There’s a general understanding amongst gearheads that no matter how big one’s garage or storage space, it’ll eventually fill up. A two car garage will be just as full as a single, while that 40’ x 40′ unit your neighbor is building will be filled to capacity by year’s end. It’s just the natural order of things. And before you get yer knickers in…
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There’s a general understanding amongst gearheads that no matter how big one’s garage or storage space, it’ll eventually fill up. A two car garage will be just as full as a single, while that 40’ x 40′ unit your neighbor is building will be filled to capacity by year’s end. It’s just the natural order of things. And before you get yer knickers in…
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Not much of the driving advice doled out by my long-suffering father has been retained by your author’s increasingly foggy brain. Gripping the wheel at ten-and-two has been replaced by nine-and-three, although dad’s exhortation that my preferred wheel grip of twelve-and-nothing was absolute bollocks brings a smile to my face even now. (more…)
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On occasion, it must seem like the architects of this series think danger and the nation’s criminals lurk around every corner. We’ve brought you Club-style theft prevention, bumper guards, and now wheel locks. Good job we balance it out with the likes of work gloves, tire shine, and floor jacks. Wheel locks are sold by the aftermarket and every single new car dealership in…
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If you’re thinking about using your truck or SUV to tow anything more than a child’s inflatable dinghy, it is an exceedingly good idea to invest in a trailer brake controller. These units, generally about the size of two stacked smartphones, manage the amount of braking force being produced by the electric brakes fitted to your trailer’s axles. (more…)
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Most of us reading (and writing for) this website either own or have had several terrible hoopties in their fleet at one point or another. In what seems like another lifetime on this site, Jack Baruth once opined that you gotta be rich to own a cheap car and, like it or not, the man had a point. Owning a beater or project car…
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If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times: check yer bind spot! More than a few collisions (notice we didn’t call them “accidents”) occur because drivers heedlessly heave their car into an adjacent lane only to find themselves occupying the same time and space as another vehicle. This leads to Expensive Noises. (more…)
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We'll preface this post with the admonition that, unless you're reasonably familiar with the environs of an engine bay, you should keep your paws off stuff like this. However, a case can be made that anyone who's fleet is comprised of machines that actually need these products is probably intimately familiar with the contents of a rusty toolbox. On one hand, additives like these…
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Sure, the last time you wore a pair of racing shoes to a party you were endlessly made fun of by your gearhead buddies. Hey, man, what can we say? They’re just jealous of your lap times, that’s all. (more…)
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Your car's lug nuts are a lot like your car's insurance policy - doing its job in silence, not thought of until needed, and cursed upon failure. They are also, like your author, routinely ignored. There is a buying demographic for aftermarket lug nuts, however, a group that mostly includes people trying to spruce up a used car or hapless DIYers who stepped on…
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There are occasions when a sturdy canvas or cloth tool bag is handier than a cumbersome metal toolbox. Hitting a bump with the latter in your trunk or truck box results in a crashing sound not heard since the implosion of The Sands nearly 25 years ago. It helps to buy a tool bag whose length exceeds that of the longest item you’ll be…
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If you tend to skip over our DIY post weeks, perhaps this one will be more to your liking. While not everyone wants or has the space to wrench on their own ride, there’s a solid chance that most gearheads like to have a few cleaning tools on hand. Attacking your car’s wheels with a general use brush isn’t the best of ideas; they…
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It’s a fantasy harbored by every single gearhead on the planet: the ability to jump aboard any supercar or race machine in the world and rip off a lap of their favorite racetrack. The likes of Forza, Gran Turismo, and iRacing now affords us that opportunity, albeit digitally. Still, you’re left with steering your way around Eau Rouge with a joystick or d-pad and…
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Maintaining your out-of-warranty ride often forces us to learn the different systems in our vehicles. After wrenching on them for interminable amounts of time, knowing the ins and outs of the braking system or suspension bits is kind of inevitable. Another area with which you'll likely become familiar? Cooling/antifreeze systems. These closed systems help to keep things from freezing up in the rust belt…
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Quick - what's the first thing you reach for when starting any DIY project? No, it isn't the perpetually absent 10mm socket, nor is it a quarter for the swear jar. It is, most likely a good pair of gloves. Protecting your hands serve many purposes, from keeping them off harsh chemicals to cushioning a blow when you finally overtorque a stubborn bolt and…
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