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The Tightwad’s Way To Install Any Wheel Bearing Race

I don’t own a bearing race driver kit, and I haven’t in 20 years of fixing stuff. I also refuse to use sockets to drive a race. I learned a method a long time ago I’ll pass along to you newer techs: I use the race I’m replacing. I primarily have used this trick when...

Shop Profile: Locked N Loaded 4×4

I’ve owned two Jeeps–the 1973 Super Jeep CJ-5 featured in a previous Shop Press article, and a 2010 Wrangler Sahara. The reliability and my enjoyment of the former wasn’t “super” in any way despite American Motors’ best efforts at model name puffery, and the latter...

Check Out This Hacky Diag Tool

Disclaimer: Dorman Products purchased this kit at full price.In the interest of serious investigative reporting, I swiped the Shop Press credit card for $14.83 to try out a diag tool I thought looked super-cool: the relay bypass. What’s that? Short version: Imagine a...

Dealers make house calls. Why not you?

I had a great experience recently when my dealer’s service department called to ask if I’d like to schedule some routine maintenance needed on my SUV from one of their fleet of nifty new mobile service vans, with the promise that my cost would be the same as if I...

Tire techs: Elevate your work with this one humble task

I have mounted and balanced many tires. I have also sold many tires, and there was a step I took when I was installing them that I insisted all techs did when I eventually began writing service. I’m going to share it here, and while I can’t insist upon anything from...

Vehicle weights are increasing. Can your lifts handle it?

Vehicle weights are increasing. Can your lifts handle it?

Average vehicle weights in the United States have steadily increased since the mid 1980s, driven by sustained consumer demand for vehicles with more power, features, and room. Hybrid and electric vehicles can be especially heavy with their batteries and motors,...
The story of the very first reverse gear in an American car

The story of the very first reverse gear in an American car

Making a car go backwards was not the most important part of the automobile’s development, but it sure is important in its operation. In fact, if the average automobile enthusiast was to guess which American-built car had the first reverse gear, he or she would likely...
Automotive professionals vs. popular auto myths! (VIDEO)

Automotive professionals vs. popular auto myths! (VIDEO)

Automotive professionals vs. popular auto myths! (VIDEO) Description Spend any amount of time in the auto repair industry, and you’ll hear customers sharing strange ideas about the “right” way to drive and care for their vehicles. We assembled a list of common and...