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Jacking your car up is no trivial matter when it comes to car safety. You're taking thousands of pounds and dangling it over your body while you tinker underneath. I've been lucky enough over the years never to have seen a horrific jack accident, but I have seen a car fall off a jack, and it ain't pretty. The force of the car hitting the ground is enough to get your attention, so much that it takes you a minute to realize you might have damaged part of your car. It's definitely a car safety and repair wake-up call!
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Before you even pick up your screwdriver, you should have a safe work environment. Safety is synonymous with planning, meaning that if you plan your work area and task ahead, your safety will be insured. The basics are simple. Attempting to work on your own car without at least a basic level of safety is irresponsible. But like so many small tasks that produce big results, just a small amount of safety-conscious planning can mean you'll never be running inside for the ice pack unless you're trying to keep your lemonade cool.
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Don't forget the maintenance! It's the little things that count, and checking a few of these little things off your list will put you ahead of the game, and ease the pain in your wallet. Most maintenance checks only take a minute, and most maintenance tasks can be tackled in an afternoon. Don't maintain your car and you'll pay the price down the road.
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You've got your suntan lotion, a giant cooler and three cheap novels -- you're ready for a summer road trip. You may be prepared, but are you up to date on your summer auto maintenance? Sure, auto maintenance is the last thing on your mind, but it'll jump to the front pretty quickly if you're on the side of the road. Spend an afternoon on some simple auto maintenance procedures and you'll thank yourself in the end.
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Your car's speedometer is calibrated by telling the needle you see on the dashboard how many times the wheel spins around. The problem is, if you make your wheel diameter smaller, it's going to spin more times to go the same number of miles. Your car doesn't know you monkeyed around with your tire and wheel size, so it will give you an inaccurate reading.
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The government wants us to be safe, so they're making sure that if you're going 125 mph you have the right tires on your car. Through actual testing of the tire, they rate each one according to how fast you can safely travel on a set of them. It's pretty straightforward when you check the chart. Each letter represents a maximum speed. Chances are your tires will be rated for much higher speeds than you'll ever go, but it's still a useful number. The faster a tire can go, the softer the rubber compound they use to make it (softer rubber grips dry pavement better), so the tire will wear out faster than a "slower" rated tire.
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There is so much room for adjustment in terms of size, it would take an encyclopedia to list them all. Luckily, if you're visiting AutoRepair.About.com you're smarter than the average tailgater, so I'll give you the tools to decide for yourself.
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It's time for new tires. You're a smart consumer, so you want to be sure you get the most tire for your money. The emergence of a number of quality tire manufacturers in the'90s has broadened the market on tires and kept the prices low while quality and innovation continue to improve. These days there are more tire choices than miracle weight loss programs but with a little refresher course on tires, you can trim away the fat and get yourself a set of fairly-priced, safe and durable tires for your car, truck or SUV.
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Once you've figured out what all the gobbledygook on the side of your tires means, you're probably asking yourself, "Do I really give a hoot?" Believe it or not, that's a good question! Some of the info will certainly apply to you, but some of it can be flushed out of your consciousness without worry.
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