Scrub Radius and Alignments
Custom wheels and oversized tires can look good and give a vehicle a unique appearance. But it’s what you can’t see that can become really ugly, especially if the alignment and suspension angles have become altered in the installation process.
Power Steering: Understanding the Dynamics and Diagnostics
Twenty-five years ago, when the power steering failed, diagnosing the system was easy. The most difficult problem to diagnose was the “morning sickness” that plagued some vehicles when they were cold. Today, the introduction of speed sensitive steering, electric power steering and computer controls have made power steering diagnostics more demanding. There are two types
Wheel Bearings & Wheel Speed Sensors
If you are replacing a wheel bearing on a late-model vehicle, you’ll be dealing with a wheel speed sensor. In the past decade, wheel speed sensors have been moving from differentials, axles and knuckles to inside or on the wheel bearing or hub unit. At this location, the sensors are more accurate and often more
Servicing Wheel Bearings & Wheel Speed Sensors
If you are replacing a wheel bearing on a late-model vehicle, you’ll be dealing with a wheel speed sensor. In the past decade, wheel speed sensors have been moving from differentials, axles and knuckles to inside or on the wheel bearing or hub unit. At this location, the sensors are more accurate and often more
Brake Booster and the Barometer
Get a bit of a science lesson to help when dealing with brake boosters.
Changing Dynamics of Hybrids and Plug-ins, Plus Service How-Tos
When the term “hybrid vehicle” is used, it most often refers to a hybrid electric vehicle. As you will see, when discussing hybrids, it’s important to remember that hybrid technology is a work in progress and that there’s no such thing as a “generic” hybrid design.
A New Breed of Load Sensing Shocks
The Nivomat shock absorber is a self-leveling monotube shock absorber developed by Sachs. Nivomat is a contraction of two French words, niveau and automatique, that when translated to English would be "level automatic" or "automatic level."The accumulator can be a diaphragm or piston. The normal pressure contained in the accumulator ranges from 20 bar (290
The Role of Oxygen Sensors and When They Need Service
Is there a mileage or time requirement for oxygen sensor replacement? Simple answer: No. Oxygen sensors were first used for fuel trim and emissions in the late 1970s and into the mid-1990s. A single sensor was installed into the exhaust stream to modify fuel delivery and maintain catalytic converter efficiency.The ideal point is 0.45 V
Understanding, Checking and Replacing Ball Joints for Vehicle Safety
If the engine quits at 60 mph, you have a chance of getting off the road safely. If a ball joint quits, you have a chance of crashing off the road. The ball joint is one moveable part of a control arm assembly. The control arm bushings are just as important as the ball joint
Rack and Pinion vs. Recirculating Ball Steering Systems
ocedure to ensure the proper preload on the rack. Rack and Pinion Inspection (Figure 5). The controller processes the steering effort, wheel position and speed inputs with a series of software programs called algorithms to produce the polarity and current flow to the motor. The steering wheel can be referred to as a hand wheel
Bleeding Brake Fluid in ABS-Equipped Vehicles
According to R. L. Polk, the average age of the vehicles on U.S. roads was 9.2 years in 2007, with 41% of the vehicles 11 years or older. This high median age is a good reason to consider the condition of the brake fluid and bleeding procedures when performing maintenance or repairs. Maintenance or repair
All-Wheel Drive Synergies for Brakes, Transmission and Transfer Case
There are very few all-mechanical controls left on late-model vehicles. Almost all powertrain controls are electromechanical, using a computer as the controller. These include powertrain control of the accelerator pedal with the latest being all-wheel drive (AWD). The brakes and damping also are electromechanical under electronic control. There are peripheral systems that are all computer-controlled,