May 2017 Archives - Brake & Front End
Ford Mustang 2005-2014 Brake Job

The brakes on 2005-2014 Mustangs are fairly standard, with discs both in the front and rear. The front calipers are of the dual piston variety, while the rear calipers have single pistons. Four-wheel anti-lock brakes are standard on all models. The only major difference in the brake systems between the base V6 models and the V8-powered GT models is the size of the rotors.

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Have You Seen This Before? A Tech’s Guide For Dealing With Skeptical Customers

“Have you seen this before?” That’s the typical question asked by skeptical customers the world over. How do you answer that? A “yes” answer can lead you down a rabbit hole you don’t want to travel, while a “no” answer can present its own set of problems.

How Do Fluid And Friction Change Brake Pedal Feel?

Chances are your foot will know the condition of a vehicle’s brakes and the quality of the brake pads before your mind puts it all together. Consider this: Stopping a 4,000-lb. vehicle requires a driver to press on a pedal to generate friction at the wheels. What happens in between the pedal and pads can determine how much pressure the driver is required to apply to stop the vehicle in a safe distance.

Nurturing The Next Generation Of Technicians

As shop owners, we wear a lot of hats. Unfortunately, it just so happens that talent development/trainer is not a role with which most of us are accustomed. We expect that vo-tech schools will bring us service-ready technicians. For now, we need to adjust this expectation as these schools transition to a new model.

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Wheel Bearing Hubs: Q&A For Customers

Though you may never even see it, a wheel hub bearing unit is an important part of a car’s wheel assembly, enabling wheels to turn freely and playing a crucial role in the safety and handling characteristics of a vehicle.

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Hyundai Tech Tip: MDPS Coupling Replacement

The motor driver power steering (MDPS) assembly contains a flexible rubber coupling that wears out over time. Wear of the coupling does not affect the ability to steer or control the vehicle.

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BMW Tech Tip: Anti-Tamper Socket To Service 328d Models

BMW announced the distribution of a special anti-tamper socket needed to remove and replace the undercar protection panel covering the SCR module on 2014-current F30/F31 328d models. The socket will be available at BMW dealers.

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Volkswagen Jetta A5/MK5 Brake Job

The A5, or MK5, Jetta is one of the most common Volkswagens on the road. The brake system does not differ greatly from the previous platform, but it does have a few quirks.

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Autonomous Vehicles: Changes Are Coming

With every passing year, there are fewer cars and trucks needing throttle cables, distributor caps and spark plug wires. Even if we have lost these service opportunities, we have gained twice as many in the past two decades.

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Replacing Wheel Bearing Hubs Equipped With Wheel Speed Sensors

When engineers came up with the idea of putting the wheel speed sensor (WSS) and tone ring inside a sealed wheel bearing hub assembly, it seemed like a great idea. The sealed environment would help protect the sensor and make it less vulnerable to damage or contamination from the outside.

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Active Shocks And Struts

Why would an engineer or automaker include this feature on a vehicle? An active dampener allows for a ride without compromise. The three inputs can be used to detect a rough road or an emergency situation where body roll could change the stability of the vehicle.

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