Bad Advice for Lug Nuts
I am a sucker for helping stranded motorists, and this pothole season is no exception. So far I have seen two lower ball joint failures, one u-joint pole vault and a separated tie rod. I think people are at their best when others are at their worst. I recently stopped to help a Subaru at
Live-Axle Wheel Bearings
Replacing wheel bearings on a vehicle with a live rear axle may not be one of the most frequent jobs performed, but it can be one of the most profitable. While the basics have not changed in more than 60 years, new seal materials and differential designs have added new challenges. Bearings Replacing rear wheel
Why Selling Four is Better Than Settling for Just Two
We have all been in a situation where the customer comes in with a damaged or leaking shock/strut that needs immediate attention, while the rest of the shocks/struts have more than 80,000 miles on them and are due for replacement. Recommending replacement of all four units is the right thing to do, but after you
10 Alignment Tips to Help You See Past The Angles
1 Talk to the driver. Always ask questions at the time the vehicle is written up. Find out why customers think they need an alignment. 2 Take notes. Nothing is worse than a repair order that just says “perform alignment” or “needs alignment.” Notes on the repair order can prevent comebacks that stem from a
Cheap Brake Pads
Ever since the first issue of Brake & Front End came off the presses, the magazine has warned of the costs of using inferior friction materials. In the 1930s, the magazine fought the fight against inferior materials coming from “mail-order houses.” In the 1940s, inferior materials were blamed for costing the war effort in terms
Who Regulates Brake Pads?
Everybody wants safe brakes, right? You want the assurance that any brake linings you install on a customer’s vehicle will provide adequate braking and meet all applicable safety standards. But guess what? There are no federal safety standards for aftermarket brake linings. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) 105, 126 and 135, which are issued
The Complexity of a Cartridge-style Wheel Bearing
More and more vehicles are being equipped with cartridge-style wheel bearings — a style that requires a lot more labor to replace when compared to hub units or tapered roller bearings. What’s new? What should you watch for? While the fundamentals of the job have not changed since the 1980s, what has changed is the
BYOBP Brake Jobs: This Has To Stop
A few years ago, I was sent a link to a TV commercial on YouTube for a mobile brake business. The commercial featured a puppet claiming that the business could save a driver $500 on brakes because shops mark up brake parts by 30%. Not that I don’t trust puppets in commercials, but this was
Choosing the Right Brake Pad for the Right Customer
There is one simple piece of advice I try to live by: “Know what you know, and know what you don’t know.” This simple credo can save you from making mistakes and looking like a complete idiot. I am often asked for my opinion of a certain brand or application of brake pads, or which
Reading Tire Wear Patterns
A tire can tell you a lot about a suspension. Most specifically, it can tell you if the angles, inflation and components are within specification. Here are the most common wear patterns and what causes them. Over-inflation Wear Tire wear in the center of the tread pattern tells you that the inflation patterns are too
Air Ride Logic: How to Diagnose Common Behaviors
There is a logic to air ride systems. Air ride systems can control vehicle ride height, passenger comfort and improve handling. How they operate and work with the rest of the systems on the vehicle is part of the embedded logic of the control system. Written in this programming are three main edicts: preserve the
Inside Brake Noise, Vibration, Harshness
What does your shop Do when a brake noise complaint enters the service bays? Does it end up hurting productivity for the rest of the day as a technician randomly applies lubes, pastes and sprays to the brake system hoping that the problem will be at least temporarily solved? Brake systems are complex and require
