Matching Customers With the Right Performance Brake Pads
I want a more aggressive or high-performance brake pad. If you work at a typical tire dealership you’ll hear this statement at least once a week. It is a complex request that requires a line of questioning to flush out what the customer wants, needs and expects.“Aggressive,” “high performance” and “racing” can mean many things
Resurface or Replace Rotors: Which is Better?
Thanks to rising raw materials costs, there has been a steady increase in rotor prices, causing every link in the supply chain to adjust prices. Also, the cost to manufacture and ship rotors to your bay has increased dramatically. With that in mind, resurfacing can restore the friction surface on worn rotors to like-new condition,
How to Solve Customer Brake Dust Complaints
nd has to spend every weekend with the most wicked cleaner you can find to keep them shining, us brake guys will quickly be in the cross hairs. One measure of a vehicle’s dust propensity is now available in some of the New Car Quality Surveys. A few months after you purchase your new vehicle,
Servicing Hybrid Brake Systems
A hybrid vehicle is a different animal than many of us are used to seeing. After all, if the engine of a typical vehicle were to stall out at a traffic light, the driver of that vehicle would know something was wrong with it. If that same vehicle still drove with the engine off, then
On-Car Brake Lathes Save Time on Rotor Resurfacing
One of my favorite pieces of shop equipment is the on-the-car brake lathe. Not only does it resurface the rotors to the center line of the wheel bearings, it also speeds the job up in some cases – a win/win situation.
Muffler Replacements Are a Fast, Easy Way to Boost Profits
Have muffler inspections become a low-priority undercar service in your shop? With the introduction of stainless-steel exhaust systems into the import market, it’s easy to forget that muffler and related exhaust parts sales are still a lucrative service that can enhance any profit and loss statement. On systems using a mass air flow sensor (MAF)
Performance Exhaust Upgrades Demand Attention to Detail
Depending upon the market to which a tire dealer might be catering, the term "performance exhaust" can have different meanings. The first market actively seeks out the throaty rumble and chrome-plated look as part of the"vehicle personalization" scene. The second installs an exhaust system that produces the most horsepower for a performance application. Sometimes the
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
A Look at Ride Control Technology and Service
Confused about modern ride control technology? Sometimes looking back into automotive history can put such technology into a more usable framework. A good illustration is how ride control technology evolved from the simple, early-century friction shock absorber to the electronic variable-rate shocks and MacPherson struts being installed on today’s cars and light trucks. When early
How to Perform BMW Ride Control Upgrades
When most people think about lowering springs and other modifications, they think of Asian imports shaking the fillings out of a young driver. You almost never think of a BMW 7 Series. While you may never see a 740 in your shop, much less a driver who would modify the suspension, the procedures and precautions