BRAKELIGHT: December 1987
In the December 1987 issue, Brake & Front End dressed up two employees as technicians and put them on a couch watching a training video. But, thanks to some extra props in the form of beer cans and a half-eaten pizza, we got into some trouble.
BRAKELIGHT: January 1952
Even in the 1950s, tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) and supplemental inflatable devices were on the market. The good news is that 64 years later, Brake & Front End is now free to qualified subscribers.
BRAKELIGHT: 1930s and 1940s
BRAKE & FRONT END cartoons from the 1930s and 1950s The cars may have changed, but the humor stays the same.
BRAKELIGHT: Anti-Skid Brakes (April 1972)
Anti-SKID Brakes During World War II, Dunlop developed an anti-lock brake system for high performance aircraft. It was a mechanical system designed to prevent wheel skids when planes landed at high speed on slick runways. In 1958, the first practical automotive ABS system, called Maxaret, was developed by the Road Research Laboratories in Great Britain
BRAKELIGHT: 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
A customer came with a 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pick-up and said he thought he needed front brakes. We signed him up for our free brake check and diagnosis and I turned the keys over to my tech. My tech took a short test drive and said the brakes felt really funny! A little while
BRAKELIGHT: May 1945
This headline was a little deceptive and sensational. In 1921, the U.S. government started keeping track of road fatalities. By 1945, the total had crossed the 600,000 fatalities mark. U.S. casualties in WWII were around 420,000 by May 1945. Brakes were critical to the war effort. A properly functioning brake system could save fuel by
BRAKELIGHT: 2000 Ford Expedition
These brakes came off a 2000 Ford Expedition. The vehicle was towed into the shop with a separated left lower ball joint. After repairing the left side, we advised customer to do the same repair on the right side. When I pulled the right front wheel, I found the brake rotor and pads were pinched
BRAKELIGHT: 1953 Pontiac (March 1953)
With the “Wide Track” design five years away, it is amazing to see just how much body roll was considered normal. The main difference in the 1953 was a lower roll center and longer control arms.
BRAKELIGHT: November 1945
The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1940 guaranteed that mechanics returning from the service with an honorable discharge could go back to their old jobs at the same wage. Many more soldiers were trained in the armed forces to work on trucks, cars and planes, and came back to open shops of