Automotive Archives - Page 173 of 179 - Tomorrows Technician
Undercover: Debating a Complete Brake Job

One of the major issues with selling customers a “complete” brake job is that the components in the brake system do not wear at the same rate.

Performance Primer: Pursuing the Performance Mod Market

One of the advantages of doing import performance modifications and upgrades is that you don’t have to wait for cars to break to get business.

Undercover: Bearing the Load

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 world.

Component Connection: Determining the Clues to Engine Bearing Failures

Because of the stresses caused by the explosions inside the internal combustion engine, engine bearing material must be extremely strong.

Service Advisor: Technician Town Hall Spurs Responses on Rotor Runout

Just like the town hall meetings across the country where Americans have questions for their government representatives, tomorrow’s technicians have questions of their own on ways to better service their future customers.

Undercover: Joining the ‘Brake Booster’ Club

In school, I took physics and wondered if I would ever use any of the scientific stuff. All of that stuff is kind of important if you want to know how altitude can affect the performance of a vacuum brake booster, engine, your body and a whole lot of other devices.

Service Advisor: Giving the Sway Bar a Tune Up

Unless the chassis anti-roll bar — also called the sway bar or stabilizer — is making noise, it tends to be missed when the suspension is serviced. Here’s how to provide a proper undercar inspection to the Sway Bar components.

Undercover: Double Down — The Advantages of Twin-Tube Shocks

Twin-tube shocks and struts have been used as original equipment on most vehicles for many years.

Undercover: Getting a Charge out of Monotube Gas Shocks

From the outside, most shock absorbers and struts look pretty much alike: a round steel tube that telescopes up and down with bushings or fittings on both ends. But inside there can be significant design differences that affect not only the ride control characteristics and performance of the damper, but also its cost.

Performance Primer: Tuner and Hooch

Any engine builder worth his or her salt knows that when you design a race engine to run on alcohol, you always have to take into account the requirement of the extra fuel required. This may be as simple as changing out carburetor jets, upping the size of fuel injectors, or even redesigning the fuel delivery system to larger lines, multiple pumps, etc. These rules aren’t folklore created by fuel salesmen and the aftermarket; these rules all have a scientific reason behind them.

Undercover: Sensing Dangers: Safety System Diagnostics

How Wheel Speed Sensors Play a Vital Role in Safety System Activation.

Undercover: Herding Cats Can be ‘Exhaust’ing

Real life has proven that the life span of a catalytic converter varies as greatly as the life span of the vehicle itself. One catalytic converter may not fail in 200,000+ miles, while another won’t even make it out of the vehicle’s base warranty. One thing is for sure, they aren’t going away as long as vehicles are powered by fossil fuels. So let’s talk some about how they work, then move on to spotting one that is misbehaving.