Wheel Bearing Service Tips
It may seem like a long time ago when removing the wheel bearings was a normal part of every brake job. The wheel, hub and drum would be removed. The bearings and seal were removed and the old grease was cleaned from the bearings with solvent and a brush. You would next take a wad
Get it Straight
Customers these days are pickier than ever about the work performed on their vehicles —and an alignment isn’t an exception. If customers aren’t satisfied with how their cars ride, steer and handle after driving them out of your shop, you’ll likely see those customers again — for the redo. What follows are some simple steps
Honda Performance Upgrades
Service & Diagnostics Call it what you want — the compact performance market, sport compact market, import scene or the tuner market — but there’s no denying the import car performance segment has grown by leaps and bounds over the past decade. According to SEMA’s 2006 Compact Performance Market Report, retail sales for this niche
Mitchell 1 Names Bruce Amacker 2007 Educator of the Year
Bruce Amacker, owner and instructor of TurboTraining, has been named Educator of the Year at the North American Council of Automotive Teachers (NACAT) 2007 Conference held recently in Long Beach, CA. Each year Mitchell 1 recognizes one of the nation’s top teachers for excellence in automotive repair instruction.
Tech Tip: Keeping Your Customers’ Tires Glued to the Road
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 currently being installed on late-model imports.
Monroe Joins Forces with Leading Outdoor Enthusiast Magazines for U.S. Road Tour
Monroe shocks and struts is one of several sponsors taking part in an aggressive new mobile marketing program this fall: The Field & Stream and Outdoor Life 2007 Road Tour. Starting in August and running through September, the tour’s schedule includes more than a dozen stops at select state fairs, outdoor events, college campuses and Cabela’s retail stores.
Tech Tip: Replacing AWD Rear-Wheel Bearings on Subaru Vehicles
When replacing rear-wheel bearings on 1994 all-wheel-drive Legacy, Impreza and SVX vehicles, be certain not to over torque the lateral link bolt that secures the two transverse suspension arms to the wheel bearing housing. Do not air gun the bolt off. The proper torque is probably less than you think.
Tech Tip: Convertible Mustang Vibration – Got MIG?
Customers may come to you after many frustrating attempts by other shops to get an irritating vibration out of their 1996-98 Ford Mustang convertibles equipped with a 3.8-Liter engine. The vibration or shake seems to occur while driving at a steady speed of approximately 62 mph (100 km/h) on smooth roads. This problem may be due to the interaction between the body and the suspension.
Tech Tip: Ready-to-Install Struts Save Time and Increase Profits
It should come as no shock that preassembled, ready-to-install struts have been a huge hit lately. The pros like them because they are much easier, faster and more profitable to install than ordinary struts. They don’t need a spring compressor to disassemble and reassemble the strut and they can get the customer back on the road much faster because of the time saved by not replacing the entire strut assembly.
Maintenance Essentials…, OBD II & Chassis Checks
All cars need maintenance. The fact is mechanical devices wear and fail in normal use, and deteriorate over time, so being able to diagnose a future failure has become a part of the automotive repair and service industry. Customers always ask how long it will be before a component will fail, and are usually not