Details, Details, Details

Prepare to Show – Indexing Wheels and Tires

Posted by Pistonhead on June 25, 2011

The Portland Roadster Show had some fine entries this year. This cool little Chevy truck is one example. It looks like it would be right at home delivering some flowers or at least posing like it’s working to take some pictures. In any case, this truck illustrates a show detail that very few show car participants get right.



Indexing your wheels and tires simply means aligning them all in the same orientation. First let’s talk about indexing your wheels. This would be something you’d probably do for an extended indoor show much like what is seen in the picture above. When presenting at a show like this, you’ll have ample time to set up and pose your vehicle. Bring a small jack and take the time to raise each wheel and position it in the same direction as all the rest. The picture above is a good example of this. The valve stem is centered at the top of the wheel and the hubcap is horizontal and easily readable. This technique is missed by most participants and could easily garner them some points.

It’s really not worth rotating your wheels at a typical cruise in or afternoon show but the next step is something you’ll want to do no matter what type of show or get-together you attend. Best of all, it’s free and only requires some attention to detail. That is indexing your tires. OK, it’s only free when you have your tires mounted. This is where you have the tires indexed to the wheels. Use the valve stem as your orientation. Some tire shops will install your tires like this as a matter of policy though I expect those are becoming more and more rare. Most times you’ll simply need to ask the installer to orient them in the way you want.



At first glance this wheel looks pretty nice but you’ll notice that there are a few things that could be improved. The hubcap isn’t quite horizontal. The valve stem also isn’t in what appears to be a ‘chosen’ position. If you click on the picture to see the image a bit bigger, you can see the lettering on the tires aren’t indexed to the wheel referring to my previous point.

My personal favorite positioning is to have the valve stem at center bottom of the wheel. If there are hubcaps or wheel covers, they should be oriented horizontally to be readable. The final item would be to have the manufacturer lettering on the tires be centered at the top of the tire. With all these details in place, I would give full points for this item. It’s the attention to detail that gets the points, not necessarily the particular way you orient your wheels and tires. Of course this isn’t related to wheel/tire quality or detail.

Enthusiast cars are always being judged whether they’re at a scored event or simply sitting on the side of the road. When people look at the car, they’re judging it. Focusing on the details and improving what you do have control over doesn’t have to cost a lot. When all the details are attended to, the spectator may not notice any individual detail but the package will shine even if it’s a work in progress. Maximize what you have.
For more tips and techniques, get a copy of my book Prepare to be Judged at Amazon.

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