It’s safe to say that it feels like winter is well and truly on its way. The clocks have changed, the weather is getting wetter and colder and the roads are getting grittier. It’s a perfect cocktail of car-eating conditions, which is why now is the perfect time to give your pride and joy a much-earned pre-winter check over. Though...
CAR TALK: Saving pennies isn't worth the safety risk DEAR CAR TALK: My wife thinks I should use the turn signals on my 2018 Ford Explorer Platinum every time I come to an intersection, even if there is no one else at the intersection. I say that if there’s no one else there, I shouldn’t use them, because there are...
Vital signs your car needs new brakes Have you ever wondered what makes your car stop when you hit on that brake pedal? It’s the friction of your tyres against the road. It slows down and stops your car. The brakes are what’s responsible for stopping the wheels from spinning. It’s the job of the brake pads and brake...
No, it’s not because you have The Harlem Shake stuck on repeat The Drive and its partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links. Read more. If you had any doubts, no, your car’s steering wheel shouldn’t feel like a display product for As Seen On TV’s “Shake Weight. Vibrations severe enough for you to notice...
90 COMPOUND This compound has been a favorite of race driving schools because of its modulation characteristics. Used exclusively at race schools such as Bob Bondurant, Derek Daly, and Jim Russell because of is forgiving nature. 90 Compounds is very easy on the discs, yet has higher cold bite than 83 compound along with less torque rise for improved modulation...
Choosing the correct brake pad starts with an honest assessment of the driver's typical driving conditions. For example, if the vehicle is driven 80 percent in highway and 20 percent sporty and zero percent on the track, then an Alcon "street" pad will likely offer the best combination of stopping performance, low dust and low noise. If the vehicle is...
Understanding your brake pad wear patters is important to diagnosing the general condition of your brake system. This guide can help you identify common issues. Inboard or Outboard side uneven wear One pad has significantly less friction material than the other pad. This happens when the caliper piston is not returning to the rest position due to a worn seal...
The typical situation: New pads are fitted to a new pair of brake discs. A week later there’s a vibration or “judder” when the brakes are applied. A call to a mechanically inclined friend and an online search offers the diagnosis—the brake rotors are warped. Feeling some shudder in the steering wheel when applying the brakes? Conventional wisdom says that...
Brake rotors are the large metal discs visible behind the wheels of a car. These spin along with the wheels so that when the brake pads clamp down on them, they stop the car. Brake discs have to withstand a tremendous amount of heat. Not only that, they have to dissipate that heat into the air as quickly as possible because...
Warped Rotors and Brake Vibration If you're wondering why your car shakes when you hit your brakes, you more than likely have one or more warped rotors behind your wheels. What Is a Rotor? A rotor is the round piece of steel pictured below that your brake pads grab hold of when you hit the brakes. Depending on your hubcaps...
