Posts Tagged ‘maintenance’

3 key considerations when choosing a car hoist

January 10th, 2012

When it comes to purchasing a two post hoist, there are many important factors to consider.

Your new two-post hoist should allow you to make all repairs effectively and safely. Weather you are planning to use it in a home garage or in a business workshop, we’ve outlined 3 considerations that will help you make the right choice

1. Simplicity is the best long-lasting solution

Electronic controls may look very attractive and tempting, however mechanical operation might be the smartest choice for 2 post hoists. A machine with a simple mechanic operation system will be a good long-term investment. For example, humid climate may cause the solenoids from the electronic safety locks to stick, and then it would be impossible to release them. To avoid dealing with too complex systems and maintenance expenses, follow the golden rule for hoists: less is more.

2. Select a 2post hoist that uses maintenance-free load bearings, rather than roller bearings

Roller bearing hoist should be avoided because they need constant lubrication and servicing. Quite the reverse, load bearing 2 post hoists don’t require any lubrication treatment and last the entire life of the hoist without maintenance. This signifies a faster turnaround within your workshop and therefore an increase of productivity.

3. Be sure to find a low profile arms 2 post hoist

Australian cars are becoming increasingly lower, so if you want your 2 post hoist to really stand the test of time then it’s vital that you chose one with low profile arms. If your two post hoist doesn’t have this feature, you may find that you’re unable to swing the arms under your vehicle, or even drive your car onto the lift. With low profile arms, you’ll have the capacity to service even the lowest sports car.

When it comes to top quality car lifts, the team at Levanta have a great deal of expertise. To find out more about maintenance then be sure to visit their site with its special section for vehicle hoists.

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Automobile Maintenance – How Essential Can It Be?

November 29th, 2011

We know what it is like searching for quality content regarding a very specific subject. Most do not take the time to look further in the search results, and they often miss out on what they need. Avoid feeling like it is something that only happens to you since it is not. As a result of our own ordeals with wheels research, this series of articles was produced. After going through this article, you will have more perception into this subject. Don’t forget to maintain your wheels, too.

Whenever you buy a new car a lot of people take care of it as if it was their own child. Before long, though, they are likely to become a bit lackadaisical about maintaining their car. Read on to discover some methods that can keep your car looking completely new for years to come.

The first thing is washing your car. Most likely, you washed your vehicle every weekend during the time it was brand new. Now a couple of years afterwards you barely wash your car every 6 months. But, this is often a very bad concept. You can significantly reduce the threat of rust accumulating on your car by washing it regularly. This can be a big concern if you live in a frigid climate where they salt the roads during snowstorms. It is common knowledge that frequent exposure to salt accelerates the buildup of rust on a car. This is why, you should wash your car every week or so over the winter. Actually having never done business offline can be helpful to you since your only exposure will be doing it online. You need to look at the short history to really gain a clear understanding of what we are talking about.

If you do lose money on some lame method that does not work, then you have learned a valuable lesson and just move on. We know how it feels to be alone and working on this stuff, and so it can feel bewildering at times trying to figure out if something is for real. We generally read horror stories from people who have not been online and in business for long. Even though we are presenting you with these techniques, we will tell you to have restraint and continue to learn more about them. It is just like locking your car every time you park it, maybe it will never prevent something but one day years from now it could.

Now we need to think about the instrument panel and any other leather or vinyl products you have in your car. To stop all these car elements from drying out and cracking, you need to clean and condition them regularly. I know when you got your vehicle you did this weekly when you washed the car. However, it probably in no way crosses your mind to accomplish this anymore.

So next, let’s look at the dashboard and other leather or vinyl components of your car. It is advisable to carry out a regular schedule of cleaning and conditioning so that these items will not become dry and begin to crack. In all likelihood, as a new car owner, you did this every weekend when you washed your car. These days, you are most likely too occupied to remember how important this is.

You might want to include something else in your routine maintenance schedule. At least once a month you need to put a coating of wax on your vehicle. This can not just help protect the finish from the elements of nature but it will likely help to keep salt off your car. When you wax your car monthly, its finish will most likely last much longer than the other parts of the car.

Following the above suggestions will make it possible for your car to look brand new for many years. Almost certainly, you won’t choose to drive your car if it has an hideous appearance even though it runs well. This can launch the whole new car shopping for and maintaining process once again.

If you have done even a little reading on wheels for sale thus far, you know it involves so many people, everywhere. Unfortunately it seems that people never think about things like that until it is staring them in the face.

Probably the best defense against such situation is paying attention to your thoughts and keeping your eyes wide open. The interesting thing about us humans is we usually do not pay a lot of attention to prevention. Even when there are just a few hints about a potential situation, it can be easy to overlook it and others simply ignore it. If you can put things in place that will help you, then that is smart; and we mean becoming more aware about it.

If you’re looking for a great wheel site check out www.usarim.com.

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Your Cars Spark Plugs

September 9th, 2011

Spark plugs have an insulated central electrode which is connected by a heavily insulated wire to an ignition coil or magneto circuit on the outside, forming, with a grounded terminal on the base of the plug, a spark gap inside the cylinder. In 1860 tienne Lenoir used an electric spark plug in his first internal combustion engine and is generally credited with the invention of the spark plug. Reciprocating internal combustion engines can be divided into spark-ignition engines, which require spark plugs to initiate combustion, and compression-ignition engines (diesel engines), which compress the air and then inject diesel fuel into the heated compressed air mixture where it auto-ignites.

It seems pretty obvious that a spark plug provides the spark that burns the fuel, but its secondary role as a heat dissipater is equally important. A spark plug’s ability to transfer heat to the car’s cooling system is based on the length of the insulator nose and the materials used for the center electrode and the insulator. The degree to which a spark plug disperses the heat it receives is called its “heat range”. Spark plugs with a high degree of heat dispersal are called high heat range (cold type) and those with a low degree of heat dispersal are called low heat range (hot type).
This is largely determined by the temperature of the gas inside the combustion chamber and the spark plug design.

There are restrictions on the temperatures at which spark plugs can be used: the lower limit is the self-cleaning temperature and the upper limit is the pre-ignition temperature.A spark plug only functions completely when its center electrode temperature is between these temperatures of about 500C and 950C.

Let’s locate your spark plugs. You may likely have an ignition system on your vehicle that does not incorporate a traditional spark plug wire. This technology is referred to as coil on plug. The spark plug will be located beneath the coil. There will be one coil for each spark plug. After removing the coil, you will have access to the spark plug. The plug itself may be several inches below the coil pack. It will be necessary in most coil-on-plug applications to use a 6-inch extension on top of the spark plug socket in order to reach the plug located deep in the cylinder head. Use a firm, not jerky, circular motion in a counterclockwise direction and remove the plug. Do the same for each spark plug.

Spark plugs in other type of ignition systems can be located by following the spark plug wire to the plug. Remove the spark plug boot carefully from the spark plug and, if necessary, mark it so you will be sure and put it back on the same spark plug it came off of. Do the same for every plug. Remove each plug as described above. Organize the spark plugs as you remove them in a manner that will allow you to identify the cylinder that the spark plug was removed from. After all the plugs are removed, inspect them. You’re looking for plugs that have a different color than the rest. The off-color plugs indicate some type of a problem in the particular cylinder they came out of. If you don’t have experience reading spark plugs, you might want to take them to your local technician and have him or her read them for you.

The next step would be to gap all the new spark plugs. Make sure that the gap is equal on all the plugs and that it is set to the manufacturer’s specifications. During this procedure, you should also make sure that the outer electrode is centered as evenly as possible over the center electrode.
After the plugs are gapped, then you should take a small amount of the anti-seize compound you purchased and apply it to the bottom two threads of the new spark plugs. Make sure you use a small amount and only apply the compound to the bottom two threads.

Reconnect any of the spark plug boots or ignition coils you may have removed and start the vehicle and make sure it doesn’t miss-fire. Once you’re sure the vehicle is idling and running properly, take the vehicle out for a test drive. It is important to operate the vehicle under a normal and a heavy load to determine if the plugs are indeed operating as designed. Once you are satisfied that everything is OK then return to your shop.

The Barrie Home Inspector drives over 40 K a year and uses Champion Platinum spark plugs in his vehicle. He has found that changing his spark plugs every year gives better gas mileage and he has yet to have his vehicle start, even on the coldest mornings.

Looking to find the best deal on Orillia’s Best Home Inspector, then visit Alliston’s Best Home Inspector to have Peace of Mind in your next Real Estate Purchase.

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Avoid Getting Bogged Down Out In The Cold – Prepare Your Ride For The Winter

October 5th, 2010

It’s not impossible to slid across an icy road or be unable to see out a foggy windshield.

There’s an increase in dangerous driving conditions during the winter months. Be positive that your car will be up to the test.

First thing you need to consider are your tires. You’d want to avoid your car having that little traction during those weather conditions, so you’d better put on a set of winter tires. Snow and ice performance are what today’s winter tires are designed for and it also allows for better traction and decreases the risk of slipping. Tires are the only part of the vehicle that touches the ground, and it may do you good to remember that.

Appropriate car maintenance is also important. Adopting good vehicle maintenance practices is a must if you want to stay safe on the icy road.

Whether it’s winter or not, replace your tires when necessary and make sure they’re inflated, aligned, and rotated properly. However, remember that when temperatures drop, the air inside a tire contracts and the pressure is reduced. That’s why it’s important to frequently check tire pressure during cold months. Tires that are under or over inflated will lessen the gripping action because the tread will not meet the road’s surface.

Tires should have weekly checkups especially if they haven’t moved for 3 hours or driven less than a mile.

The engine, defrosting and heating systems, batteries, and exhaust are other components that should be checked by a certified automotive technician. Also check if the vehicle’s main fluids are filled to its recommended levels.

The extra volume of gas can help lessen problems in moisture within the fuel system so remember to keep your gas tanks full.

You’ll feel safer and thankful for the feeling of control while you’re driving knowing that your winter tires are given the right maintenance.

Please come and entertain yourself by perusing our collection of designer perfume and perfume.

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How Does a Body Lift Compare to a Suspension Lift?

December 15th, 2009

A body lift or a suspension lift are essentially two ways to lift your Jeep, truck, or SUV. Both methods have their pros and cons that are typically focused on price, performance, and ease of installation, but let me explain the difference between the two.

A suspension lift raises the vehicle’s frame (chassis) away from the ground. This is accomplished with taller springs, lift blocks, spring spacers, lowering the differential, turning up the torsion bars, or any combination thereof.

A body lift raises the vehicle by lifting the body away from the frame with spacers. This keeps the frame at its existing distance from the ground.

A suspension lift is recommended for anyone planning to use their vehicle off-road while a body lift is recommended for anyone that wants to make their vehicle look lifted without the real desire of ever driving off-road. Is this to say a body lifted vehicle can’t go off-road? No. It’s perfectly capable of going off-road. It just won’t perform as well as a suspension lifted vehicle because it hasn’t gained any ground clearance.

Suspension lifts typically range between 2-inches to 6-inches (though there are some companies that produce “extreme” kits in excess of this), while body lifts range between 1-inch to 3-inches.

Suspension lifts are more complicated than body lifts because they alter the suspension components that give the vehicle its factory ride characteristics. Taller springs are typically stiffer than factory springs so the vehicle will have a harsher ride quality than with original equipment factory engineered springs. Longer shock absorbers will be needed. The vehicle will also have a higher center of gravity because the entire weight of the vehicle (everything except the axles) will now be raised further from the ground. Depending on the vehicle, the transfer case may need to be lowered and the rear differential repositioned to minimize driveline vibrations. This is especially true for short wheelbase vehicles such as Jeeps because of their short rear driveline that isn’t readily accepting to increased u-joint angles.

Pros: Increases ground clearance, increased approach and departure angles, allows fitment of larger tires.

Cons: Expensive, longer installation time, increased driveline angles (more susceptible to vibrations), brake lines need to be re-routed or lengthened, longer shocks needed, increased center of gravity.

A body lift is relatively simple in that it primarily consists of a set of spacers that are inserted at the mounting points between the frame and body of the vehicle. This leaves all the heavy parts of the vehicle (frame, engine, transmission, transfer case, etc) at their factory locations so the vehicle’s center of gravity (though increased) will not be increased as much as a suspension lift.

Pros: Cheap, can be installed quickly with basic hand tools, allows installation of larger tires, simple (all components come in a container about the size of a shoe box).

Cons: Appearance (a gap between the body tub and the frame will now be visible), extra leverage is placed on the mounting points (this is especially true for higher lifts), no increase in ground clearance.

Ultimately, the only benefit of a body lift is that it allows for the installation of larger tires. On the other hand, a suspension lift is designed for improved performance off-road (and conveniently allows the installation of larger tires). If cost is a factor and you’re on a budget but want to make your Jeep, truck, or SUV look like an aggressive off-roader with no real intentions of ever going off-road, then a body lift would be adequate for you. However, if cost isn’t a factor and you’re looking to make your Jeep, truck, or SUV more off-road capable and trail ready, then a suspension lift should be your first choice.

Body lift kits are a popular choice for people new to the sport of off-roading. Their ease of installation make them great beginner projects for anyone just starting to get into off-roading and can be used in conjunction with a suspension lift should you decide to move up to something bigger in the future.

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Garage Floor Coverings

November 20th, 2009

In new construction garages, garage floor coverings are all the rave. Although one might think of paint as the most obvious solution, there are many garage floor covering options available for consideration. When you are making the decision about the look and feel you want for your floor, pause to reflect on the reasons paint may be out shined by a garage floor covering. In this article we will discuss a variety of garage floor coverings available to you outside the standard painted floor.

Garage Floor Coverings Means Simple Installation

There are mats available in sizes for both the entire garage or for smaller contained areas. The mats that are used in specific areas of the garage are called garage compartment mats since they do only cover one actual compartment. The garage floor mats, rather they cover the entire floor or just one or a few compartments, are easy to install compared to tile or paint. For the entire garage floor one would simply cut the mats down to the proper size. Although compartment mats cannot usually be cut, they come in a variety of sizes and can be snapped together to form a liquid proof seal or even stacked upon each other. If one had the inclination to cover the entire garage floor with the compartment mats it could be done, but at a cost considerably higher than the approximately $100 for a paint kit. Keep in mind also that the compartment mats move easily, regardless of many manufacturers claims to the contrary, and car tires cause them to bunch and bend.

Garage Floor Coverings Are More Easily Replaced

With ease of install also comes easy replaceability. If you damage or stain an epoxy garage floor coating, you’re either stuck with it, or sanding it down and replacing it. With a garage floor mat, you just toss it and replace it. Again, convenient, but expensive. The manufacturers of both mats and paint kits seem to feel like their products cannot be stained but, of course, marketing and reality may yield two different results. Tiles can also be easily replaced since you can just pull the ones that get damaged, but the new ones might not match if your garage flooring is a few years old.

Garage Floor Coverings Can Provide Comfort

In comparison to a bare concrete garage floor, epoxy paint is probably a lot nicer to walk around on, which is what they advertise. However, compared to garage floor coverings that are made of thick rubber, epoxy will probably feel like concrete. This also applies if you are laying or sitting down to work on a car. The ideal solution would be a comfy mat on top of a painted floor but, again, money is often the limiting factor.

Could You Afford A Garage Floor Covering

Without doubt epoxy paint is a very cheap route. If you are feeling up to the task of a labor intensive job and your lower back can survive it, epoxy paint is the way to go. If, however, you have to pay someone to do this for you consider that the benefits of the mat will be worth the extra cost in the end, especially with no installation costs involved

Check out Gabriel’s sweet garage floor for more information on garage floor coverings.

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Making The Choice Of Garage Floor Coverings

November 18th, 2009

There are a lot of different garage floors that you can choose from, and many different reasons to choose one or another type. Let’s look at the more popular choices, and consider the advantages and disadvantages of each one. After all, there’s only one person that is truly qualified to decide between the various garage floors, and that would be the person who owns the garage!

Epoxy Paint For Garage Floors

This is one of the most often used options for a few reasons. For one, it’s permanent. Once the garage floor paint is down, it would have to be stripped to get rid of it. It’s durable, and provides a nice, shiny, professional looking finish. If you have the mans to get down on the floor and apply the epoxy garage floor yourself, it’s also the cheapest option. Unfortunately, epoxy garage floor paint can go from the cheapest to the most expensive option very quickly if you have to pay someone else to install it, as it is quite time consuming, especially compared to some of the other options.

Using Garage Floor Tile

The only similarity in paint and garage floor tiles is a somewhat close end product, otherwise the differences are vast. Both require you to get down on your hands and knees for installation, but breaks of a few hours to a few weeks can be taken in the installation of garage floor tiles. There is always the possibility of slight fading, but otherwise the results would be the same. The ability to take time off in the installation process makes it worth the choice over paint to many. Assuming you can find matching color and design, broken or damaged tiles can easily be swapped rather than replace or redo the entire garage flooring. The selections available are wider and more varied in tiles. Paint remains a cheaper option than tile.

Using Mats For Entire Garage Floors

By far the easiest and fastest way to cover an entire floor, garage floor mats are simply cut to fit then laid out. It’s that simple. If a garage floor mat becomes badly damaged, it can be yanked out and thrown away or recycled with very little drama besides moving whatever shelves or tables happen to be sitting on it. This is probably not the best option, though, if you plan to use your garage mainly for parking cars, as the some mats are susceptible to bending and bunching underneath car tires. Garage floor mats tend to be more expensive than either tiles or paint.

Single Compartment Mats For Garage Floors

Used mainly temporarily, mats for single areas of garage floors are called compartment mats. Although they can be used on a more permanent basis they are not the most cost effective for it would take many mats to lay out one at a time for an entire garage floor covering. They can, however be easily removed to the outdoors for cleaning making them a great single area solution! Quickest and easiest by far to install, depending on the manufacturer, when stacked or snapped together they generally form a protective seal. There are, however, cheaper options if your goal is to cover the entire floor.

Check out Goddard’s garage floor website for more information on garage floor coverings.

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