Automaker’s Continue Move to go Lead-Free; Aftermarket Lags
The Ecology Center recently released its second Lead-Free Wheels Survey of new vehicles. Lead wheel balancing weights represent one of the largest ongoing uses of lead in the world.
The Rip Off: Do you Love the Aftermarket?
A few weeks ago, I invited an old friend and former co-worker to lunch. I have to admit, my motives were not entirely focused on “catching up,” as he now works for a local company I have been eyeing as a potential customer for quite some time. Of course, I casually worked his company’s fleet
Tech Feature: Performance Modifications…Getting a ‘Handle’ on Your Customers’ Tuning Needs
The sport compact car market is hotter than ever. The market has moved beyond the simple bolt-ons such as wheels, tires, brake rotors and spoilers. It’s not unusual today to see sport compact engines producing upward of 400 horsepower on the street. With so much power under the hood, the challenge is getting the horsepower
Safe Shop: Real-World Lift Safety
The repair order read “vehicle pulls to the left.” The owner of a Ford Excursion wanted an alignment. The job started out like any other — a preliminary test drive to confirm the symptoms and then it was run up onto the alignment lift. The front tires were carefully steered onto the turn plates. The
RTI Offers Tips to Keep Your Refrigerant Recycling Machine in Tip-Top Condition
There’s nothing worse than having customers wanting service and your refrigerant recycling machine is not operating. The following are suggestions to keep your recycling machine in tip-top condition and ready to make money for your shop.
Hard-to-Find Steering and Suspension Parts: They Can Make or Break the Job or the Vehicle
A partially disassembled car is sitting in the shop. The vehicle’s owner is calling daily, asking if it’s fixed. In desperation, you’re haunting salvage yards, hitting every source you know, then following up every source your sources know, and still … you can’t find that part.
Tech Tip: Prescription for RX-7 A/C Repair
One summer afternoon, he dropped the car off for its 60,000-mile service and mentioned the air conditioning had stopped working. Also, air was only blowing out of the defroster ducts. After a "quick" test drive, I brought the car in to check out the problem.
Ride Control Upgrades Offer Growing Opportunities for Added Sales and Profitability
KYB America LLC, a supplier of OE and aftermarket shocks and struts, views ride control upgrades as viable opportunities for creating extra shock sales and profits from the installation of heavy-duty and performance shocks.
As Walls Shrink, Goodyear Tire Designers Get More Creative
Imagine Michelangelo being forced to paint on a surface many times smaller than the actual square footage of the Sistine Chapel. What if DaVinci’s Mona Lisa was brushed onto a tiny one-foot-square canvas? Or in today’s terms, what would it be like to view the Super Bowl on a small, 9-inch black-and-white television?
Permatex Continues NHRA Sponsorship of Jay Blake and Follow A Dream Racing Team for 2007 Season
Permatex has announced that it will continue its corporate sponsorship of the Follow A Dream Race Team for the 2007 NHRA season. In 2007, Follow A Dream will compete in the NHRA Championship Top Alcohol Funny Car Series. Permatex has partnered with Jay Blake and his team since 2004.