If you have to have them in the shop, endeavor to make politics polite.
Politics Ain’t Politic
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Hidden external speakers are changing the soundscape of our streets
For more than a century now, people have been getting used to what it sounds like living around machines powered by explosions. The soundscapes of our roads, parking lots, communities and cities are filled with the familiar noises from engines and exhaust pipes. Of...
Ralph Nader inspired a vehicle safety revolution and all he got was a lousy bolt named after him
In 1965, Ralph Nader published his best-selling takedown of car companies, “Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile.” The book accused automakers of prioritizing profits over personal safety, and caused an uproar from both politicians...
Windshield wipers have had a surprisingly messy evolution
We take many modern automotive conveniences for granted, and windshield wipers must be somewhere near the top of the list. You don’t think about them much until you’re driving in the rain with worn blades or, far worse, a bad wiper motor or linkage. Even on a clear...
Prime numbers are the secret to prolonged gear life
I’m going to make a list of numbers, and I want you to see if you can tell me where you might know them from. Ready? Here goes: 3.23, 3.42, 3.73, 4.10, 4.11, 4.56. Rest your eyes here because the answer is in the next paragraph. My suspicion is if you’ve taken apart...
Turbochargers saved the world long before they saved automakers fuel
Turbochargers have become so popular on cars and trucks so quickly, it could almost seem like they came out of nowhere. From 2000 to 2020, they went from being installed on less than 1 percent to more than 35 percent of new vehicles sold in the United States. There...