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One of the most important factors to the safety of any car’s passenger is the brakes. There is a question that always surfaces when talking about car brakes. How often do I change my brakes, and how do I know that I really need a brake job on my car. Hence, if you were to leave this article with one piece of information, it is that you should never fall for the misleading advertisement that sets a fixed price for brake jobs, simply because these ads promote the lowest price a shop can accomplish the job at. In order to perform a diagnosis to determine if you need a brake job or not, you need to look for braking problems such as vibration, grabbing, and pulling. You also need to watch for low or soft pedal, and abnormal noises. First and foremost, you should be aware that there is no set mileage interval that suggests the necessity of new brake pads. It is also difficult to predetermine the odometer reading at which the brakes need to be relined. This is due to the fact that wear on the brake pads depend on various factors, most importantly the braking habits of the driver. Furthermore, the braking systems are designed differently on each car, which also plays a big role in the uncertainty of brake change intervals. I have personally seen a set of identical brake pads being installed on 2 identical cars, one which lasted for 50,000 miles, and the other lasted 70,000. When interviewing the drivers of both cars, the 70,000 was mostly highway driving, and the 40,000 was driven mostly in stop-and-go city traffic. But the general rule of thumb is that, the front brakes wear out faster than the rear brakes because the front pads handle a higher percentage of the breaking load.

Asking what makes a car super is like asking, what makes a woman beautiful - everyone has its own opinion. A term supercar was coined to describe extremely expensive, extremely beautiful and extremely fast cars. But the proper use of this term is often subjective and disputed, especially among enthusiasts. There is no clear definition of what characteristics a car must have to be a supercar. What constitutes a supercar is often a matter of opinion. Also, the use of the term is heavily dependent on the era - a car that is considered to be a supercar at one time may lose its superiority in the future. It is also important to know that the term supercar refers to factory-built, usually unmodified, street-legal cars. Heavily modified and potentially street - illegal vehicles do not fall into the supercar category. Supercars are not muscle cars or tuned up sports cars. And there is no such thing as a cut price supercar. A supercar is a car that combines speed, handling, unique design and represents the pinnacle of the automaker’s art. Supercar is the car equivalent of a supermodel or a race horse. There are, off course, some basic criteria for measuring whether a car should be considered a supercar or not. Things to consider: design, acceleration, top speed, handling, power-to-weight ratio, style, rarity, price - all of these has to be super in a supercar. Want an example? Here is a prime example of a supercar - The Bugatti Veyron. The Bugatti Veyron is currently (2007) the most expensive (around $1.5 million) and fastest fully street legal car in the world. The Guinness Book of World Records included Bugatti Veyron under the heading - Fastest Production Car. With 1001 horsepower this supercar champion features all the most recent automotive advancements and is able to achieve a top speed of 253 mph (407km/h). This is faster than any production car ever made, it’s actually faster than Formula 1 cars. Supercars are not just fast, they are blazingly fast. Other supercars include: Koenigsegg CCX, Pagani Zonda, McLaren F1, Saleen S7 Twin Turbo, Enzo Ferrari, Lamborghini Murcielago and so on. On the fun side, if you ever doubt whether a car is a supercar or not, consider this: A car might be a supercar if - you have a wallpaper or a poster of it, it’s worth more than your house, you drool when you see one, it can break the speed limit in 1st gear, you will probably never own one, but if you do, you would never give the keys to the valet. In conclusion, a supercar is a car that changes your idea of what a car is and what a car can do.

The roof of a car generally remains vacant and does nothing extra except being a part of the body. Yet the part it plays is in no way negligible. In winters, it protects the boarders from snow and cold. In summers, it prevents rain from pouring inside the car. But this is not all that the roof of a car can do for you. You can attach roof boxes on it to get a better service from the hitherto unused part of your car.

On a normal day, when you use your car for day-to-day commuting like going to and coming from the office or shop, you do not feel the necessity of roof boxes that much. But on weekends or on holidays, when you set out for a journey that is different from your daily drive, the need for roof tops is badly felt. On that occasion, you need to carry things that you would not require on an average day.

Suppose you are on a journey with your family and you need to carry a lot of extra luggage that the boot of the car cannot accommodate. In such a situation, the roof boxes will be of great value. You can put all the extra accessories in it. Similarly, if you are out on fishing, tracking, biking etc. then also you have to take equipment that cannot be kept inside the boot of the car.

Some of the apparatus one needs to carry with him while he is on some outdoor activities may be not accommodated within a box. Hence, there occurs the necessity of some other kit that can take care of the rather bigger accessory. And it is the roof racks that serve the purpose very well. Bikes, fishing rods and wheel chairs etc. cannot be accommodated in a box but can be easily fixed with a rack.

Cold, wet days, slippery roads and some motorists treating you as if you were the Invisible Man. Only the bravest of the brave amongst us will venture out on such days. Many a motorcyclist needs his beloved machine as transport for work and is normally well prepared for the adverse conditions. What Can The Remaining Bikers Do During This Period? Do not despair…….What a great time to strip down the motorcycle. Ninety nine percent of motorcyclists, even if not mechanically minded can remove the main peripherals from a motorbike, (seat, lights, petrol tank etc).

Perhaps you could take some digital photographs of the tricky bits to help you when it comes to re-assembly. Don’t Rush The Job Clean the removed parts thoroughly as you go, all the while checking for any damage, mechanical or superficial. (Tip: Obtain some ice-cream containers or Tupperware pots with lids). Put the nuts, bolts and screws from each dismantling process in a separate container, not forgetting to add a label. Make sure to fasten the lid securely. It is surprising how the containers can end up being moved about, sometimes in rage I hasten to add. Often ones partner does not take too kindly to the storage of motorcycle parts on the sideboard or under the bed for some reason! Back Together Change your fluids where applicable, replacing with best grades you can afford. Top grade oils, brake fluids etc pay off in the long run. The time has come to carefully put your pride and joy back together. Enjoy your task and cherish the thought that you are one step closer to putting the roads to good use once more.

Use your photographs or drawings to make life easier…..You did take photographs didn’t you? With any luck you should not have any parts left over. If you do, keep them safe, you are sure to find out where they belong one day! Take a well earned rest and spend a few evenings around the fire, planning some great days out in the coming warmer weather. Check your calendars for race meetings and other important dates. Perhaps you and a friend or two would like to book a holiday together. Why not experience the French Roads……plenty of twists and turns, sparsely populated, hardly a pothole in sight and as smooth as a snooker table. Finale You are ready to get going again on the open road…..Have fun, be ready for the unexpected and above all Keep Safe.

The amount of advanced technology that goes into today’s premium branded car tyres is often not appreciated. Tyres, after all, are usually a distress purchase and to most consumers are simply “black and round”.

Diamond Bead - A new construction method for the bead coil, which increases the torsional stiffness of the bead coil to create a more uniform contact patch and therefore improved handling.  

Flat Force Block - A new tread block design, which varies the angle of the block edges in accordance with their size. This provides a more uniform contact pressure and therefore a smoother ride.

Key Hole Sipes - These narrow slots in the tread increase in width as the tyre wears helping the tyre to maintain performance as it gets older.  

Multicell Compound - An advanced and unique foam rubber based compound, the high porosity of which anables water absorption and an increased “edge-effect” to improve grip on ice.

Riblet - These are circumferential micro-grooves located on the surface of multicell compound tyres. These aborb a film of water on icy surfaces for improved grip when the tyres are new and before the multicell pores become visible.

If tyre manufacturers are continuing to evolve their tyre technology with a view to gaining a competitive advantage over their rivals, there are certain areas of technology, which are coming in for particular attention. One of these is undoubtedly the area of run-flat tyres and the associated area of tyre pressure monitoring systems. The leading manufacturers differ to some degree in the tyre technology they are using for their run-flat systems. Michelin’s PAX system, for example incorporates a special wheel with an asymmetric profile, which allows a support ring to be inserted, which bears the vehicle’s load and allows it to be steered at zero pressure.  However, their Michelin ZP system functions by means of more robust sidewalls, reinforced with a special rubber compound to carry the vehicle weight. An innovative bead area, delps the deflated tyre stay on the rim.

A further example of the use of compounding to obtain a stiffer sidewall is Goodyear’s Run-On Flat system. This system incorporates reinforced sidewall inserts using Goodyear’s own compounding technology in order to create higher sidewall striffness. In addition, rim guards and tensioning devices on the outside of the sidewall are used to help maintain tension in the case of a flat. Continental, like Michelin has two systems. The ContiSupportRing is a metal ring on a flexible support directly mounted on the rim, whereas the company’s SSR self-supporting run-flat tyre incorporates a special rubber reinforcement in the sidewall, which takes the vehicle weight after pressure has been lost. Bridgestone has also taken the support ring route with its Bridgestone Support Ring system. So where next for tyres? We wait with interest to see how the tyre manufacturers can further innovate their products and keep improving tyre technology.

Hopefully by reading this article you’ll be better informed and with the information presented here and in other areas of research you will decide whether to purchase a Hybrid Car now or in the future. Let start with a little history and background information concerning the electric powered car.Did you know as far back as 1901 the hybrid car was being experimented with. It’s true a gentlemen by the name of Ferdinand Porsche designed a Hybrid car named the “Mixte”. This Hybrid used a gasoline engine powering a generator the generator powered hub motors with a backup battery pack for backup redundancy.Then in 1915 an electric car maker a manufacturing company by the name of Woods Motor Vehicle designed a Hybrid aptly named “Dual Power”. This car had a 4 cylinder internal combustion engine and an electric motor. The electric motor below the speed of 15 mph independently powered the vehicle drawing power from a battery pack. At speeds above 15 mph the gasoline motor kicked in to increase the needed power requirements.Here we are in 2007 with Hybrid cars that aren’t much better than their 1900 counterparts, granted they can achieve speeds of 100 mph compared to only 35 mph back then. But if you take a closer look the technology was here even in 1901.The regenerative braking system , the concept of most todays HEVs, was developed by electrical engineer David Arthurs around 1978 using off-the shelf parts and imagine this a Opel GT.Fast forward to 2007 and the choices are many and it looks like from all reports that the Toyota Prius is the best all around choice. This baby has a total combined rating of 55 mpg and city driving of a whopping 60 mpg with a price tag of 22K - 24K. The Prius also has the best emissions standards of all the others. At this time it seems to be the leader of the pack and the most bang for your buck.I decided to add some other average Hybrids to give you a comparison to the Toyota Prius.Saturn came out with a line of Hybrids recently and they now have a mid size car named Aura. Gas EPA estimates for the Aura are 24 city, 32 highway. Not the best but comparable to the other Auto Makers. MSRP for the Aura is 22,790.00 not too shabby!Updated for 2007, the Toyota Camry Hybrid is a 4-door sedan that can carry 5 passengers. This hybrid vehicle is powered by a standard I4, 2.4-liter hybrid engine is a 192-horse engine. This hybrid vehicle achieves 43-mpg in city driving and 37-mpg on highways. The Camry has an automatic trans and the overdrive comes standard.The 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid has been complemented for its impressive interior and consumption. However, many users have complained that consumption strives to obtain what is advertised by the company. Its been said that the Camry only achieves 34mpg maximum.

Biodiesel can increase the longevity of your engine by up to 100 %. Costs are reduced – whether it be for maintenance or vehicle replacement. The engine last longer , breaks down less frequently resulting in longer vehicle life spans , greater reliability and overall less vehicle costs – again be it diesel equipped auto , car, truck ,tractor or highway rig.How can this be so? The improved lubrication properties of biodiesel over regular vehicle diesel fuel results in increased parts longevity by up to 100 %. As a result commercial vehicles may be used for decades as well as travel millions of miles. Increased engine longevity translates into reduced maintenance costs, longer life spans and overall increases in reliability.Biodiesel is a renewable fuel derived from vegetable oils, animal fats and cooking oils that are processed so that it can be added to diesel fuel as an additive. You cannot just mash up these fats and mix them with your diesel fuel. It is not as if any old Alvero character can make biodiesel in his garage at home. If the biodiesel is not prepared properly in a qualified industrial process – the contaminants of water, glycerols and other trace elements can well clog up your fuel injectors or even an expensive injection pump. Properly done biodiesel is a safe and beneficial fuel additive – now being routinely recommended and touted by major vehicle and diesel engine manufacturers.Prepared properly in a commercial setting. and bought commercially you can be assured that not only will the biodiesel will be safe for your engine to use – but will even give the benefits of much greater engine life , enhanced reliability and lower maintenance costs overall.Biodiesel is added to the regular diesel fuel. The percentage added depends on the climate the vehicles or autos will be used in. In warmer climates – such as tropical or

For all the car enthusiasts or collectors out there, those who are passionate about the automobile industry that produces the good old antique or classic cars, nothing can be more exhilarating than having the rare opportunity to attend events that host antique car shows where you will find a dazzling fleet of historical, hard-to-source and stylish vintage cars. Some may think these antique cars can only be found in museums and books but due to the enduring appeal of all these beautiful classics, lovers of classic cars frequently join force to run antique car shows that have become so popular that they are now hosted around the world. Owners of these classic cars take such great care of their prized collection that many of these classics are still functioning, with all their exquisiteness and uniqueness preserved to perfection.It does not matter whether you attend these shows for research, to gain more knowledge about vintage cars, just as a curiosity or to buy another antique car to add to your collection, visiting these shows in itself is quite an experience. All said, antique car shows are not widely available which means you need to look in the right places for information on upcoming events.

Besides their needs, certain people reinstate antiques car as a leisure Pursuit. These antiques car also require insurance cover on them. Your work is to find out the insurance company which provides Car Insurance for an Antique Car. There are a number of reasons such owners can provide to support their neglect for acquiring proper car insurance for an antique car, but to be so neglectful is borderline irresponsible. If one is going to invest a great deal of money in purchasing an Antique car, then a proper Car Insurance for an Antique Car policy will properly compliment the investment of the antique car.Insurance Companies Providing Car Insurance for an Antique Car:Not all insurance providers insure all types of cars. There are a multitude of different antique cars and the totality of antique cars includes exotic cars, military vehicles, motorcycles, tractors and trucks. As such, different antique car insurance policies will be needed to cover the various different makes and models of cars that are out there on the market. Keep in mind Car Insurance for an Antique Car policy take into consideration the equity value of the cars and vehicles.A person looking for insurance for their vehicle has Car Insurance for an Antique Car from which to choose, and sometimes information can be conflicting and difficult to understand. Contractual language in most insurance policies is difficult to understand without an interpreter and even then, the meanings of some language may seem to be contradicted in other areas of the contract.Self Governing Car Insurance for an Antique Car:There are many self-determining assurance companies available to buy car insurance for an antique car. While the basic premise of obtaining Car Insurance for an Antique Car is the same for all car insurance companies, how they sell the policies, price the coverage and react to customer claims is what separates them. Car Insurance for an Antique Car must be licensed to sell insurance in the state in which they do business and not all will be available in every state. Depending on an area’s history of claims due to theft, weather-related losses and driving reputation a company may decide not to do business in a particular part of a state. Although there is some regulation concerning a company’s ability to only service certain areas. These companies lean to focus in antique car insurance and will not cover any other types of cars.There are also many insurance companies presented to purchase car insurance for a classic car. These companies tend to specialize in Classic Car Insurance and will not insure any other types of cars. Some of these independent insurance companies will only insure a particular type of classic car, so if the car you are attempting to insure is a rare one, if may be difficult to find an insurance provider that will insure it. When choosing an independent insurance company to provide car insurance for a classic car, be sure that the company is a reputable one. You do not want to find that after months of paying the insurance premiums that the company will not or is unable to pay your insurance claim.

There is often disagreement between those who believe in wearing a motorcycle helmet and those that don’t. Commonsense would say it is hard to isolate one single argument from the no-helmet brigade that makes any sense. Research statistics further substantiate the case for wearing helmets, showing that huge numbers of motorcyclists escape death by wearing them.A very common motorcycle accident scenario is a rider being thrown off and landing on their head. For those wearing a good helmet, serious head injuries can usually be averted. An ejected rider might end up with a severe headache, but at least they are alive!

Even head injuries sustained at low impact can be fatal. A recent case was reported when a stationary motorcyclist was messing around in his driveway, lost his balance, fell off the bike and hit his head on the concrete driveway. He died from the injury a few days later. Because he was not going anywhere, he did not have his helmet on. The result was tragic and could easily have been averted.A helmet is certainly not an iron-clad guarantee that an accident or serious injury will be avoided—no safety device is. However, wearing a motorcycle helmet will certainly improve the odds of surviving a motorcycle accident.Motorcycle Safety Tip #2: Wear Brightly-colored, Protective Clothing Motorcyclists should always wear the appropriate gear for protection and be clearly visible to other motorists. Motorcycle accidents can be pretty horrendous. Bikers ejected from their motorcycle can skid along the bitumen, and without protective leather clothes or boots can forcibly embed rocks, glass and other objects into their flesh. This can have disastrous consequences in pain and suffering which could easily have been avoided.Motorcycle Safety Tip #3: Keep Awake And Stay SoberDrowsiness and fatigue can seriously impair a motorcyclist’s reflexes and ability to react. Bikers should avoid riding when very fatigued and take regular short breaks from driving. Alcohol and other drugs also seriously affect judgment and should be strictly avoided when riding a motorcycle.Motorcycle Safety Tip #4: Abide By Traffic LawsA substantial number of motorcycle riders involved in accidents are driving without licenses or are improperly licensed. Motorcyclists should ensure their licence is always up to date, and take care to obey the traffic laws. A regular refresh of road rules and local traffic laws is highly recommended, and most importantly …… don’t speed! Motorcycle Safety Tip #5: Bike Safety And PlanningMotorcyclists should perform a motorcycle safety inspection before each ride. Accidents often occur as a result of mechanical problems. Plan ahead when riding in a group. Determine your route in advance and make sure it is coordinated with the other riders. Motorcycle Safety Tip #6: Continuous Learning And ImprovementA large percentage of motorcyclists involved in accidents have had no driver training. Enrolling in a motorcycle training course is a good way of developing basic riding skills. Once the basic techniques are acquired, motorcyclists can sharpen their street-riding and accident-avoidance skills by taking an defensive driving course or advanced program for motorcyclists.Motorcyclists have a responsibility to protect themselves as far as they can. By learning motorcycle safety tips such as wearing a good helmet, eye protection, protective clothing, and good boots, bikers can be better equipped when riding. You know it makes sense!