If you’re an avid off-roader, you know the value of good ground clearance; putting a little extra space between your vehicle and the road can mean the difference between a successful excursion and one that ends in frustration. Coil spring spacers can add between 10 and 12 mm of ground clearance, while a set of […]
9 Moto-Must Haves for This Holiday Season
Are you shopping for a motorcycle enthusiast this holiday season but are stumped on what to get them? Maybe you considered getting them parts or gear, but you had no idea where to start? Motorcycles are very personal, and so is riding gear, so it can get a little hard to figure out exactly what […]
Fuel Economics 101: Why Do Older Cars Lose Efficiency?
While horsepower and torque are certainly important, fuel efficiency tends to be the most critical metric for the average driver. Having plenty of power is always nice, but on a day-to-day basis, your vehicle’s fuel economy will be a far more relevant statistic. If you’re shopping for a new or pre-owned vehicle, fuel economy can […]
What Can You Fix on Your Own, and When Do You Need a Pro?
Few things are quite as satisfying as working on your own vehicle, either making repairs or simply keeping up with maintenance to ensure it runs as well as possible. There are plenty of relatively simple tasks and repairs that just about anyone can do at home with minimal investment in tools or supplies, but there […]
Modding Your Way To Better Fuel Efficiency
Driven by technological innovation and tightening efficiency standards, fuel economy has been on a steady rise for decades. In 1970, the average vehicle posted a lowly 12 MPG, which rose to almost 17 MPG by 2000. The last twenty years have seen even more impressive growth, with an average MPG of 25.4 in 2020—an increase […]
Cast Versus Forged Wheels: Which One Is Right for You
Wheels come in all shapes and sizes, from run-of-the-mill designs straight from the factory to custom styles that can turn a vehicle into a one-of-a-kind work of automotive art. While style is certainly important, so is construction, which is why all drivers should familiarize themselves with the different types of wheels on offer. Wheels are […]
What Accessories and Parts Do You Need for Your Chevy?
So you’ve just driven away from your local Chevrolet dealer in a shiny new (or used) vehicle, and you’re happy with everything your car has to offer. You want for nothing, right? If you’re anything like me, even when you’ve found the vehicle you’re looking for and got the bells and whistles you wanted, there’s […]
Shopping for the Holidays? Here Are the Best Car Tools to Buy
If you are looking for the perfect holiday present for the gearhead in your life (or are looking for ideas to treat yourself for the holidays), then you might not know where to start. After all, there are a ton of options to choose from. While car parts are intensely personal, high-quality tools for the […]
Battery Trouble? How to Test Motorcycle Voltage Regulators/Rectifiers
The motorcycle world is full of its own jargon, which can easily lead to some confusion when it comes time for repairs or maintenance work. A bike’s electrical system is a great example. While cars, trucks, and SUVs charge their batteries through an alternator, motorcycles work a little bit differently. Instead of a traditional alternator, […]
EV Batteries 101: Understanding Electric Power
Electric vehicles aren’t a modern invention, with the first electric vehicle (EV) developed over a century ago. However, it hasn’t been until recently that electric vehicles have finally proven themselves as a viable alternative to gas-powered cars reliant on internal combustion engines. Today, the burgeoning market has popularized the search for EVs for sale across […]
No Fuss, No Muss, No Dust: Cleaning Your Car’s Air Filters
There are a number of essential aspects to automotive maintenance, and one that often can be overlooked is your car’s air filters. The integrity of your filters is paramount for several reasons, and you have far more of them than you may realize. Knowing what each one does is critical to the well-being and performance […]
Unpacking the Basics of Crate Engines
If you’ve been around automotive magazines, blogs, and vlogs long enough, you’ve heard about crate engines. But if you’re like me and haven’t spent a lot of time in a garage, you might have questions about what that term means. In my case, the pronoun “Krait” has been subconsciously associated with a spaceship marque in […]
PowerStop Versus DFC: Who’s the Aftermarket Brake Boss?
The stock brake pads that come on most vehicles are thoroughly tested to ensure reliable, consistent stopping power. They’re often relatively quiet, produce little dust, and are designed to make the braking process feel as smooth as possible. These are all great qualities when it comes to a daily driver, but once you start adding […]
No Flow? Your Oil Pressure Might Be Low (Or High)
Today’s gas-powered vehicles are a marvel of modern engineering, with hundreds of parts working in perfect harmony to push your car, truck, or SUV forward. With so many components—many of them metal—operating in such close proximity, lubrication is key to reducing the friction between these parts, aiding in performance, and keeping your engine from tearing […]
When Good Wiper Blades Go Bad
When the rain or snow starts falling, you want a clear sightline to assess the road and driving conditions ahead of you—so if your wipers quit working, it’s crucial that you replace them immediately to ensure your and other drivers’ safety. It seems like a simple job anyone can do, but many drivers tend to […]
Popping the Hood on Hybrid Vehicles
From traditional hybrids and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models to a new generation of all-electric vehicles (EVs), parsing the differences between different types of alternative-fuel vehicles can be challenging for even the most experienced driver. Things aren’t made any easier by the fact that automakers have fallen into the habit of producing hybrids and PHEVs that […]
It’s That Time Again: Get Your Car Ready for Winter
The days are getting shorter, the air is getting colder, and the hordes of insects that plagued us all summer have made a retreat. All of this can only mean one thing: winter is right around the corner. Before you start hearing holiday tunes everywhere you go or begin having stressful dreams about family dinners […]
5 Key Tips for Replacing Your Headlights
Your vehicle’s headlights are one of those things that are easy to take for granted—something that you might not miss until they’re gone. But once they’re gone, believe me, you’ll miss them. The last thing you want is to be driving at night and find yourself suddenly steering in pitch darkness. At best, you’ll find […]
Dipping Your Feet Into the World of Water Fording
Sometimes, the road less traveled is not a road at all. Off-roaders are accustomed to facing all sorts of obstacles while they are out on the trail, from downed trees and thick underbrush to rocks, sand, and mud, but what is a driver to do when the going gets wet? Learning how to ford a […]
What to Know When Customizing Your Wheels
Your wheels are some of the most important parts of your vehicle, but that doesn’t mean you can’t also use them to express yourself. The wheels put on your car by the factory work just fine, of course, but there are numerous reasons you might want to customize your wheels or swap them out for […]
Flood, Sweat and Tears: Dealing With a Water-Damaged Vehicle
As extreme weather events become more common, so does the prevalence of water and flood-damaged vehicles. According to a survey from Carfax, more than 400,000 flood-damaged vehicles were on the road in 2022. That’s a six percent increase from the previous year, and the trend won’t slow down anytime soon. 100-year floods are so extreme […]