It is recommended not to back down when riding control

Which wheel balancer is right for your store?

Subaru wheel nut replacement is rusty

The updated ASE Renewal App provides the benefits of recertification

It is recommended not to back down when riding control

Which wheel balancer is right for your store?

Subaru wheel nut replacement is rusty

The updated ASE Renewal App provides the benefits of recertification

Sponsored by Bolt On Technology

Sponsored by Cloies Gear & Products, Inc.

Building customer loyalty: why oil changes are important

Building customer loyalty in any business is challenging. Getting customers back to the car repair shop is the most difficult task for car owners. If a store can crack this code, they will seize current and future repair and maintenance opportunities. The only inherent opportunity for each vehicle to increase customer loyalty is engine oil and functional fluid services.

In this one-hour webinar, our experts will discuss how they can establish oil change and vehicle maintenance plans to maintain customer return rates and help maintain healthy profit margins.

Speaker John Stotz, Senior Marketing Manager of Sheng Brand Lubricants. Andrew Markel, Content Director, ShopOwner

Sponsored by Bolt On Technology

Brake & Front End responds to emerging trends in the field of chassis repairs by providing application-specific technical information and solutions, thereby providing services to repair shops that perform a large number of chassis repairs. By subscribing, you will receive the ShopOwner digital magazine (12 times a year), which contains articles from Brake & Front End and Brake & Front End e-newsletters (twice a week). Today is ready for you to access digital editions, competitions, news and more!

Brake & Front End responds to emerging trends in the field of chassis repairs by providing application-specific technical information and solutions, thereby providing services to repair shops that perform a large number of chassis repairs. By subscribing, you will receive the ShopOwner digital magazine (12 times a year), which contains articles from Brake & Front End and Brake & Front End e-newsletters (twice a week). Today is ready for you to access digital editions, competitions, news and more!

It was Vange Proimos' experience as a technology and shop owner that provided a lot of information about his success as the CEO of AP Emissions.

Don't settle for "almost"-the location of the engine's manufacturing or remanufacturing is important. Sponsored by ACDelco.

GM gearboxes and transfer cases are unique to each vehicle. This video is sponsored by ACDelco.

Don't settle for "almost"-the location of the engine's manufacturing or remanufacturing is important. Sponsored by ACDelco.

Click here to view past questions.

Shock absorbers, struts and springs cannot operate independently.

When I panic, I "sweat". One of my worst situations is working at the front desk of a tire dealer. We just checked a Ford Taurus, the passenger side spring was broken, and the clock traveled about 75,000 miles. Customers complained of knocking noises and unstable steering when getting off the car in the morning. 

I talked with the client on the phone at 9:30 and got approval for the recommended job. The estimate I wrote is four pillars, two springs and the front upper pillar mount. I spent extra time searching for parts, finding labor time and calculating ex-factory prices. 

Then the customer said, "Is there a cheaper option?" Then the flop began to sweat. After he asked: "Can I just change the front line?", the situation got worse.

I quickly took out my calculator and rewrote the estimates of the front struts, springs, and upper bracket during the flight. After giving him the price, he asked if he made only one side, would it be half the price. My manager could see the sweat on my face and patted my shoulder. "Tell the customer that you will call him back within 10 minutes and give him an accurate estimate, because you need to talk to a technician."

He told me that the only way for this store to do this work is to do it the right way. He explained that if we only make the front pillar, it will make the vehicle unstable. Replacing just one pillar will make the car unsafe and unable to align. He said that if we do not do the front and rear pillars, customers will be dissatisfied. He may complain about steering to pull tomorrow, uneven tire wear a month later, or his inability to control the vehicle.

“If customers don’t buy something from us today, we won’t go bankrupt. But if they buy something unsafe, we might go bankrupt.”

In retrospect, I cared more about customers walking out of the store and not buying anything than getting the vehicle running in the right way and ensuring the safety of the vehicle. I am seeking recognition of my self, not recognition of sound restoration. 

Shock absorbers, struts and springs cannot operate independently. When driving in a straight line or turning, the condition of one corner of the suspension will affect all corners of the vehicle. At low speeds, it may not be so obvious, but it still happens. At higher speeds and turning forces, the inability to control the movement of the suspension and the body in one corner will change the contact surface of all corners. 

In a panic situation, an unbalanced suspension with worn ride control devices may change the contact surface, making the vehicle oversteer, understeer, or unable to stop.

The stability control system measures the effectiveness of its correction in real time. The effect of the correction depends on the contact area of ​​the tire. The factors that affect the health of this contact surface are the condition of the tire (structure, traction and even inflation) and the condition of the chassis components (such as pillars).

The computer does not assign a value to the state of the contact surface, and there are no parameters (PID) in the programming of most systems. The correction and effectiveness are measured by sensors in the high-speed feedback loop.

If the condition of the contact surface exceeds the set threshold, the stability control system will never set a fault light. However, as the condition of the chassis and tires deteriorates, the correction becomes less effective and more actions are required to control the vehicle.

These stability control sensors basically turn a blind eye to driving control and suspension conditions. The software and sensors cannot diagnose whether the struts have lost their inflation or whether the springs are weak. It only sees the data results from the sensors. For the algorithm in the software, it could be a block of ice or an overloaded car. But the reality is that it may be a worn out pillar and a spring that lacks coils.

Basically, if the suspension cannot meet the requirements, the correction of the system will take longer. This can result in longer parking distances, or in some cases the vehicle will park on the roof.

For example, the most basic stability and ABS correction is a panic stop on a straight line. When the driver steps on the brake pedal, the weight is transferred to the front tires, loading the front suspension and compressing the springs. The compression of the spring is directly affected by the impact or the condition of the strut. When the spring is compressed, the contact surface of the tire changes due to the weight and geometry of the suspension.

The rear suspension is more interesting. When the weight loads the front tire, the rear spring expands, making the contact area of ​​the rear tire smaller. If the shock absorber or strut cannot control the rebound of the spring, the extra weight will be transferred to the front, and the front will sink more.

Applied to the front desk of your store, this means you should never sell just one pillar, shock absorber or spring. In addition, you should be very careful to sell front or rear riding control units. This method may allow customers to go back on the road, but will not ride in a safe vehicle.

So, what did the client do to his Taurus? After calming down and wiping the sweat from my forehead, I explained why we recommended replacing all four pillars. He finally understood and decided to replace all four pillars and two front springs. 

Stick to your suggestion. By making cheaper repairs, you are not bringing any benefits to your customers.

Chassis: Single tube or double tube, which is the most suitable for the application?

Chassis: Spring replacement and engineering

Chassis: Ride Control Estimator

Chassis: Nissan electro-hydraulic steering