Shop Press

Shop Press is the news and idea hub for everything related to working on cars and trucks, focusing on repair, technology, and wrenching lifestyle.

From the creative minds at:

FEATURE STORY

Hot Off the Press

Noisy disc brakes – ASE practice questions (VIDEO)

How to test for blown fuses in a car or truck | Fast and easy methodDescription All of the following could cause noisy disc brake operation EXCEPT: A) Glazed pads B) Grease contamination on the pads C) Broken anti-rattle clipsD) Foreign matter embedded into the pad...

The Shop Press Automotive Paragon series: a recap

If you read Shop Press regularly you've noticed we’ve been running a series for the past couple of years. It’s called “Automotive Paragons,” and it’s a series where we look at automotive entrepreneurs, designers, and engineers who were exceptional, ahead of their...

Minimum rotor thickness – ASE practice questions (VIDEO)

Description Technician A says the minimum rotor thickness specification etched into a disc is the minimum thickness beyond which a brake rotor should not be used. Technician B says the number indicates the minimum thickness to which the rotor can be machined. Who is...

Using a spaghetti trick to keep zip ties organized (VIDEO)

Description Chefs know a helpful hack to keep spaghetti from falling out of an opened bag, and the same idea happens to work perfectly for zip ties. Give it a try next time you have a pack of zip ties that doesn’t have a resealable closure.Related Videos

Book review: “Pump and Circumstance”

Recently I was organizing my books on a new bookshelf and came across one that I had almost forgotten about. I picked it up after seeing an exhibition called “See the USA: Automobile Travel and the American Landscape” at the Building Museum when I lived in D.C. The...

How to service spark plugs the professional way

How to service spark plugs the professional way

The spark plug has a tough job to do, and it has to do it under extreme conditions. The terminal (top) end of the spark plug is connected to a high voltage supply source, the ignition coil. As current flows from the coil, a voltage potential builds between the center...
PSA: Make sure your Loctite isn’t fake!

PSA: Make sure your Loctite isn’t fake!

Loctite’s threadlocking compounds are used by automotive professionals everywhere to secure critical fasteners. Unfortunately, Loctite’s popularity has resulted in a wave of counterfeit products that can look remarkably like the real deal. Everything from the...
PSA: Check that cabin air filter

PSA: Check that cabin air filter

Most of us know that we should change the filter in our home heating and air conditioning system monthly, but why? What does it do? The role of the filter is twofold. First, it traps dirt, dust, pet dander, pollen and other allergens and helps keep the air you’re...
Exhaust tips: three ways to fine-tune your method

Exhaust tips: three ways to fine-tune your method

Exhaust work is straightforward and (I think) easy to understand. If you’ve got a lift and a ‘cety torch, it really should be gravy work. That said, I have made plenty of my own mistakes and repaired the mistakes of others. Hopefully this article helps a few of you...
Four not-so-obvious ways grease can come in handy

Four not-so-obvious ways grease can come in handy

I like grease. You may or you may not, but as a very cheap staple of most shops, I’ve learned to use it in a few unconventional ways, which has made me like it more. Here are a few times plain ol’ grease is what you should reach for. Vertically-oriented O-rings...