Posts Tagged towing
Truck Air Suspensions What You Need To Know Before You Buy
If you’re a serious towing enthusiast, you probably already know the reasons why you should add a truck air ride suspension system to your heavy-duty truck: a quality truck air suspension system helps by cushioning a bumpy ride, leveling your vehicle, reducing wheel hopping, limiting trailer bucking and adding stability during braking. And, an air ride suspension system helps you protect your investment in your heavy-duty truck by preventing the harsh wear and tear caused by heavy towing.
But, before you make a decision to buy a product that can have such a significant impact on your truck, your trailer and your load, there are several factors to take into consideration, including load capacity, manufacturing quality, ease of installation, adjustments to your vehicle, warranty, and much more. Here are a few tips for serious shoppers who are looking for optimum performance and value in a truck air suspension system.
Tags: air ride suspension, air suspension system, air suspensions, automotive, automotive industry, brake, brakes, dealer, front suspension, heavy duty truck, parts, performance, safety, towing, truck, truck air suspension, vehicle, wheelRelated posts
Shopping for a Cold Air Intake ?
So, what is a cold air intake anyway? Well if you “Google” the internet for “cold air intake ” you’ll find there are over twenty (20) different brands of cold air intake systems to fit almost every make/model of truck and SUV. I will discuss here the cold air intake systems manufactured by companies who in my opinion are favored by the aftermarket crowd. K&N, and Airaid top my list when shopping for a cold air intake system.
All engines require air flow for fuel combustion. A cold air intake system or performance intake kit is simply a less restricted filtered inlet air system to your engine. The benefit over OEM air boxes equipped with your truck or SUV is improved engine air flow results in greater efficiency and horsepower output. That’s it, other than they come in a variety of colors, look cool when you pop the hood and your engine produces a voice husky with emotion when you accelerate.
Tags: air boxes, air filter, air filter element, air flow, air intake, air intake system, air intake systems, clean, cold air intake, cold air intake system, cold air intake systems, computers, engine, filter, fuel combustion, gas mileage, google, horsepower output, intake air filter, maintenance prices, performance, performance claims, performance intake, towing, truck, vehicleRelated posts
Brake Pad Comparison – OEM Vs Aftermarket
Brake pads aren’t something that a lot of people think about on a daily basis. The brake pads that auto manufacturer’s select for their vehicles are chosen based on select number of qualities, primarily noise, dust, stopping ability and wear. The ideal combination of these aspects is obviously low noise and dust, good stopping power and long pad life. That’s a lot to ask from a brake pad! Think about it, brake pads get a lot of abuse; they have to deal with high temperatures and be able to make friction occur on wet/dry/cold/hot rotors, and they have to do it repeatedly for fifty thousand miles or more! That’s pretty demanding, but somehow manufacturers have been able to engineer pads that meet these levels of performance.
So why do aftermarket pads even exist? If manufacturers have already figured out how to make an ideal brake compound that consistently stops cars and requires little to no maintenance, then why are there all these companies out there boasting they have better pads? Well, it’s a tough question to answer, but the main reason is for performance. You see, everyone measure performance on a different scale; do you want lots of pad-bite and maximum friction, or do you want a pad that will deal with repeatedly stopping heavy loads without wearing out in six thousand miles, or do you want something that is like what the original pads were like? That is the first step to choosing your next set of brake pads. If you want something that offers higher friction levels and faster stopping distances, then you’ll want a semi-metallic brake pad that was designed for light to heavy track use. If you want a pad that can deal with towing loads and four-wheeling, an extended wear pad would be your best choice. For the longest lasting, low-dust pad a ceramic compound would be optimal. There are a few manufacturers who make a semi-metallic ceramic compound that will supposedly offer high friction, low-dust and wear, but my personal experience has been that these pads are trying to be everything for everybody, but end up not being that great at anything.
Tags: brake, brake pad, brake pads, engine, performance, towing, vehicle, wheelRelated posts
Some Causes of Warped Brake Rotors
One of the subtle car problems that sometimes can be hard to find is when you have a problem with your car’s disc brake system. However, if you know what to look for, some of these problems can readily identified. There are different indications if your systems become damaged. The first one is if you’ve have been feeling a shimmy in the steering wheel. Another one is a vibration in the brake pedal when you apply the brakes. A third indication is if the brake pedal starts pumping up and down, even slightly, you may have bad disc brakes rotors.
Disc rotors, are the part of the brake system that spins with the wheels, and the brake pads contacts when the brakes are applied. These parts can become very hot. If you’ve ever seen a side or an under the car picture of the front wheels on a race car, you’ve probably have seen brake rotors turn red and glow.
Tags: aftermarket parts, brake, brake caliper, brake calipers, brake job, brake pad, brake pads, brake rotor, brake rotors, brake system, brakes, car picture, car problems, car wash, carbon fiber, disc brake, disc brake pad, disc brake pads, disc brakes, disc brakes rotors, exotic, exotic car, parts, picture, race car, rear brake rotors, replacement parts, steering wheel, towing, vehicle, wheel, wheelsRelated posts
Exhaust Headers – A Crash Course On Automotive Performance
The problem is that most people have no clue where to start. Rather than getting on some forums and researching their options, most 17 year olds throw a tin can muffler on their 92 Civic and give performance parts a bad name.
You’ve probably seen the Fast and Furious and thought, “Dang, those cars are sweet!” But not all parts are created equal. Start by identifying your goals and expectations. Also, think about the long run. You might save a few bucks now by going with a new muffler, but if you pay a little more you can add a full exhaust and really see results.
I suggest you start by making a list of a few parts you are considering. Then research which ones work best for your vehicle and which order you would like to add them. Lastly, it is worth it to shop around online. Spending half an hour online comparing a few shops can save you a few hundred bucks.
Tags: aftermarket parts, automotive, cat back, cat back exhaust, cat back exhaust system, cat back exhaust systems, engine, exhaust, exhaust header, exhaust headers, exhaust system, exhaust systems, header, headers, muffler, muffler shop, parts, performance, performance exhaust, performance exhaust headers, performance parts, racing, towing, vehicle, wheelRelated posts