emitted into the environment. 

Recycling also keeps valuable resources out of our landfills resulting in saved space, but it also prevents hazardous materials such as gasoline, oil, antifreeze, mercury, Freon, brake and transmission fluids from seeping into the ground. If an automobile were to be placed in a landfill these materials would eventually seep out into our soil, air and water, which would result in our environment being filled with these harmful toxins. When a vehicle is recycled these toxins are properly removed and disposed of in a way that protects the environment as well as us.  

These are just a few of the many benefits that recycling provides for our environment. Dropping an old or totaled vehicle off at your local recycling center, such as our sister company Metro Recycling, is just the beginning of the recycling process. Although it may be hard to say goodbye to old Betsy, you can leave the recycling center with confidence that she will be put to good use and you never know what new products you might see old Betsy in in the future.   

Metro Auto gets RIOS Certified.

To become the first auto salvage yard certified in RIOS is quite a feat. As with many certifications, it takes time and dedication. The certification process is long and time consuming, but well worth it at the end of the road. Being the first auto salvage company to attain this certification not many people are fully aware what RIOS is and what challenges certification entails. 

RIOS is an acronym that stands for Recycling Industry Operating Standards. RIOS is an integrated quality, environment, health and safety management system for the recycling industry. RIOS is functionally equivalent to the standards of ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environment), and OHSAS 18001 (Health & Safety). The difference between RIOS, ISO and OHSAS is RIOS is specifically relevant to scrap recycling operations whereas the ISO and OHSAS standards are not. RIOS provides a powerful framework for scrap recyclers of all sizes and scrap materials to improve their bottom line.  

Understanding what exactly RIOS is is the first step, but it is also important to understand what the real purpose of RIOS is. The real purpose is based on a Plan-Do-Check-Act management system for continuous improvement. It uses a small step method for planning, setting, achieving and tracking company goals. One constant requirement is for a company to maintain realistic goals for themselves. RIOS understands that a business can’t be perfect. Every company is flawed and has weaknesses but what RIOS does is encourage businesses to continue to improve. It is important that a business doesn’t become content with where they are but must continue to strive for more. RIOS is a tool that does not focus on perfection but it focuses on realistic tactics for continuous growth and improvement. 

Initially, to be certified a company must undergo a four day audit process. During this process a registrar will come and audit the company’s management system to insure documents and procedures are in tune with actual operations. Employee interviews are conducted to answer questions given by the auditor. After this process is complete the company will be left to audit themselves with an internal audit team for the remainder of the year. After a year the registrar will come back and audit the system once again. They will be looking to be sure the company is continually improving from the last audit.

Becoming RIOS certified is an exciting achievement. Metro Auto Recyclers is the first auto salvage company to become certified. The process is long, extensive and never ending, but clearly worth the process. As a company, continued improvement is our goal and becoming RIOS certified is just one of the many benefits that come along with creating a healthy workplace. 

For more information on RIOS Certification visit IRSI's website. 

Maintaining a Healthy Engine.

We now know that it is important to maintain proper tire pressure and keep your brakes in check, but without a proper functioning engine those tires or brakes won’t even be necessary. Maintaining a clean engine is important to its function and also how long of a life it lives. 

So, why is it important to change your motor oil every 3 months, 3,000 miles or as instructed by the manufacturer of your vehicle? Motor oil gets contaminated by substances like dust, metallic shavings and even antifreeze. Sludge is formed when all of these contaminants are whipped into the oil. What then happens is this sludge begins to stick to the engine causing the engine to perform less efficiently. If left long enough the sludge can cause engine failure. 

Driving in severe driving conditions, such as the conditions around the Chicagoland area, it is important not to neglect the health of your engine. Chicagoland is a prime example of what severe driving conditions are. Making short trips, driving in stop-and-go traffic, extended idling, driving in dust or dirty air, towing trailers and cold weather driving are examples of severe driving conditions. 

For these reasons it is important to pay attention to how often your motor oil should be changed. It is important to the health of your engine and will prolong the life of your vehicle.

Replacing Your Brakes

You’re sitting at a stoplight, windows rolled down, enjoying the light breeze on a clear 75 degree day when a loud screeching rudely interrupts your train of thought. You turn to your right as the screeching continues and a black Ford Taurus slowly creeps up. You’d love to glare at the gray haired man out the window and inform him of his screeching brakes, but decide against it. 

Many realize that screeching brakes are a sign that you need to replace something on your current brake system. There are three components that make up the braking system on a car; Brake pads, linings and rotors. These elements are housed next to each of the wheels. They push against one another to create friction, which stops the car. 

It’s obvious that friction will cause wear and tear on the brake pads and eventually they will need replacing or your brake system will fail. So how will you know when maintenance is in order? Pay attention to the following signs: 

1. Flashing brake warning light
2. Squealing, chirping or grinding noises
3. Pulsations in the brake pedal
4. Shaky steering wheel
5. Increased stopping distance
6. Car pulls to one side when you stop. 

These are six tell-tale signs that it’s time to take your trusty vehicle in for a check-up. Vehicle maintenance is important to maintaining the health of your car. No one wants to be that guy that screeches up to the stop light, so keep your vehicle up to par and you won’t have to worry about it.  

Recycling Your Vehicle

Things die, it’s a way of life. What do we do when things die? Throw them away or bury them, but what happens when your car decides to call it quits? The answer to that question is very simple; we recycle the vehicle. 

Currently, about 75 percent of junked vehicles are shredded to recover iron and steel.  After the ferrous material is magnetically separated, the remaining 25 percent is comprised of other non-ferrous metals such as copper, aluminum, rubber and a mixture of plastics. The remaining 25 percent can also be recycled. We’re going to take a look at a few different items that fall within the 25 percentile. 

Today’s brake pads and shoes consist of a mixture of synthetic materials in addition to copper. Most brake pads contain about 15-30 percent copper. Recycling brake pads means less mining for virgin material, which can lead to dust and waste gases such as sulfur dioxide which have harmful effects on the environment. 

Windshields and other auto glass can pose a problem for recycling. Automobile shredder residue contains between 15 to 20 percent of glass originating from windshields, side windows and sunroofs, most of which is not normally recovered and ends up in landfills. The reason that most auto glass ends up in landfills is because most windshields have two layers of glass and few companies have the technology to remove the inner plastic layer. Even though it may be difficult, it is important to recycle auto glass. Recycling auto glass reduces related air pollution by 20 percent and related water pollution by 50 percent. 

Finally, Oil filters are recyclable because they are made of steel. Recycling metal saves up to 74 percent energy and 40 percent water consumption. Recycling oil filters also reduces air pollution by about 86 percent and water pollution by 76 percent. One ton of recycled oil filters yields 1,700 pounds of steel, 30 gallons of used oil and saves 10 cubic yards of landfill space. The benefits to the land, air and soil is immense. 

Recycling vehicles and their parts saves and estimated 85 million barrels of oil a year. So next time you think recycling your vehicle is not that big of a deal remember how this simple step can save valuable natural resources and better the environment we live in. 

Vehicle Maintenance: Tires.

Let’s talk tires. Every vehicle has them, yet they are not always the most cared for part on an automobile. Without those four parts your mode of transportation would be useless. It is incredibly important to make sure your tires are in great shape before you hit the road.

Having properly filled tires is a crucial safety issue. Second to the brakes, tires are the most important safety devices on your car. If the tire pressure is low it can compromise the safety of turning corners, braking and stability. Worst case scenario is low tire pressure can lead to tire failure, which may result in a serious accident. Fuel economy, your comfort and tire life may also be compromised by incorrect tire pressure.  

So, what happens if your tire pressure is too high? If your tire pressure is too high, then less of the tire touches the ground. A repercussion of this will be that your car will bounce around on the road. When this occurs, traction suffers as well as your stopping distance. If your tire pressure is too low, too much of the tire’s surface area touches the ground. What this will cause is increased friction between the road and your tires, which will result in premature wear on your tires as well as overheating, which can lead to tread separation. If you’re looking for a sign of low tire pressure, pay attention to your tires squealing around corners.

Checking your tire pressure should be done once a month when the tire is cold. It is important that the tires are at air temperature in order to get an accurate reading. Be faithful about checking in order to avoid the possible repercussions that come from ignoring these four essential parts to your vehicle.