Friday, December 4, 2015

Keeping vehicles aligned -- Alignment Terminology

Camber -- the inclination of the centerline of the wheel from the vertical as viewed from the front of the vehicle. The camber angle will affect the wear on the inner or outer edge of the tire.

Caster -- the angle between an imaginary line drawn through the upper and lower steering pivots and a line perpendicular to the road surface viewed from side of the vehicle. Caster will not cause tire wear unless extreme maladjustment was made.

Toe -- the difference between the leading edge (or front) and trailing edge (or rear) of the tires. Toe-in  is the measurement that the the tires are closer together in the front than they are in the back. Toe-out  is the measurement that the the tires are further apart in the front than they are in the back.

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Getting batteries and tires ready for wet and cold winter

Remember that routine auto care can save you big bucks by improving fuel economy, extending life of your vehicle and avoiding costly car repairs. A survey found that 82 percent of vehicle owners don't pay any attention to the condition of their batteries. The same survey also found that 78 percent wait until something goes wrong with tires.

Batteries and tires are particularly susceptible to the cold weather. According to AAA Automotive Research Center, a car battery loses about 35 percent of its strength when the surrounding temperature drops to 32 degrees and tire-inflation pressures decrease by 1 to 2 pounds per square inch for every 10-degree drop in temperature -- significant because even a small reduction in pressure can affect a tire's traction, handling and durability!