Stretch-ing the Belts
Stretching a belt may seem counterintuitive, especially with everything you have been told about serpentine belts. But stretching the belt with the right tools is often the only way stretch belts can be installed. Stretch belts can take loads off of the main accessory belt drive, allow for better packaging and solve NVH problems that
Electric Power Steering: From Fieros to the Driverless Car
Electric power steering is fast becoming a standard feature on new vehicles, but it’s not an emerging technology. It’s been in the field for the better part of two decades. One of the first domestic applications that almost made it to broad production was on the Pontiac Fiero. The 1989 model was going to have
10 Tips for Serpentine Belt System Inspection and Service
1. Where is the wear? Like a tire, the friction between the belt and pulleys wears away at the belt, usually on the tops and walls of the ribs. Eventually the grooves of the pulleys will bottom out on the grooves of the belt, and then the belt will start to slip. According to one
Performing a Toyota Synergy Drive Hybrid Brake Job
Making its debut in 1997, Toyota’s Synergy Drive has been used in the Prius and Camry and was offered on almost all Lexus models since 2006. In Hybrid Synergy Drive vehicles, even braking contributes to the overall energy efficiency of the car. Each time the driver presses down on the brake pedal or the vehicle
Why Alignment Angles Change
An alignment angle doesn’t change randomly. There is a cause-and-effect relationship between external and internal forces that can alter the geometry of a vehicle’s suspension. Having the alignment reading for only one angle on one corner is just like having the outside temperature without knowing if there is a tornado outside. Just making an adjustment
Custom Wheels & TPMS
Selling, mounting and balancing custom wheels can be a profitable business, but what about tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) sensors? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), it’s a violation of the TREAD Act to disable the system, which includes vehicles with aftermarket or custom rims, but there are a few options that
Brake Job: Using Recalls and TSBs as Tools
You are getting ready to perform a brake job on a vehicle. While checking the torque specifications on the vehicle, you decide to hit the tab with TSBs and recalls. All of a sudden you are staring at a screen of brake recall notices and TSBs for that make, model and year of vehicle. What
Driveability Diagnostics and Direct Injection
Direct injection is becoming standard on more and more late-model vehicles. These systems can be a diagnostic challenge, but with the right foundation, problems can be solved profitably. Years ago, all a low-level technician needed to diagnose a fuel problem was a set of “noid lights,” a fuel pressure gauge and maybe a meter. These
It’s a Noisy World
Know that all brakes make noise. When the friction material makes contact with the rotor, the coupling causes the brake pad and rotor to oscillate and vibrate. The components are locked as a combined system that will vibrate at its natural frequency, called “force-coupled excitation.” The driver hears this excitation as noise. The amount of
Solid/Live Axle Diagnostics
In 1963, almost every car manufactured in the U.S. had a solid rear axle. There were exceptions like the Corvette and Corvair. Today, pickup trucks and only a few light- to medium-duty SUVs/passenger vehicles still use solid rear axles. It’s not uncommon for a solid rear axle vehicle to go its entire life on one
Price Sensitive vs. Fear Sensitive
Editor’s Note: This column by Andrew Markel, editor of Brake & Front End magazine (a sister publication to Tire Review) appeared in that publication’s September 2014 issue. The response that follows will appear in the magazine’s December 2014 issue. For 2014, I changed my health care insurance from a traditional plan to a health savings
Solid/Live Axle Diagnostics
In 1963, almost every car manufactured in the U.S. had a solid rear axle. There were exceptions like the Corvette and Corvair. Today, pickup trucks and only a few light- to medium-duty SUVs/passenger vehicles still use solid rear axles. It’s not uncommon for a solid rear axle vehicle to go its entire life on one
