Buying car parts is often a matter of shopping around for the best deal. However, when it comes to parts your life depends upon, you can’t afford to go cheap. The best brake pad brands may be a bit pricier, but they’ve earned their spot due to the superior quality and reliability in emergency circumstances. When picking out new brake pads, it’s best to go in with an idea of … [Read more...]

If you're considering performing maintenance on the brakes of your car yourself, you probably already understand two critical truths: Properly functioning brakes are critical and DIY brake maintenance saves a ton of money. Although saving money is the primary objective, no one wants to risk death for the sake of a few bucks. In the ongoing debate over turning rotors versus … [Read more...]

If you’ve spent time working on your own car or WANT to start working on your own car, the odds are high that you’ve run into the familiar dilemma: which repair manual should you choose? Some people think that any manual is just as good as the next one, but you know better. A good repair manual can mean the difference between a quick and easy car repair, and a frustrating … [Read more...]

The question of whether you should try to repair or replace your floor jack is actually a fairly common one for any relatively expensive tool. Even with correct use and routine maintenance, an automotive jack will eventually be in need of repair or replacement. Hydraulic jacks are pretty basic when you break it down. Each jack has 6 main components: Reservoir – holds … [Read more...]

When it comes to performing maintenance on your vehicle, typically you'll need to jack it up at some point whether it's to change a tire or your oil. While there are other options available out there such as vehicle ramps or even 2 or 4-post lifts, the most common way to lift part of your car is with a hydraulic jack. Here, we take a brief look at the two most popular types of … [Read more...]

You might be surprised to know that one of the most important safety products in a garage is also the one that many people overlook. We’re talking about wheel chocks. When your car or truck is jacked up or on car ramps, chocks prevent it from rolling. Just because your vehicle is in gear or has the emergency brake applied, there’s always the possibility of something going … [Read more...]

Are you a do-it-yourself car owner? Do you enjoy performing routine maintenance and oil changes on your vehicle? Well, at some point time you will have to lift your car off the ground. If you don't own an in-garage hydraulic system, you will either need a jack or a ramp to raise your vehicle for a better look at things underneath. One of the most common DIY tasks that any … [Read more...]

If you’re not certain when to get new tires, you may never notice the warning signs. Knowing the signs you need new tires might save unnecessary headaches and expenditures. Although many people aren’t car or tire experts, these tips and pieces of advice will help anyone know when it’s time to get new tires. Inspect the Treads This is the easiest step to take when you want to … [Read more...]

Tire rotation helps to ensure even wear, as your tires age and use up their tread (see Need New Tires?). This provides a better ride and prevents you from having to replace tires before their time because one tire wore out too soon. Most car maintenance manuals have diagrams of how to rotate your tires and these diagrams should be followed in most cases. Here are … [Read more...]

Lug nuts (or lug bolts) have one of the most important jobs on a vehicle, to keep your wheels and tires secured to your vehicle. While there is no universal lug nut size, there are fortunately only about ten or so thread sizes and pitches that make up a lug nut's size. The most common lug nut sizes are: 10mm x 1.25 12mm x 1.25 12mm x 1.50 12mm x 1.75 14mm x … [Read more...]