Doing a makeover or making a monster?

Car modification is cool. However, you may find yourself exaggerating things, making your work of art a total disaster! Better yet, you can keep everything simple yet appealing.

There are lots of auto parts that you should consider when modifying your ride. You can start with the most obvious ones… Those which you can see even from a distance – like your wheels and tires.

With the wheels and tires, the desire to fit alternative ones is the most common modification. This is because of their significant visual contribution on aesthetics. Oftentimes, these auto parts stand as foundations in making or unmaking a car.

Changes to the wheels and tires can alter your ride’s behaviour on the road, so it is advisable to fit wheels and tires that are listed on the tire placard or in your owner’s handbook. Of course, you also need to ensure the good condition of your tires and wheels.

Some experts say that modifying wheels and tires can really improve a road holding, but an incorrect tire and wheel combination can affect the track of your vehicle.

Now let’s talk about one of the most popular location of car modification – the exhaust system. The rumble of a hotted-up V8 makes a pretty loud statement. Enthusiasts extravagantly shell out to fit a larger exhaust system with the idea of improving gas flow while deriving more power from the engine.

Ideally, it will be better to reduce the restriction in the exhaust to maximize the performance but in reality, it doesn’t deliver huge gains because it goes more about the noise than anything else.

Upgraded exhaust systems are popular in the 17–25 age group This is partly personality and show-off factor. The statutory limit for exhaust noise is 90 decibels for cars made after 1983. Nonetheless, fines range from $150 to $500 depending on how far the exhaust noise exceeds the limit. What do you want, fame or fine?

Getting in the interior… Car enthusiasts transform seats for support, safety, comfort, and aesthetics. If you don’t have any reason while doing such modification, better stop it, or make a monster out of your interior. However if you are sure about your plan, you can find optional extras for your vehicle, just don’t forget to get an engineering certificate.

Once a seat is incorrectly fitted, it will dislodge in the event of a crash. Moreover, if you fit a new seat and it ends up too high or low, it could compromise the driving position of your ride. If you have side airbags, have your seats modified or use seat covers since they could interfere with the deployment of airbags..

Getting under the hood.. Engine modifications tend to be more complex as these include either modifying the existing engine or fitting a new engine. Among the common activities are adding superchargers turbochargers, or after-market fuel injection systems.

Powerchips are great. These go into the vehicle’s engine management computer and changes the mapping of fuel and ignition timing, maximizing the power. Nonetheless, this is expensive if you base on the “not so great” net gain.

Never modify your ride if it is likely to affect engine management, oxygen sensor, catalytic converter, or the mufflers in the exhaust system. You can boost the power under the hood using other techniques. You don’t have to modify your ride into a monster.

More techniques are yet to be counted. If you want to learn more about having a makeover for your vehicle, keep on researching. A lot of enthusiasts are willing to share great tips for your benefits. Next time, I’ll be posting more entries related to this…

Improve your Shocks

Have you been suffering from extensive bouncing? Never ignore this as you will never get the off-road performance that you need. Check if the shocks are still in good shape otherwise, you will continuously get annoyed by the road disturbances.

Shocks generally stand as piston inside a liquid, having an extra gas chamber that absorbs the unfavorable effects of road disturbances. This happens when gas compresses while the liquid does not compress under pressure. Because of such difficult task, your shocks are apparently made to have fairly complicated structure. Additionally, since these auto parts are exposed to extensive movements, early damage are always imminent. If this happens, your car would bounce all along. To make sure that problems with your shocks will not annoy you, make sure that you will always consider the condition of each suspension parts. These are some of the main components that you have to regularly inspect.

Bound and Rebound settings
This refers to the dampening force of the shock absorber. Bound is the rate at which shock allows compression. Rebound, on the other hand, is the rate at which the shock releases the compression. Once your suspension has a dampening control, then you can determine the optimum setting.

Camber
This is the angle of your wheel against the road. Putting all your weight on the outside of your feet will cause negative camber. On the other hand, rolling your feet inwards, so all your weight gets inside, positive camber is resulted. As the car rolls into the corner, the camber will bring changes to handling and tire life. The best camber settings for handling will lead to premature tire wear. The front wheels are set up for positive camber while the wheels deflect up. Camber setting refers to the angle of the wheel to the road and the angle of the wheel to the chassis. Maintaining the best angle of contact between the tire and the road should therefore be done properly.

Caster
The angle of the wheel hub in relation to the suspension arm is referred to as the angle of castor. Positive castor keeps the wheel straight. Stability is maintained, whereas a neutral camber leads to wheel wobbling around the axis.

Toe
Toes in or toes out? Your car has “toes out” when they seem to look like your feet, having the heels together and the toes apart. On the other hand, it has “toes in” when the heels are apart and the toes are together. Any of these conditions can affect the stability of your car. Toe can provide stability on the straight and resistance whenever turning. With toes out, there is quicker steering response.

You can provide your car with the toe that you want, just make sure that this is equally distributed to all your wheels.


Roll
Removing roll in corners will help attain cornering stability. Once you push hard, your car will lift a rear wheel and when cornering, you will surely need as much rubber in contact with the black stuff.

Roll bars are also called sway bars. These help keep the level in a car corner by taking a lift from one side and trying to move it to the other. This is impossible so the lift effectively pulls down and everything is kept in contact with the road.

Spring stiffness
If the springs become so stiff, the car will bounce over humps and potholes on the road. When this become too soft, the car will wallow along. Perfect shocks are made adjustable on the car to let you get the set up that will match your driving style.

Bushes
These suspension parts provide connection to the suspension components and chassis. The rubber ones deteriorate over time. New poluurethane bushes last longer and maintain handling much tighter. However, since these are harder, your ride has the possibility to become a little bumpy.

Getting Lower... but trendier

Do you want to give your vehicle a new appeal? Why not try making it look closer to the ground? Lowering has been one of the popular trends today so it will surely be a success if you will pursue such style in your own ride.

But how are you gonna start the lowering of your vehicle then? Lots of enthusiasts have their vehicles lowered through their own skills and money. Apparently, you need to invest the same factors to make sure that your ride will stand out down the road.

Usually, lowering is started by removing the huge tractor like gap between the top of the wheel and the arches. Such lower feature is better for handling since the track becomes fairly flat and smooth.

Manufacturers need to take speed bumps, passenger comfort, uneven road surface, and road noise into consideration when setting up a car suspension. Lots of cars contain soft comfortable suspension that does a little to maximize handling and driving experience. Track cars are designed for driver preference and style for perfect setting is not just different for each model, as it is also a subjective thing.

If your car has a lowered front with a body kit, you will may not go quite as low on the suspension or you will quickly grind the front skirt of pavements, ramps, and speed bumps.

Vehicle models like Ferrari raises the nose cone electronically to avoid such issue. You could add gringing plate of rubber or metal to the bottom edge to preserve the plastic- you get to replace the grinding plate instead of the whole front apron.

Talking about the common mistakes – you should not go through the chavsandtarts car part catalogue and buy a suspension kit, which can lower your ride 50 mm, and expect the perfect set up.

Several kits are so general, as these can be fitted to all models. Different engine weights, wheel sizes, and car weights need different suspension characteristics. If you go too low, you risk grinding the tires in the wheel arch requiring a rolling of the arches, making them bigger by folding the metal underneath. You will also risk the condition of the drive shaft and gearbox if the angle from the final drive to wheel hub is wrong.

Your car can look good when slammed to the ground. You can reduce the ground clearance, causing troubles with tires rubbing in the wheelarches. Take note that roads have speed bumps and instead of slowing a lowered car down they will grab the sump and rip off the bottom of the engine, where most is of the front skirt. Several road cars can be better off going lower than 35mm for hot hatches which tend to have uprated suspension (which can even be better with just 30mm).

In case you have changed the wheel size, then these tolerances can be much lower a car fitted with standard suspension and 17” rims can be fine. Nonetheless, if you lower it as well, you may get more problems. Lowering must improve handling and appearance. Also, this must result to less air going under the car, which can enhance stability. You can notice that lower springs should be fitted top match shocks, so cutting the springs will not be that advisable.

Lowering is indeed a great idea for customizing your car. Nevertheless, this always requires complicated procedures. Of course you can do it yourself but the result will be better if a skilled auto mechanic will assist you. Also, make sure that you will get the best lowering kit in the market. Always guarantee yourself with the right choice of kit, according to the requirements of your car manufacturer.

When was the last time you have upgraded your car?

Revolution in the automotive industry has gone so far. And fortunately, the development gets on, as modern cars seem to get more and more complicated, yet convenient. Though microprocessors make it more difficult for you to work on your vehicle, some of these will make the maintenance easier to handle.

The use of microprocessors are basically brought by the need for sophisticated engine controls to meet emissions and fuel-economy standards, simplification of car designs, new safety and convenience features, and development of wireless connections.

Some of the signs for the advancement of automotive technology are the innovations from engineers like the ABS module, Airbag module, Body Controller, Climate control module, Cruise Control Module, ECU, Instrument Panel, Power distribution box module, and transmission controller.

ABS module – controls anti-lock brakes, handle traction-control and stability-control systems.

Airbag Module – controls airbag deployment

Body controller – controls power windows, interior lights, seats etc..

Climate control module – monitors interior temperature while controlling heating and cooling systems.

Cruise Control module – regulates speed while in cruise mode

ECU – controls engine functions such as spark timing, fuel/air ratio etc..

Instrument Panel- controls gauges and indicator lights

Power distribution box module – controls relays in the power distribution box

Transmission controller – controls the automatic transmission


Among these advanced automotive designs, the sophisticated engine controls make a lot of breakthroughs. Though these were unimportant then (because it was possible to build an engine without microprocessors), the increasingly stricter emissions laws have necessitated their uses. Today, sophisticated control schemes are designed to regulate air/fuel mixture so that the catalytic converter could effectively minimize the pollution.

ECU is among the most powerful computer in vehicles, as it controls the inputs to a system, managing the emissions and fuel economy. It gathers data from different sensors, keeping it “knowledgable” with everything from the coolant temperature to the amount of oxygen in the exhaust. Just imagine how it performs millions of calculations per second. This controller is indeed one of the busiest computers. By the way, have you upgraded your ECU? Better do it soon, otherwise, troubles with miscalculations may lead to major problems.

ECU gathers data through a lot of sensors. Clusters are currentlyused on smaller scales for these sensors. There are manufacturers that produce smart sensor that is integrated with all electronics, along with a microprocessor that enables it to read the voltage, calibrating it through temperature-compensation curves and digitally outputs the pressure onto the communications bus. Such design can save the carmaker from having to know the dirty details of sensor, while saving processing power in the module.

Smart sensors are favorable as the digital signal traveling over the communications bus is less susceptible to electrical noise. An analog voltage traveling through a wire can pick up extra voltage when it passes certain electrical components, or even from overhead power lines.

In addition to sensors and computers, other systems such as traction control, stability-control, ABS and air bags have become common to cars. These safety features add new module, which contains multiple microprocessors.

Each safety system requires more processing power and is usually packaged in particular electronics module. In the near future, it is expected that all kinds of new convenience features in modern cars will require more electronic modules containing multiple microprocessors.

With all these advancement in modern cars, how many have been used to upgrade you car? Better check out if your vehicle is still on the trend. Upgrading the systems may require ample money and time, but surely, it pays. Anyhow, it’s your choice to be left behind or not.

New look?

Having your vehicle flaunted down the road is not simple. Some styles just don’t bring contentment at all. Oftentimes, it is a matter of taste as you tend to go in with halfhearted effort buying cheap auto parts that will just make your ride look tacky. Uuhm… Don’t get offended (big grin :D).

If you really want to have an attention-grabber look for your ride, you have to give extra money, time, and effort. Styling a car is not that simple as I said. You need to have a theme in mind. Just like decorating your home, you have to carefully choose colours that blend or contrast well.

Your theme is important and you have to think about it a million times so that your car will really stand out down the road. Nonetheless, you have to set limits to avoid exaggeration. Attention to detail and maybe, sense of humor will also go a long way. You can find lots of inspiration from the worl of motrosport. Among the most popular applications that you can have are the spoilers and wheels. You can also experiment on your car’s paint. The wheels can be customized using stylish colors and finish.

One word is important on your goal to customize your vehicle: originality. Off the shelf body kits are quite easy to modify so you can create a totally unique look. There are kits from sports cars that are modified and fitted to typical hot hatches and bring them into a higher level.

Some enthusiasts have their vehicles fabricated using wide body kits, making their cars look more aggressive and powerful. Because of that, more and more people get impressed.

Remember that unleashing the best looks on your ride can be a hard task so you need a lot of patience. If you don’t have “sufficient supply” of patience, make sure that you are ready to stretch your wallet then look for an expert who can do the task perfectly for you.

Vent your vehicle’s dullness

The looks of every vehicle is dominantly affected by the way your fascia is maintained. Apparently, even from a distance, the front fascia exhibits an appeal that will make or unmake your vehicle. For this reason, more and more enthusiasts have their vehicles customized through the front details. Among the most frequently modified parts is the hood, which is usually referred to as the bonnet.

Hood is considered as another door as it gives access whenever you need to work on the engine bay. This door protects the important auto systems from foreign elements. Aside from such detrimental elements, the components under the hood also need to be protected from extreme heat. This is the reason why auto grilles are installed on vehicles.

Grilles however may not be enough to draw in sufficient air; that’s why some car owners have the bonnets modified with vents. From a distance, a vent exposes a different look. It exhibits a different attitude and style. If you want a complete motorsport look for your vehicle, then a vent in your bonnet will make your ride.

Vents can range from subtle slits to a honeycomb of vents that cover up to 50% of the bonnet area. These are very useful in keeping the under bonnet temperatures moderated while maintaining the performance of the engine.

The size of a vent is a big factor in keeping the temperature down. Nonetheless, you should not get too mad because the larger the vent, the bigger is he effect on the aerodynamics.

Before you go and take an angle grinder or jigsaw, mark out where the main support frame is and avoid cutting it as this will dramatically affect the rigidity of the bonnet. On a frosty morning, as you run the engine, the supports will generally be the last part of the bonnet to defrost. This can be a fool proof way of approximating their whereabouts. Better yet, use large sheets of paper stuck together to fabricate a patter from which you can decide where cuts shall be made.

You can find a lot of ways in designing your bonnet. You may practically cut the bonnet and fabricate the vents yourself. This will be an inexpensive option but you will need to roll the edges of the cut to make them smooth. It will be hard to get a good straight symmetrical cut in the bonnet.

Never attempt to cut the bonnet while it is still on the car though you have propped it open since it is the best way to get an off symmetrical cut and or seriously injure yourself. You may also need to check the bonnet supports before cutting so that you won’t undermine the strength of the sheet.

An expensive but great looking route of getting a bonnet vent is to buy a bonnet with pre- cut vents or moulded vent panels. You can have the bonnet applied with protective mesh underneath it. This will give an attractive finish, like the carbon fibre bonnets that really look great. Nonetheless, you can still lave the bonnet unpainted or painted with a matching or contrasting colour. This method of modifying your bonnet will provide you with a smooth professional looking finish.

On the other hand, you could have stick vents and use these to finis off your DIY cut outs. This can be a handy way of finishing off a DIY cut job. However, you need to give more effort and money so that the vent will perfectly harmonize with the rest of the bonnet.

The new vent can be finished with a quality of mesh, which is available in various designs. The mesh can be painted with your preferred color including black, polished, and paint effect finish. If you go with a polished metal finish mesh, the metal will not get corroded.

If you are not sure with your own knowledge for DIY job, then make sure that you will find a reliable personnel who can accomplish the task for you.

More articles…..

New look
Vent your vehicle’s dullness
Is your car perfectly tuned?
Upgrade your interior
Have a more powerful clutch!
Bored with your doors?
Paint your wheels

Is your car perfectly tuned?

Why not try a sports cat?

Being an environmentalist and driver, some things are just hard to deal with. Sometimes, It feels like I don’t want to push the gas pedal down because of the exhaust that will be released behind my crossover. However, I often realize how responsible I am with maintaining the condition of my auto systems especially the exhaust system.

Among the most important part of my crossover that makes me proud is the catalytic converter. Would you believe that my car is of almost zero-emissions, making it environment- friendly.

So what makes my catalytic converter that clean? If you would look a little closer on my crossover’s exhaust, you will notice a significant substance that converts harmful gases to less harmful ones. Such substance is called catalyst.

Catalysts are definitely vital elements in our environmentally conscious society. These substances work by accelerating the chemical reaction in the catalytic converter.

In cars, exhaust fumes are fed through a matrux of ceramic honeycomb lined with precious metals. When these metals heat up, the gases flowing through them will react and will be changed into less harmful substances.

In a two-way diesel catalyst, carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide and partially burnt fuel into carbon dioxide of water. In a three-way catalyst used in modern petrol engines, nitrogen oxide is converted into nitrogen and oxygen, carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons into carbon dioxide and water.

Catalysts typically die if there are unburnt fuel entering. The same thing may happen when a catalyst is used while it is cool. You should therefore avoid jump starting your vehicle with a catalyst. If possible, avoid short journeys as well.

You can analyze if there are power gains from a sports or high flow cat and compare these with the removal of the catalyst together. A sports catalyst or sports cat has a much greater flow rate than a standard cat. This is constructed of the same materials but the chamber size and smoothness may give way to the exhaust gases, which will be released quickly out of the pipe.

Regarding the efficiency, they will have the same effect as a standard cat on your vehicle emissions. These generate less turbulence than a standard cat, having a finer matrix and therefore a greater internal surface area.

Another important consideration is the weight. A sports cat is basically of lesser weight than a standard catalyst. Most sports cats are a drop replacement although some have wider bore capacity so would better suit a car that has had a sports exhaust upgrade.

Power gains on smaller engines can somewhat be unnoticeable. Larger engines, on the other hand, may have power gains that fall between 4 and 10 bhp. Generally, the more power the car is generating, the greater the benefit will be from a sports cat.

The de-cat pipe is one of the most popular cat choices today. This has replaced the catalyst causing the exhaust fumes to flow freely. A de-cat is a cheap option but there are some drawbacks. In some cars with oxygen sensors, you will create anomalies with the ECU. This can lead to running in a fail safe limp home mode. Engine can however decide out of the amount of unburnt oxygen, while using less fuel. This may cause the engine to run lean.

Some cars have the Lambda or oxygen sensor before the catalyst so it will run harmoniously with a de-cat pipe. Nonetheless, this is an illegal modification in some countries, where mandatory carbon dioxide reduction systems are legally required.

Catalyst designs have indeed gone far today as most modern cars take advantage on power gain and emission reduction. In case you catalyst need replacing, you can take the benefits of a sports catalyst. The prices of an original catalyst and a sports catalyst are almost the same. But I’ll tell you, sports cat would be a wise choice. It guarantees you with high performance and less expenses on maintenance.

More articles…..

New look
Vent your vehicle’s dullness
Is your car perfectly tuned?
Upgrade your interior
Have a more powerful clutch!
Bored with your doors?
Paint your wheels

Upgrade your interior

Are you getting bored with the classic colours and fabrics of your interior? Why not try looking for custom re-upholsterers to swap in your aftermarket parts?

A lot of cars today come with black and grey interiors and sometimes navy blue or a slight coloured cord finish. Some also have the slight variation in the fabric. These may look great at a closer look but when you are from a distance, you may notice that they are not that attractive at all.

Even as a car interior usually appears to a wide selection of motorists as it stands up to 20 years use, there is much that can be done to spice up the interior of your car. You can start having your seats upgraded. Many sports seats are available in the market today. However, these are somewhat difficult to track down rear seats to match as most aftermarket seats. Universal fit seats have an adapter rail that will match the car, whereas the rear seats have to be specific in size and must have precisely cut belt holes and release catches.

Using the new seats as base, you can get them without having the recovered or completely re-upholstered. Once you have swapped them in, you can earn bucks by having your old seats sold to your fellow car owner.

Re-upholstering is not an easy job. If you want to do it by yourself, it may take a week or two before you finally take advantage of the output. But if you want to have it finished at once, you should look for an experienced upholsterer.

On the other hand, you should also reckon with the materials of your new fabrics. Be careful with selecting the hard wearing fabric like leather. This material is great as it repels most stains from liquids. This is also easy to clean and is stretchable, as it fits flawlessly into your auto seats.

Aside from leather, you can also choose other fabrics such as heavy cotton, alacatra, and synthetic fibres. Make sure that these fabrics are properly stitched. They must not get a lot of abuse otherwise, you will suffer from a bad interior.

Upholstering is definitely a major activity that will result to major changes in your interior. Hence, it is always a part of a complete interior makeover that you must provide with ample time, effort, and money. This may also include the upgrade on door cards. You can remove the door furniture like the switches, handles, and catches. The door cards typically pushed on with studs and are warped as they are removed.

You can also upgrade the speakers. You can add up small colored panel that can radically transform your car’s appeal. Less is more it is.

New fabric trim can be simply stretched over the doorcard, holes from furniture that can be added and then you can affix the fabric to the door card, having a heavy duty carpet tape spread liberally over the backing surface to a keep them from stretching or a good quality fabric adhesive.

If you are using an adhesive, make sure that it won’t oose through the fabric otherwise, it will harden the fabric, making it scratchy to touch. You can pull the fabric over the edges. You can glue down the seam on the reverse of the door car then rely on the door furniture to avoid sagging.

The finishing touches, dials, dash board function, gear knob, and handbrake can be upgraded too so that they will blend in with the rest of your interior. All of these can represent your personality so get on your feet and be ready with all that these may cost.

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Vent your vehicle’s dullness
Is your car perfectly tuned?
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Bored with your doors?

Are you bored with the standard doors of your vehicle? Why stick with such doors when you have an option to convert them into more exciting design. Nonetheless, if you want to convert your doors, you have to consider several pros an cons of having them. Among the most popular door designs that I can share to you are the lambo/scissor door, gullwing door, suicide door conversions.

Kits are available for about every car as you can also find many universal fitting kits. Manufacturers usually offer fitting service but then, you might get problems with choosing the right conversion kit for your ride.

Most kits will require cutting of the interior wing. They may also involve the use of small amount of spraying so you will need to be reasonable confident once you decide to get a DIY fit. You must understand that you must also add a door conversion before you do other paint and bodywork as these may need touching up after the door conversion is fitted.

Since conversion kits are part of the coolest styling additions for vehicles today, why shouldn’t you try it now? Let’s talk about the types of kit one by one.

Scissor doors or lambo style or vertical doors are basically pulled out a little like ordinary doors. They are lifted up over the roof line like someone doing a butterfly stroke. You can find different kits that allow the door to go completely vertical while others give option to a fairly normal pull outwards to 60-75 degrees as well as swinging upwards to 90 degrees. The kits should match the weight of the door or else, it will fall down. These must also match the amount of width available in the door hinge area.

Lambo doors are sometimes hard to close from a seated position so thought has to be given to the handles. Drop handles can make it easier or you go for the very impressive electronic opening and closing lambo doors. These doors can be impractical on the rear doors because they will swing up and over obscuring the front door.

Apparently, lambo doors are advisable for front doors. If you own a sedan, then the back doors can be the suicide doors. So what are suicide doors?

They are not doors that will end your life. Suicide doors take the hinge of the other side of the door. And they are called such because they open behind you, so as to expose you fully to oncoming traffic.

Suicide doors are fairly simple, however they can make your vehicle look strange. Nonetheless, make sure that they are properly installed in place so your ride will not look weird at all.

If you don’t want the style of lambo and suicide doors, then you last option might be the gullwing doors. The hinge of these doors is placed at the top of the door and the door swings out and upward must like the wings of a bird in flight.

Gullwing doors look impressive as lambo doors, however, these door have not become popular at all. These doors require a slightly wider opening space so if you are parking side by side with other vehicles, you may not be able to open you car. This apparently tells you that gullwing doors are not for supermarket run car.

Should you want to adopt any style of these doors, make sure that proper installation is carried out. Remember that doors keep you from getting thrown out of your vehicle. so better assure that they will remain stuck tightly in place. Better yet, look for a specialist who can successfully do the task for you.

imgs from these sites:

http://bcdsm.labattz.com/Robin%20Ride/Lambo%20Doors%20022.jpg

http://www.215.org/NECO/shows/CCCJ03/images/Focus%20Suicide%20doors.jpg

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Is wing really a spoiler?

NO. Spoiler and wing are two different aerodynamic features of a vehicle. Spoilers are generally closer to the body of a vehicle and it helps diffuse air. Wings, on the other hand, are mounted much higher up and create downforce that provides more aerodynamic effects. Wings almost work like an upside down air plane wing.

In the simplest form fast moving air creates pull if the other side of an object is exposed to slower moving air. If you want to test the theory, you can take 2 sheets of paper then hold them between your thumbs and little fingers, in such a way that there is a gap between the sheets of about an inch. Blow between the 2 sheets and you will notice that they pull together, which is not what you expect to happen. The fast moving air generates low pressure region in between the paper will cause them to pull together.

So as to create lift or down force, you will need air that will move faster on one side of the aerofoil than on the other creating a pull towards the fast moving air stream. We can use a simple 2 deck deflection in creating the down force required.

Deflection will have a bearing on the amount of downforce created and the larger the angle, the more downforce there will be. However, you will pay the price with an increased drag. Most wings contain a two-angled surface having a two stage deflection that force air over the wing, taking a shorter route than the air going under the spoiler.

Looking at the typical shape of a car, you will notice that air will travel further and faster over the top of the car, than it dows underneath. This will create lift then. If you open the sunroof at speed, problem with aerodynamics will be induced.

Imagine you car as a see-saw. When you press down on the rear, the front will be lifted slightly. As you fit the spoiler to the rear, the front of the car will be lifted even higher at high speeds. This will be undesirable in a front wheel drive car. And in a rear wheel drive vehicle, you will need the front wheels to steer even if traction is enhanced a degree of lift at the front is adverse.

To counter the front lift, splitters can be used. Also, front and rear skirts can be fitted to create downforce at the front of the car so that the amount of air rushing under the car is controlled. As you start redirecting the air rushing over the car, an amount of drag will be generated to rob your speed and fuel economy. There will therefore be a line between an efficient spoiler and wing design and inefficient ones.

The best wings are usually adjustable so that the driver can set his preferences to track conditions. You can find such advanced features on most sports cars today such as the Ferrari models.

Indeed, spoilers and wings are great for enhancing the aerodynamics of your car. If you want to enjoy a really smooth and seamless downforce and air redirection, then you need to have your spoilers and wings properly installed on your car. This may seem simple but if you try to figure it out, it is such a complicated task. Better yet, if you are not confident of your own skills, look for a qualified technician who can have your spoiler and wings installed successfully.

Even so, make sure that you will choose the right spoiler and wing for your ride. A lot of non-standard spoilers and wings are available in the market, so beware. If you happen to get such non-standard parts, your vehicle’s aerodynamics will be affected significantly. Remember that these aerodynamic parts must not reduce fuel economy. Be wise in selecting your new spoilers and wings then.

imgs from here and here

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Is your car perfectly tuned?
Upgrade your interior
Have a more powerful clutch!
Bored with your doors?
Paint your wheels
Is wing really a spoiler?
Is your engine balanced?
Blow that…
Lose weight

Is you engine balanced?

Balance matters a lot when speaking about vehicles. This is especially true with your engine, which is subjected to extreme pressure and heat during combustion. Moreover, with all the rotational speeds that induce vibrations to parts, a balanced engine is surely needed to maintain efficiency and reliability.

No engine can however be perfectly balanced because of the amount of subtle factors, though we can improve upon the balance of a mss produced engine. You can do something to maximize the power delivery of the engine, by carrying out some modifications. Nonetheless, you must not overlook the benefits of balancing the engine to sustain higher engine speeds.

If you want to attain balance in your engine, you must focus on 2 main areas. First are the components inside the engine whose weight and features needs to be assessed properly. Second are the forces created within the combustion.

Balancing engine components involves a lot of processes. One is blueprinting, which refers to the matching and machining of components as a set with a unique engine. Like a tyre installer has a special machine to balance your wheels a machine shop have a dedicated engine balancing machine onto which the components fit and rotate.

The main engine components in an engine to be considered for balance are the bearings, flywheel, piston roads, piston and rings, crank, and pins. Weight is removed from the heavier side of each component so that balance is achieved. This factor incrementally increase the imbalance so lighter components are used to get more stability in the engine, though we still have to consider that some light components are weak.

Pistons and rods are usually machined as a matching pair so the weight and dimensions of each is closely matched, making it well on the way to having balanced engine. On the other hand, the crank usually has a metal cut away and sometime weld to adjust the weight.

The crank at the bottom of your engine has a hard task, which includes conversion of the vertical motion of pistons into rotational forces. Crankshafts are forged from steel thorugh they can also be cast from iron. A machined crank from steel can be a lot stronger as the metal has not been subjected to heating and cooling cycles of casting.

After balancing the engine components, you will need to balance the dynamics. If the compression ratio is out between cylinders, there will be imbalance and vibration since the engine turns over. Such ratio can be affected by a large number of factors, hence, the cylinder wall can get damaged later on. Furthermore, weaker gaskets, poor valve seating, and bad spark plug will also come out. It is surely favorable to take compression readings from each cylinder at regular intervals and check that everything is open within an acceptable tolerance. Also check the camshaft since uneven wearing can lead to stuck open valves and imbalanced cylinders.

If each cylinder compression matches, you will need to balance the fueling. The injectors should be matched and must deliver the same amount of fuel to the cylinders. The fuel/air ratio also need to match.

Once the engine is balanced, you will hear a purr as it ticks over. You should get used of the sound of the engine exhaust note on tick over. Once you lose the regular throbbing purr, you must be alarmed about the possibility of imbalance in the engine.

The engine is indeed the most important system in your vehicle. Once perfect balance is lost, other auto systems will soon fail too. To tone down expensive repairs and replacements, make sure that you will sustain the balance in your engine system. You can do it yourself by following simple procedures that are rampantly available in the internet. If you are not so confident in doing so, you can always look for a reliable auto technician.

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New look
Vent your vehicle’s dullness
Is your car perfectly tuned?
Upgrade your interior
Have a more powerful clutch!
Bored with your doors?
Paint your wheels
Is wing really a spoiler?
Is your engine balanced?
Blow that…
Lose weight

Loose weight!

A lighter car runs faster. It also ensures better handling, performance, and gas mileage. Hence, it is advisable to take things out of your car to achieve the ideal weight.

Apparently, you can eliminate the seats, seat belts, carpet, radio, air conditioning, and headlining to take away a significant figure of weight. But this is too impractical isn’t it? Nonetheless, there are still lots of ways to reduce weight.

Spare wheels add weight so it will be necessary to remove them. Removing these wheels will be a fairly easy weight reduction modification with lots of modern run flat tyres that you can limp home without air in the tyres, so that the spare will become obsolete. Speaking of wheels, the alloy ones can help further reduce weight. The rotational forces of lighter wheels can provide better handling especially when changing direction. The alloy magnesium wheels can improve airflow to the brakes, so better try such kind of wheels.

Serious weight removal of glass windows and replacement with perspect can also help you save a fair chunk of weight. On the other hand, the addition of a light weight racing seat can further reduce weight.

Some companies offer replacement body panels in aluminum and GRP fiberglass so that maximum weight reduction and best strength are obtained. You can know how heavy panels are when you lift up the bonnet. The weight of such panels is lost once they are stripped out from your vehicle.

Carbon fiber bonnets/hoods look great however, you should make sure that when you buy one, you will get the good quality fit since some panels are not perfectly built. Always try the hood/bonnet for the size before drilling and adding fasteners.

A roll cage can add a little weight that you have saved. Nonetheless, it can provide safety while improving handling and rigidity of your vehicle. Roll cage can let you strip out a lot more metal from your ride, including side impact beams and cut away inner arches and panels , while not removing any parts of your car.

Other metal parts can be stripped off or lightened by drilling holes. That is, if you will know the proper procedures in doing so. You start with the small metal parts like the door hinges and locks. These are small but they often contribute on the weight of your car. They can be removed if the doors are welded shut. Such welding will also help add more strength to the body shell. And so, whenever you are fitting new parts, you should weigh them and choose the lighter ones. The same must be applied with other metal parts like brake discs.

On the other hand, huge and heavy components like alternators, fly wheels, water pumps, and pistons should be considered too. Look for these lighter engine components.

These are just some pointers on how to reduce weight on your vehicle. So if you think you have spare time to do some of these, never hesitate to do so. These will be favorable on your pursuit to attain better performance, handling, and gas mileage.

More articles…..

New look
Vent your vehicle’s dullness
Is your car perfectly tuned?
Upgrade your interior
Have a more powerful clutch!
Bored with your doors?
Paint your wheels
Is wing really a spoiler?
Is your engine balanced?
Blow that…
Lose weight

Modify your brakes

Brakes can be modified. Since they are part of going fast, you must always ensure that they are able to stop as fast. Your brakes work with a friction pad that press agains a disc. Such friction converts the momentum of the car into heat which is then dissipated over the brake disc, resulting to slowing down of your car. Heat is one of the big factors for heavy braking especially on race cars, which must be prepped to cope with the high heat demands on the braking system.

As you step down the brake pedal, engine power is used to amplify the pressure of your foot, which decreases the effort needed. Such pressure is transferred to the friction pads through a brake fluid inside the tube. The brake pad end is subjected to high temperatures that’s why the fluid itself can get very hot. Such fluid cannot be simply pressurized, meaning, the effect of braking just passes along the tube almost instantly. A cable stretches a little and needs constant adjusting, as most handbrakes use a cable system that are more susceptible to the effects of stretching and heat.

The problem with brake fluids is about reducing the effectiveness of the transference process that is also at high temperatures. Under such condition, they can boil and so bubbles are produced in the brake fluid, creating spongy effect at least or at worst can completely prevent the brake from having any effect. The dissipated heat from the brake pad makes the disc vented. This disc has a ventral channel that increases the surface to air ratio of the disc. This create better and faster cooling then. The drilled discs can also increase the air ratio and along with grooves, help to prevent a gas build up between the pad and the disc, keeping the pads clean and sharp. Bigger discs can provide better cooling but they may require a different design of alloy wheel.

When selecting a brake pad, you should be wise and careful of certain factors. The higher the friction, the better. Most racing pads have special construction, which involves high firction compound that works at much higher temperatures. A true racing pad can effectively work when it gets hot, since it renders race spec pads useless for the road where braking most often happens on cold pads. Fast road pads are great compromise as some performance pads have the added benefit of producing nearly zero brake dust, which can even last longer than the standard pads.

If you are into upgrading your brakes, you need to do a lot of preparation. Key areas for attention include fitting of bigger discs. Larger disc will provide bigger friction area and will therefore dissipate more heat. You will notice more feel that is easier to detect the point of lock up with a large disc conversion kit. Brake calipers and pistons must be given much attention. More pistons equal a greater clamping force and allow the use of larger pads.

Before getting into the road, you must also prepare your brakes into particular conditions like driving along flood.. Under such situation, applying brakes is surely hard. You should apply brakes to dissipate the water and grease that get on them, which will dramatically improve the chances of stopping during emergency.

The brake fluid must also be checked more frequently. It must be changed bi-annually or annually, depending on your driving style and the recommended service interval. Such fluid must be properly checked by an expert for its boiling point. This will give an idea of degradation. Synthetic brake fluids are not hygroscopic, as they have high boiling points.

Keep on improving your brakes otherwise, you will suffer from inconvenience. Nonetheless, make sure that you will observe proper procedures when doing so. If you are not confident enough on doing it, make sure that you will have the task done by a qualified auto mechanic.

High-performance tires

Tires keep you rolling. Their quality matters especially when you frequently engage to off-road driving. If you are a performance driver, you surely want the best tires for your ride. So what are the best options that you can have?

Goodyear Eagle, Continental Constisportcontact 3 , and Bridgestone Potenzas are perhaps first on the list when it comes to giving out the best service for your travels. Let’s take a look on each of them.

Goodyear Eagle tires have changed dramatically since the Gatorback (1983). Experts from Eagle have designed the high-performance touring tire aimed at satisfying the driving enthusiast who wants additional grip but not at the expense of a harsh ride.

New Eagle tires have asymmetric dual-compound tread. ON the inboard side is the all season zone, where the open pattern facilitates water dispersion and a high-silica rubber compound improves wet grip, aided by fine grooves with special tread locks that reduce squirm. The outside tread is the high performance zone, with large tread blocks and circumferential rung made of a grippier compound.

The dual- purpose theme carries inside the tire. The Eagle’s outer sidewalls are reinforced with carbon fibers, the resulting firmness reducing tire roll and keeping more tread on the pavement. The inner sidewalls, on the other hand, are conventional, tuned for ride comfort and aided by a layer of Kevlar beneath the tread.

Continental Contisportcontact 3 are often great for sports cars. These tires let them go faster. As original equipments on Porshes, Mercedes AMG models, and BMW M series, Continental has evolved its venerable Contisportcontact tire to its third iteration. It’s an improvement that raises the level of performances for everything but noise. And the CSC2 wasn’t theat noisy no begin with.

Like an engine that has both better fuel efficiency and performance, the CSC3 has improved rolling and resistance and grio according to their engineers. To prevent aquaplaning, a revised tread pattern helps to expel water but doesn’t sacrifice the contact patch. An asymmetrical rubbed trad pattern is optimized for high loads, specifically those from high speeds, braking and cornering. Combined with a refined rubber compound, the CSC3 really shines at the track.

Bridgestone Potenzas tires offer enthusiasts, who want to maximize dry weather traction on the street or at the occasional track event. The unidirectional tread pattern starts out with a semi slick shoulder block, brandishing “racing slits” claimed to promote uniform pressure of the contact patch by increasing flexibility. A thick center rib provides for favorable initial responsiveness and straight-line stability while cooling slits throughout the tread ensure the tire’s survival to its V and W speed rated limits. Because this tire is not a competition radial, Bridgeston’s Hydro Evacuation Surface tread technology has been employed to avoid aquaplaning on wet pavement.

Bridgestone’s second addition to its performance lineup, phasing out the S-03 model, is the newly reengineered “Ultra High Performance” Potenza RE050A Pole position. Although there are no discernible changes to the tread patter, the significance lies in the tire’s compound and construction, The main focus of the changes is to improve handling response over the standard RE050A and prolong traction throughout the life of the tires, while an increase in silica content enhances wet-traction capability.

Plans for OE applications result in W and Y speed rated sizes.
These three quality tires should always be considered as your top three options whenever looking for replacement tires. Always make sure that whenenver you are replacing your tires, you have checked the specifications. Also, ensure that a qualified personnel will assist you in installing the new tires. If they are not properly installed, they will probably experience early wearing.

Having problems with your fuel pump?

The fuel pump is the heart of your fuel injection system. When it stops working, the whole system will not run at all. This pump, usually found inside or near the fuel tank, is considered that important in fuel injection since it pushes fuel from the tank to the injectors and create sufficient pressure for accurate fuel delivery. The pressure from the pump and the volume of flow must both meet your vehicle manufacturer’s requirements or else, engine performance, emissions, and economy will get affected.

Flow and Pressure are so important in the fuel injection system. If your pump does not meet the OE minimum fuel flow or pressure requirements, then you will possibly experience drivability and emissions problems. The weak pump that you have will not be able to generate enough pressure, leading to troubles on the calibration of the fuel system. This can also let the engine run lean or starved for fuel under load. Symptoms will then show such as hard starting, poor idle quality, stumbling or hesitation when accelerating, and loss of high-speed power.

Low fuel pressure can also be a cause of lean misfire at idle under the load. This can lead to a dramatic increase in HC emissions. If this happens in your car, then you may not pass the emission tests. Hence, when your fuel pump becomes weak or has failed, it is important to have it replaced with a quality one (the one which meets all OE fuel performance specifications.)

Perhaps you wonder how fuel pumps get damaged? Just realize how active they are. Since fuel pumps run constantly over the years, they will experience wear in the brushes, armature bushings, and commutator. Pump vanes and gears can also wear down, causing gradual loss or pressure and flow.

The accumulation of rust and sediments can also cause pump problems. Fuel starvation can also be another factor in accelerated wearing, which can even damage the pump and other fuel injection system parts.

Never let your damaged fuel pump unsolved for a long time. Have the pump’s voltage supply and electrical connections checked at once. An open relay, loose wire, and blown fuse may have caused the pump to stop working. Or if not, low battery voltage may have reduced the pump’s ability to generate pressure.

Once the static pressure or volime of fuel is delivered less that the specifications of your car manufacturer, then have the fuel pump replaced immediately. Replacement will be required if the pump the pump’s check valve has failed.

If you are replacing your fuel pump today, make sure that you know what you are looking for. Selecting the right replacement involves more than looking up the year, make, model, and engine size. It also involves intelligent selection of OE performance specifications. Be sure that your replacement pump fits the same as your original pump. Nonetheless, your car might not require this. So check out the requirements carefully.

Since there are lots of performance requirements and pump designs used in our modern cars, lots of performance and fit problems are encountered. So again, be careful with choosing are replacement pump.

Regarding the installation, fuel pump is one of the most difficult ones to work on. Upon installation , whether mounted inside the tank or not, make sure that you will have the tank inspected and cleaned if contaminants are found in the pump or filter. Having the pump replaced without cleaning a dirty tank will doom the new pump to premature failure.

When replacing the in-tank fuel pump, disconnect the battery to avoid unwanted sparks. Upon doing so, drain the tank and remove the tank straps. As you do the installation, replace the filter screen and use a new O-ring or gasket for the sealing collar. Never test a new pump before it having been installed by jumping it. It you run the pump under a dry condition with no fuel (to lubricate it) will just end up to damage.

These are just some of the pointers that I can share. Just always keep in mind that the fuel injection carries the lifeblood of your vehicle. So better ensure the perfect condition of its components especially the heart.

Keeping the transmission in shape

Most transmission problems are products of overheating.Under heavy load like towing a heavy trailer, rocking the vehicle from the snow, racing, recurrent stopping, getting trapped in traffic under hot weather, etc. the transmission can normally overheat.

The transmission fluid burns at higher temperatures, losing its lubricating qualities. It also gets oxidized, leaving deposits all over the transmission. When exposed to the heat, the rubber seals and gaskets inside the transmission are hardened and will eventually cause leaks. Metal parts warp and lose their strength as well. These will sooner or later result to transmission failure. How will you prevent this?

Regular check up of your parking space for leaks is one of the best tips. Once leak of engine oil, power steering fluid or transmission fluid are discovered, be sure to get it fixed before something serious happens. Once in a while, check the transmission fluid level and condition.

Not all cars have the automatic transmission dipstick. In some cars, the transmission fluid can only be checked by the dealer. In this case, consult with your owner's manual for details.

Low transmission fluid level can signify a leak. This has to be fixed at the soonest possible time.
Change the fluid as required in your owner's manual or when it becomes too dark (rather brown than red) or dirty. An automatic transmission can not be drained completely so there is always some transmission fluid left inside the transmission (the torque converter, in the valve body and others). This means that you can change about 60% of the fluid at once.

Use only the same type of the transmission fluid, which is usually specified in your transmission manual. Some vehicles are very sensitive to fluid type.

When driving, never shift to the reverse or parking until the car is finally stopped. Also, do not shift if parking mode when engine rpm is higher than normal idle. Always hold the brake down when shifting from Parking.

When towing, the automatic transmission can be damaged if not properly handled. Always use a dolly or place powered wheels on the towing platform (for FWD).

For perfect treating of transmission problems, it is best to have the original parts. Have your car brought to your trusted shop to know exactly what type of fluid is needed. Even if you go to the independent garage, always ask to use original parts since most after-market parts are not of as good quality as the original.

Be a non-smoker!

The Darker or Oilier the Exhaust, the More it is important to have the system checked.

The color the exhaust will tell you much about the condition of your vehicle. Did you know that? Dark exhaust color often signifies that your vehicle has a bad exhaust. So make sure that you will check the exhaust of your vehicle as part of a regular system of spotting problems and getting them fixed.

If you think checking the exhaust color sounds a little like how a quack doctor fix your headache problem, well hear this, it won’t be quite esoteric. Obviously, exhaust is the end product of the combustion process in the engine. As what you put into the engine to fuel and lubricate it, the color, smell, and composition of the exhaust coming out will most likely tell you what has gone wrong in the engine.

If you feel that quality fuel and oil will save you from exhaust problems, then think again. This cannot save your engine and exhaust from damage. Once bad emissions are released, make sure that you will put some actions about it. There will be something within the core components of your vehicle that is causing fuel and/or oil to break down. Or maybe, the fuel fails to undergo efficient combustion. The root of the problem may probably be present well ahead of your exhaust system itself. So you probably start the inspection with the engine.

For your vehicle that operates in peak condition, you may not be able to see the exhaust much at all. On a freezing morning, you may spot smoke, but this is simply the difference in temperature between the exhaust coming from a warm/ warming up engine and the temperature of the air. This is just the same with what you see when you breathe or speak outside. This is about the condensation in a puff of mist coming from your mouth.

Different colors or qualities to the car exhaust probably indicate different degrees of exhaust/engine problems. A pale gray color will not be a bad signal at all. When the exhaust gets darker, you should be warned. The black or dark blue oily smoke can tell you that there is something serious going on with the engine. This can be related to overage on oil, which go somewhere, so the car sends it back through your exhaust.

Oil does not where it should be since it is coming out through the exhaust. This is seen on most old and poorly maintained vehicles, especially those with lightweight aluminum engines that degrade after years of hard use.

Remember your car radio security code

A car radio security system is typically installed on your vehicle. This system either came from the factory of your car or bought from an auto parts shop. Anyway, the source of this radio sytem is not our main topic here ok? We are here to determine the importance of knowing your car radio security code.

Radio is not just an ordinary gadget for entertainment purposes; it is rather for security reason. Your radio is normally secured with a code so that your car remains protected. This will stand as a tracking device whenever your car is stolen. Car radio signals will emit sounds that help in tracing the location of your precious ride.

The codes are not all the same as they vary depending on the make and model of the radio. Also, these depend on the type of car the radio is installed. Some car radio security systems are especially designed for specific kinds of car, which require special program. Nevertheless, there might be a big problem with this once you buy a second-hand car.

As we know, factory car radio security codes are given to the original buyer, who might have lost the security code over the years. Unfortunately, this always happens today. But remember that car radio security codes are always needed when your car radio breaks down or need repairing or when battery was disconnected. Yes, you will need the codes when the battery is disconnected since the program will be restarted. Once the battery is reconnected, you will need to press the car radio security code so that the alarm will function again.

Car radio security codes are often presented by three to four digit codes.
If ever you have forgotten the code or never knew it, never fret ok? You can find experts who can do the decoding or recoding of your car radio security code. Nonehteless, service payment for these decoders is not a joke at all. You can have another option if you don’t want to look for a decoder. Talk with the factory where the radio came from and ask for the code. But hey, this quite a hassle especially when your car is an every day necessity for you. Better yet, try surfing the net and look for sites that can help you find the car radio security code. Just make sure that when you do this, you will be cautious enough with scammers or fraudulent people who can mess up with your existing problem.

water in your fuel tank??

Can your car start up when water is filled up in the fuel tank instead of gas? Amazingly, yes! There are countless successful water conversions worldwide that can testify that this automotive innovation works. Experts say that it will just require time before this water-burning technology becomes standard in vehicles. Some have foretold that this technology will be prevalent by 2012.

Only one quart of water provides over 1800 gallons of HHO gas, lasting for months while significantly increasing the engine’s efficiency, improving emissions quality, and saving expenses for gasoline. Plus, you are guaranteed with a “green car”, which is environmental friendly.

So how does it work? The process of combustion is very safe since gas is extracted as needed and burned steadily from the water, unlike greater volumes of pure Hydrogen. Perhaps one of the biggest questions that would pop out in your mind is that: why should hydrogen be compressed in dangerous high pressure tanks when it is already compressed in plain water, and can be safely released?

Some designs will produce hydrogen as your car needs it, instead of using storage tanks. A lot of vehicles have been safely converted without any reported serious troubles. The conversion process is completely reversible so that it won’t void warranty. This merely stands as add-on for significantly increasing your fuel efficiency.

You can create your own water hybrid. You can convert your ride into water-burning driving machine. But always remember that this involve serious processes and will bring up a lot of consequences if not properly done.

getting tired of your tires?

Tire problems usually lead to accidents. Hence, you must learn how to maintain them. How? First, you have to know the right pressure for your tires and make sure that you will not forget it. Take note of this number.

Also, know the load limits for your tires. Carrying heavy loads in your ride can result to strain on your tires. Tire makers usually provide list of "maximum permissible inflation pressures" on the tire sidewall. These figures will show the greatest amount of air that can be inflated into your tires under normal driving conditions.

Preventative measures are not only done when your car is idle or just parking in the garage. You can do these while driving as well. You should keep an eye for potholes that can greatly damage the tires. Moreover, be alert with the newly paved roads that have uneven shoulders.

Tires definitely lose pressure over time so be sure to check them regularly. Do it at least once a month. You must measure tire pressure when tire is "cold", meaning, it has not been driven ( as I said earlier).

Be cautious for curbs especially when backing up. Scrapping your tires on a curb or hitting a curb will eventually damage the tires.

When replacing a tire, make sure that it is of the same size as the other three. Test out the tire tread and replace tires before or at least when tread is worn down to 1/16 of an inch. If its possible, invest effort and money for the tread with Lincoln's head upside down and facing you. Once you see the top of Lincoln's head, it's time to get new tires.

Always buy road hazzard insurance on your tires. It is usually only a few dollars more and the tire company will replace the tire if it's beyond repair.

One last thing, always keep a tire gauge in the glove compartment.