brake caliper

Three Essential Tips for Maintaining Your Vehicle’s Brakes

Every vehicle is made up of various components that work together to ensure that the automobile runs smoothly. However, when it comes to safety, it is the brakes that play the most crucial part. The braking system is the one responsible for slowing down or stopping your automobile if needed.

With well-maintained brakes, you can easily operate your car and avoid accidents on the road. It is then extremely important that you have this particular system serviced regularly. If you are in need of a replacement,  which are known to be quite durable and of high-quality.

To help you ensure that your vehicle’s braking system is in good shape at all times, here are some tips on how you can maintain them:

Check the Brake Fluid

The different parts of your automobile’s braking system will only be able to function properly with the help of brake fluid since it allows the transfer of heat. Therefore, this is one thing that you should inspect on a regular basis.

In general, the brake fluid should be drained and replaced at least once a year to ensure optimum efficiency. You can easily tell if this liquid has already degraded. It turns dark in color. So if you notice that it no longer looks the same, you need to get rid of it and replace it immediately.

Inspect the Brakes and Brake Pads

Depending on how heavy you are in using the braking system, the brakes themselves, as well as the brake pads, will eventually wear out, and that will have a significant impact on your car’s performance. So as part of maintenance, it is essential that you also inspect these components regularly.

In some instances, these parts can still be fixed. But if they are already too worn out, you might as well invest in new ones. Make sure that you purchase replacement parts that come with excellent quality.

brake pads

Watch Out for Signs

There are warning signs that can tell you if there is something wrong with the braking system. The brakes may become unresponsive, or you may also hear weird noises as you try to slow down or stop. If you notice any of these, you should have it checked right away since this is very dangerous. The last thing that you would want to happen is the system giving up on you while you are on the highway.

unique car

Tips for choosing the best auto restoration shops

If you want a show-stopping, award winning car, be careful when choosing the best auto restoration shop for your car. Honestly, not all of us have the necessary tools, skills, and space required to restore a car. But that’s not a problem anymore. There are numerous auto restoration shops ready to rebuild your car to its former glorious state. However, before you select a restoration shop, you need to consider several things.

Choosing the best auto restoration shops

1.Specialized auto shopauto restoration shops

The ideal restoration shop specializes in old car restoration as well as the specific brand and type of your car. If you drive a German sports machine, don’t expect a shop specializing in British sports car to deliver a quality restoration job promptly. If a restoration shop has never worked on your car brand, they might try to use it for experimental purposes.

2. Conduct adequate research

It’s necessary that you conduct adequate research by calling several shops and talk to restoration experts. Indicate your expected results, and request the restoration specialists lay out what they have to offer. A restoration expert will be willing to discuss their restoration experiences as well as various restoration techniques. Make sure you understand if the shop stores all cars indoors, and whether they have insurance coverage for all the cars in the shop.
Find out if the restoration shop has been sued by clients due to the breach of contract, fraud, or stealing. Visit the county clerk’s office to access records of these kinds of legal proceedings. You will have peace of mind knowing the restoration shop has no issues with the legal system

3. Inspection

When choosing the best auto restoration shops, it’s essential to inspect their previous work. Most top restoration shops will have magazines or photographs of projects completed previously. It’s even better if you can see the cars and talk to the owners to get useful information about the restoration shop.

4.Check the waiting listCheck the waiting list

If you visit a restoration shop and find a big waiting list, you might be in a top restoration shop. Top restoration shops tend to be busy throughout the year. Therefore, you might have to wait for up to one year for your turn. The good thing is that the wait is always worth it. A real restoration shop should have cars in various phases of restoration such as the rotisserie, disassembly, and final assembly. This shows work in progress and is a sign of an amazing restoration shop.

5. Legal agreement

When choosing, the best auto restoration shops ensure that you can put your agreement in writing before payment and before work begins. Verbal agreements can be worthless in case issues developed after the work has started. It will help you to avoid endless and bitter arguments which tend to be hard to solve.

blue car

Simple Car Dent Repairing Techniques

Getting a car dent is one thing every car owner should expect to experience at some point in life. Even those who drives as careful as possible may not always account for endless traffic annoyances such as other careless truck drivers, out-of-nowhere light posts as well other real life annoyances.

For car owners who are worried about getting car dents, the good news is that mild to moderate dents can be fixed with minimal stress. This article explains how various techniques of car dent repairing. Continue reading to learn more.

Car Dent Repairing Techniques

1. Paintless Dent Repair

Paintless Dent Repair or PDR is a great way to fix car dents. Many dent wizards technicians use this method to remove dents safely without destroying or altering the original paint finish of the car. The technique is environmentally friendly, unlike many other methods which are used to repair dents. Also, the procedure removes a variety of dents. Body creases, dings and hail damage, making it suitable for many operations.
PDR is fast and cost-effective because there is no need for filling, painting and expensive panel replacement.

2. Hair Dryer & Compressed Air

Hair DryerThis technique removes car dents out of plastic materials using two important household devices: a hair dryer and compressed air.
In this method, the car dent is first heated to high temperatures to allow the plastic of the car to expand. When the car dent is hot enough, the can of the compressed air is then turned upside down, and the same area is sprayed. When the cold air comes into contact with the heated plastic, it contracts, causing it to pop out.

3. Long Metal & Knockdown

Using metal & knockdown is another great way to fix a minor dent. This technique often requires the assistance of a technician to remove the dent without destroying the shape of the car. During a dent formation, many times, the metal goes inside as the surrounding edges of the dent go upward, creating a volcano-like feature. Thus, forcing the dent out is not often recommended. Instead, a long metal rod beneath the dent a knockdown on top are used to remove it.

4. Use Dry Ice

ice cubeIf used appropriately, the dry ice technique can also help to remove a dent. In this method, the ice is applied directly on the dent as many times as possible until the dent pops out completely. However, this method is only effective for small dents. Here, protective gloves should be worn when holding down the ice against the dent.
Like in the hair dryer and compressed hair technique above, the dent can be heated to a high temperature before applying the ice.
Some of the above car dent repairing procedures are DIY processes that are easy to learn and practice, while some of them such as PDR are performed by specialized personnel. While minor dents can be removed at home using DIY techniques, it is important to have major dents removed by qualified technicians to avoid inflicting more damage.