Andrew Markel
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Viewpoint: Sex, Politics & Religion

I worked for a shop owner who once told me there are three things I could not discuss at work with co-workers or customers. The three topics were sex, religion and politics. It was a simple rule some people find hard to follow this time of year. All around us the airwaves are filled with political ads that will not end until this time next year. On the roads, political candidate signs seem to be breeding at an alarming rate. Your shop must be a politic-free zone for customers and employees.

Court Verdict Will Forever Shine Bright Light on Tire Repair Practices

It is Everyone, Somebody or the Other Guy – often despite tons of contrary information. Thus it is with January’s $22.8 million court verdict over a faulty tire repair. Earlier this year a San Diego jury awarded $14.5 million to the three children of a couple who were killed in a July 2006 accident caused by an improperly performed tire repair.

Alignment & Suspension Specs: 2005-2011 Toyota Avalon

Some people call the Toyota Avalon the “Japanese Buick” due to its size and plush ride. The suspension design of the Avalon does not vary that much from Toyota’s smaller vehicle platforms in overall suspension design. If you get on of these vehicles in your shop for an alignment, there are three things you need to do at the time of the alignment.

Performing a Brake Job on a 2002-2009 Chevrolet Trailblazer

The Chevrolet Trailblazer is based on the GMT 360. The brake system on the Trailblazer is not groundbreaking by any means, but there are some intricacies technicians should be aware of on this common platform. The front brakes utilize dual piston calipers with phenolic pistons. The most important thing to remember when replacing the pads on this vehicle is to replace the hardware.

TECH TIP: FORD: Brakes – Squeak/Creak Noise Driving Over Bumps

Some 2008-2010 Focus vehicles may exhibit a squeak/creak noise from the underbody when driving on rough roads. The noise may be caused by contact between the park brake cables and the routing eyelets.

The “Detroit Three” TPMS Cheat Sheets for Chrysler, Ford and GM Vehicles

Tired of looking up TPMS reset procedures for Chrysler, Ford and GM vehicles? BRAKE & FRONT END has a solution!

BRAKELIGHTS: October 1936: Hanging Bums in Hollywood

BRAKE & FRONT END, October 1936 – J.S. Bushey was not a subtle man. The ironic part of this story is that Pep Boys has opened next door to the former site of Bushey’s shop, a company with three mascots. Also, in front of the shop are the stars for Lucille Ball, Gregory Peck and Montgomery Cliff.

Suspension & Alignment Specs: Greatest Hits!

The most difficult issue with some alignments is knowing what you are getting into before you start or your shop even quotes the job. For almost two years, Hunter Engineering has been sponsoring BRAKE & FRONT END’s Suspension & Alignment Specs where Editor Andrew Markel examines a common vehicle platform to figure out what are the service issues and how to make the adjustments.

Preemptive Diagnostics: Solving Pulsation Complaints Before They Happen

Here is a scenario: A shop performs a brake job on a vehicle. The front pads and rotors are replaced. On the test drive, the vehicle had zero signs of pulsation, even after an aggressive break-in procedure. Six months and 6,000 miles later, the customer is back complaining of a pulsation in the pedal. So what has happened in 6,000 miles?

Brake Job: Dodge Magnum/Challenger/Charger

The 2005-current Chrysler rear-wheel-drive LX-Platform. The LX platform includes the 300, Magnum and Charger. In 2008, the platform was shortened for use in the LC-platform that was used in the Challenger platform. All have rear disc brakes with the parking/emergency brake mounted in the hat of the rear rotor.

Tech Feature: Inspecting Shocks and Struts

Shocks and struts are simple devices. Their function is to dampen the movement of the springs, suspension and vehicle pitch. This means that as the spring is compressed, the movement is not sudden and when the energy or movement is released, it is not overpowering.

BRAKELIGHTS: April 1958

Brake & Front End, April 1958— In the 1950s, the focus of many friction material companies’ marketing was safety with a side of gore. In this ad from Bendix, it does not water down the message trying to leave the reader with a “feel good” message.