Brake Job on 2000-2006 Hyundai Elantra
The initial inspection revealed the front rotors were below specifications and had uneven pad wear on the right front inboard pad. The rear drums were also out of specification and a leaking wheel cylinder had contaminated the brake shoes. Hyundai recommends replacement of the wheel cylinders if any brake fluid is found in the dust boots. Runout measurements of the rotors and hubs revealed little or zero runout.
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 Feature: Subaru Service Essentials
My stint at being a service advisor for a number of dealer service departments over the years gave me a lot of experience in “bundling” services into a package. Having a service plan or “menu” built value for the customer. It also provided the service department with reliable income. Though there are good and bad points to service menus, the basic idea is a good one, and works well for any kind of automotive service or repair facility.
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.
1-2 Finish for Performance Friction Brakes in Bristol Modified Race
Sprint Cup Series star Ryan Newman and modified tour regular Justin Bonsignore made Wednesday night’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at Bristol a 1-2 finish for Performance Friction Brakes.
BRAKE HARDWARE: Economizing Fuel, Comebacks and Parts
Brake hardware for disc brakes is not a dealer-only item. Your local jobber might carry three lines of hardware. This product category is more than shims, anti-rattle clips or dust shields.
Tech Feature: Loaded Brake Calipers
Loaded calipers provide a variety of benefits when doing brake jobs on customers’ vehicles. Most brake suppliers have a loaded caliper program today so availability is seldom an issue. If price becomes a hurdle, that’s when it’s time to inform your customers of the features and benefits of loaded calipers.
Hyundai: Rear Brake Caliper Removal
The access to the rear caliper lower mounting bolt is obstructed by the upper control arm. The service procedure below provides the steps necessary to remove the rear brake caliper.
Tech Feature: Solving Brake Pedal Pulsation Complaints
Reoccurring pulsation complaints are perhaps the second most common reason a customer returns after having brake service. The brakes operate normally for the first 3,000 to 6,000 miles, but then the customer notices a high-speed pulsation when getting off the exit ramp on his way to work one morning. The customer returns to the shop with the pulsation complaint and leaves with usually one of two “fixes” – the rotors being machined or replaced. The usual explanation given the customer is that the rotors “warped.”
Tech Feature: Nissan Undercar Noise and Vibration Repairs
When it comes to Nissan undercar work, Import Specialist Bob Dowie discusses the first challenge you face and that is selling the work. While he uses the word “selling,” what you are actually doing is making the customer aware of issues that need to be addressed to maintain the reliability and, more importantly, the safety of their vehicle.
Brake Tech Feature: Buick Lucerne Service
The 2006-current Buick Lucerne is the largest sedan that General Motors offers. It is built on the same line as the Cadillac DTS at the Hamtramck, MI, GM plant. The two vehicles share many brake components and the same Regular Production Option (RPO) codes for the brake system.
Tech Feature: Electric/Electronic Parking Brakes
The current emergency/parking brake is the most unused device on a vehicle equipped with an automatic transmission. But, the electrically actuated parking brake is changing the parking brake into a multi-purpose mechanism on modern vehicles. Using an electric motor to apply the parking brake results in the mechanical linkage being eliminated from the vehicle passenger compartment.