"I don't jump into anything," Kisler said. "But, after looking into it, I decided to buy the newest, best machine on the market, and it has been awesome."

The nitrogen machine, purchased from American Tire Distributors (ATD) will inflate all four tires at the same time, he said. Once the machine is hooked up to the tire, it removes the air, fills it up with nitrogen, and repeats the process in order to get the most nitrogen in the tire as possible, he said.

Although the machine was a biginvestment at $8,000, Kisler said he hopes customers will see the benefits of changing to nitrogen. The shop purchased the machine in early September and is running an introductory special for $29.95, which includes filling all four tires, he said.

Some of the benefits include fuel savings, increased safety, and longer tire life, he said, adding that pressure is supposed to hold for up to two years because nitrogen doesn't expand and contract with the temperature like normal air does.

"The reason you get better gas mileage is because the tires maintain pressure no matter if it is 100 degrees or minus 10 degrees," he said. "So you get better gas mileage plus better tire wear. Our customers are also saying that they get a better ride." 

Because nitrogen holds tire pressure, it also solves 90 percent of tire-pressure monitoring system (TPMS) problems, he said.
Kisler, a T3 Certified Tire dealer, said he also uses nitrogen as a selling point for new tires. Customers already receive free balance and rotation for the life of the tires, but now he includes nitrogen, he said.

Kisler carries eight tire lines and purchases about 350 tires a month from TCI and ATD, which just opened a warehouse in Kansas City. Another 400 tires are kept in stock on a mezzanine above the offices at Gene's Tire & Service Center, he said.

Shocks and struts are other components that Kisler said can improve not only the ride of a vehicle, but also the life of a tire. He said he recommends changing OE shocks every 25,000-30,000 miles and OE struts every 40,000-50,000 miles. About 90 percent of the time, he said, he installs Monroe shocks and struts that he purchases from Uni-Select Automotive Warehouse (formerly Star Automotive Warehouse), his primary vendor, along with Factory Motor Parts and O'Reilly Auto Parts.

"New shocks and struts will increase the life of tire and brake systems," he said. "If you have weak shocks and struts, you will notice that your car will not brake properly, ride properly, or handle and steer properly."

Shock and strut replacement makes up a large percentage of jobs at Gene's, Kisler said. On average, he said he works on 500 cars each month, 200 of which include shock and strut work.

In selling those components, he said he educates customers about their suspension needs.

"I just show the customer the wear and tear on their vehicle and explain to them that they are going to get a better ride and better handling," Kisler said, adding that customers have to understand that when shocks and struts are worn out, something else is taking abuse--upper and lower ball joints, strut plates, and the rack-and-pinion gear.

Kisler said there are six employees at Gene's, including himself and his wife, Betty. Keeping everybody educated on drivability, diagnostics, tires, and the latest in automotive technology is what it takes to stay on top, he said.

"We do a lot of training through Uni-Select," he said. "They have a really good six-session, every-other-month training on various topics such as driveability, and we receive training on tires from Michelin."