I’ve got a friend who likes to draw and apparently, he reads this blog and came up with an idea to have a joint venture in coming up with a comic strip of bad car shocks and struts scenarios (that could have been solved with proper Bilstein shocks or Tokico shocks). I’ll be posting what we will be able to come up with once a week. Here’s our first strip:
Dale Earhardt Jr., the son of the legendary NASCAR racer Dale Earhardt, has recently made a statement about the strategy he and his guys incorporated in his 2007 Chase for the Nextel Cup.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. gave this statement to MSN:
“We might have talked ourselves into making too much of a gamble there. We were a top-five car, but we’re here to win, so we made some pretty big changes on that (lap 156) pit stop. We figured if the race stayed green to the finish, we could make one more stop and take just two tires. That seemed like a great strategy. But, it meant we restarted way back in traffic and the car behaved like it was possessed. I’m kinda freaked out because I thought something was broke on the car. I just couldn’t drive it - it was so loose it was like I was wreckin’ every lap. I got pushed out of the groove eventually and that made it worse until I finally spun out. We changed some things back after that, and we were still fast but you can’t make up that much ground on a track like this when it’s so hard to pass. We dropped a lap behind at one stage after we spun, and we ran down and passed Bowyer under green flag conditions, so I feel like we had a car that was fast enough to finish in the top-three or top-five. I guess that’s the gamble you take when you’re trying to win…”
Around the time Dale Earnhardt Jr. reached lap 156, the team opted to have a lengthy pit stop and change all the tires including the front Chevrolet shocks. It just amazes me how changing the shocks could be as noteworthy as having the wheels changed. Not everyone looks at shocks that way. At Bilstein shocks, however, one can find a number of shocks to suit one’s vehicle.
A number of people prefer to have a car that grabs a lot of attention. This 1980 Corvette from
The funny thing is, at the time Mack met up with the original owner of the Corvette, he didn’t “see” the Corvette parked just across the street from him. In his words: One night, we were waiting for the owners of the car to meet us at a predetermined spot. After half an hour of waiting, they rang us and told us that they’d been sitting across the road, watching us for all that time. It was only then, with carefully trained eyes, that we saw the Corvette sitting directly across the street, blending in perfectly with the darkness.
Unlike other customized cars that are not really designed to be driven, this 1980 Corvette is actually made to be taken out for a ride. It has Koni shocks on each of its corners and an automatics 700-R4 race internals. Geared with reliable shocks like Koni’s—that can be availed of at Bilstein shocks—guarantees that this custom 1980 Corvette is sure to provide a good ride. It makes perfect sense to me. Road bumps will surely become invisible with this “invisible at night car.”
According to the research that was conducted by Frost & Sullivan, Tenneco Inc.’s
With the Automotive Technicians’ Choice Award under Tenneco’s belt,
To browse on the
BMW has already released its new line of BMW Performance parts that is said to enhance the handling, acceleration, as well as the braking performance of one’s BMW vehicle. These components are already available at BMW Centers in the
The BMW Performance parts will be made available for 3 Series Sedans, Sport Wagons, Z4 Roadster, and Coupes. Available BMW parts are BMW performance exhaust, BMW performance engine kit, BMW performance shift kit, BMW performance strut brace, BMW performance differential, BMW performance cross drilled rotors, BMW performance air take system, BMW performance wheel, as well as the BMW performance suspensions. The BMW performance suspension is especially developed for those who need reliable BMW shocks. The kit is geared with performance-calibrated struts, shocks, and springs. The components that take part in this kit provides for optimum performance with no trade-offs. For BMW shocks, one can search on at Bilstein shocks.
Instantly gaining the appeal of the general public, the Chevrolet Aveo is already earning a place on the world stage when it comes to sub-compact vehicles. In a recent test drive, Ron Augden from Jenner Chevrolet introduced the 2008 Aveo five-door as “a totally NOW kind of car that combines excellent fuel economy, a fine safety package, terrific price value and a long list of standard features.”
It is available as a sedan and a five-door hatchback. An Aveo sedan has a slightly longer body (4310 mm) and softer, smoother lines. The five-door Aveo’s straighter back and shorter length (3880 mm) is emphasized with fresh, clean lines for a new look. The two appear very European in design, are nicely proportioned and attractively presented.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has awarded the Aveo a five-star rating in frontal crash tests due in part to the Aveo’s steel safety cage construction and advanced front dual-stage airbags as well as front side-impact seat-mounted airbags keep driver and passengers safer. Aside from this, the Aveo can handle sharp turns even when running a bit too fast. This is because of it is equipped with MacPherson struts. The Chevrolet shocks also do a lot in keeping the ride a relatively pleasant one. More on the Chevrolet shocks can be read at the Bilstein shocks website.
The Acura suspension system is said to be one of the most thought of elements of automotive systems. It adds on to one’s riding comfort by serving as a virtual cushion that is capable of warding off the effects of vibration, particularly when one passes over road bumps, holes and even twists and turns. One component of the suspension system is the strut. Basically, struts are important in vehicles for they help a lot in keeping one’s vehicle aligned and easy to handle. Luxury carmakers like Acura especially need reliable struts and shocks. For this reason, it is not surprising that Acura shocks are one of the best shocks there is.
The people behind Acura designed the Acura shocks and struts to have the capacity to repel lengthy compression. The struts serve to keep the components separate by providing support on the outside. One can say that they perform the opposite function of a tie. Generally, struts act as passive braces to support the vehicle’s chassis or other active suspension components.
The Acura struts, on the average, are considered as ‘hybrid’ shock absorbers (which acts like a damper). It has the capacity to reinforce handling of vehicle loads. They are almost similar to a sliding pillar suspension. It is for this reason that an upper suspension arm is no longer needed. Ergo, with the Acura struts’ rugged design and mounting points near its middle for attachment of such loads, it is not surprising that many people using Acura vehicles get to enjoy a good ride. In order to avail of Acura shocks, one can look on the Bilstein shocks website.
Vehicle drivers almost always can’t tell for certain if their car needs shocks and struts replacement. This is because the ride and handling degrade slowly over several years. It is not surprising that it is the new passenger that gets to notice the “bumpy” ride. For this reason, many drivers seek the help of a mechanic in order to check on the condition of his or her shocks and struts. The main importance of having one’s shocks and struts checked is that it greatly contributes to having a smooth ride. To top it off, shocks and struts are also safety components of one’s vehicle.
A number of people have the notion that shocks and struts only affect one’s ride comfort. A good shocks and struts not only contribute to having a smooth ride but it also keeps one’s ride a safe one. Shocks and struts also serve to keep the tires firmly planted on the road. With reliable shocks and struts, the tires do not get to bounce up and “leave the road” whenever one runs over the bumps.
A concrete sign of worn-out shocks is unusual tire wear. If the tires are cupping or scalloping, say, they have high and low spots on the tread surface. Having this manifestation is often a sign of bad shocks. There’s also the standard shock test. One pushes down on one corner of the bumper and the car should come back up once and stop. It should not bounce. If it goes up and down for even a little bit, the shocks are worn out. For replacing one’s Hummer shocks, Ford shocks, Infiniti shocks, and Honda shocks among others, one can browse on the Bilstein shocks website to check on the best shocks and struts that will suit the needs of one’s vehicle.
Like all safety-critical vehicle components, KYB shocks and struts do wear out over the course of normal operation. The rate of wear and tear of one’s KYB shocks greatly depends on variables such as road and environmental conditions, one’s driving style and also, the load of the vehicle.
In general, one’s shocks and struts have a slow wear and tear rate. Hence, many motorists take it for granted. Many don’t realize the need to browse on the Bilstein shocks catalog once every year to have their shocks and struts replaced. Having a worn down shocks have its negative effects –one may suffer from reduced steering precision, stopping performance and vehicle stability. Aside from these, worn down shocks and struts could have a bad effect on:
Other symptoms of worn shocks and struts are the following:
In line with the drive of Monroe shocks to further be of service to car enthusiasts, the people in Monroe have come up with an event to promote better quality shocks and struts like those found in the Bilstein shocks website.
The people in Monroe believes that there is nothing better than having some car enthusiasts have a first-hand experience of a vehicle equipped with a good functioning Monroe shocks and struts. In fact, the people in Monroe believes that anyone who has driven a car or SUV with even just one dilapidated shock or strut would greatly feel the difference once they get to drive a vehicle with exceptionally reliable shocks. This is the goal of the Ride and Drive Program.
For those interested to have a feel of what a great no-no bump ride is, here’s what remains of the 
Monroe 2007 Ride & Drive Schedule:
September 6, 2007
September 11, 2007
September 13, 2007
September 18, 2007
September 20, 2007
September 25, 2007
