Tag Archive for: Auto Maintenance

Car Care Tips: Shocks & Struts

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Advanced Auto Clinic Car Care Tips

Shocks & Struts

 

 

 STRUTS

Struts are a structural part of the suspension system and are mounted to the chassis of the vehicle on the top, and they come down through. They give us a place to mount the coil spring, and the spring is what maintains the height of the vehicle, so we have a plate in here for the spring.

Car Struts are used on the front end of nearly every front-wheel-drive vehicle. They are more than shock absorbers and with a different name. A strut integrates numerous different suspension parts into one compact assembly. This includes:

The Coil Spring
The Spring Seats
The Shock Absorbers
The Strut Bearing
The Steering Knuckle
The shock absorber portion of the strut is the most commonly serviced part of the strut assembly.

 

Struts perform two jobs: They provide a dampening function like shock absorbers, and they provide structural support for the vehicle suspension. That means struts deliver a bit more than shock absorbers.

 

SHOCKS

A shock absorber keeps the vehicle from bouncing. It limits the rapid movement of the wheel when it hits something , like a pot hole. A shock absorber is basically an oil pump placed between the frame of the car and the wheels.

Upper & Lower Mounts
The upper mount of the shock connects to the frame & the lower mount connects to the axle, near the wheel.

Twin-tube design: the upper mount is connected to a piston rod, which is connected to a piston, which in turn sits in a tube filled with hydraulic fluid. The inner tube is known as the pressure tube, and the outer tube is known as the reserve tube. The reserve tube stores excess hydraulic fluid.

When the car wheel encounters a bump in the road and causes the spring to coil and uncoil, the energy of the spring is transferred to the shock absorber through the upper mount, down through the piston rod and into the piston. Orifices perforate the piston and allow fluid to leak through as the piston moves up and down in the pressure tube. Because the orifices are relatively tiny, only a small amount of fluid, under great pressure, passes through. This slows down the piston, which in turn slows down the spring.

In modern shock absorbers the faster the suspension moves, the more resistance the shock absorber provides. This allows shocks to adjust to road conditions and to control all things such as bounce, sway, brake dive and acceleration squat.

When To Replace Your Shocks & Struts:

  • Noticeable fluid leak
  • Shocks, struts or mounts look dented or damaged
  • Tires show unusual wear patterns

 

Because shocks and struts have so much to do with the handling of a car, they can be considered critical safety features.

 

ShocksStrutsBuy4for3Right now at Advanced Auto Clinic you can buy four qualifying NAPA Shocks and Struts for the price of three! Plus, with your purchase, receive a $50 NAPA AutoCare Center Service Card to use on a future service or repair of $75 or more! If your shocks and struts are worn, it may be time to replace them, so schedule your inspection today!

Advanced Auto Clinic
1101 Ann St., Delavan, WI 
262-728-2944

 

Offer good September 1 through October 31, 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
http://www.pepboys.com/lp_monroe_shocks_struts_sept2012/
http://www.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_purpose_of_a_shock_absorber
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-suspension2.htm
http://news.carjunky.com/how_stuff_works/car_struts_what_are_they_abc169.shtml
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-suspension3.htm

Auto Maintenance Basics: Forced Induction

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Advanced Auto Clinic Auto Maintenance Basics: Forced Induction

 

Most Delavan motorists associate turbochargers and superchargers with hot rods and racing. However, the number of everyday cars and trucks coming to Darien from the factory with chargers is growing every year. Here’s why:

 

You need three elements for combustion: fuel, oxygen, and ignition (spark plug in gasoline engines and compression in diesels). Superchargers and turbochargers deal with the oxygen part of the formula. In the normally aspirated engines Delavan drivers are familiar with, air is just drawn in from the outside by vacuum pressure created as the engine runs. Turbochargers and superchargers compress the air that goes into the engine’s combustion chamber, forcing in more oxygen. This forced charge of air allows an engine to make more power than a similarly sized normally aspirated engine.

So today we have small 4-cylinder turbocharged engines on Delavan expressways making more power than a full-sized V8 did twenty years ago and getting far better MPG. And the power on charged six and eight cylinder engines is through the roof.

In addition to power and fuel economy, charged engines deliver essential benefits for Delavan motorists at higher altitudes. As the air thins with an increase in elevation, there is less oxygen available to burn in the engine resulting in a significant power loss. Charging forces more air and oxygen into the engine, preserving much of the power at altitude. Turbochargers use exhaust from the engine to spin an impeller that compresses the air sent to the engine. Because there is a short time between when you step on the accelerator and the time the exhaust pressure builds up enough to spin the turbo up to speed, there is a short lag in power. To combat this “turbo lagâ €, some automobile manufacturers use two turbos: a small one that quickly spins up when engine speed is low and a larger one for when the engine is running fast. Others use a variable vane technology in the impeller to accomplish the same thing.

Superchargers are driven by a belt connected to the engine’s crankshaft.

There is no lag because charging starts immediately (it doesn’t have to wait for exhaust pressure). Superchargers are less efficient for Delavan drivers because they require engine power to run the compressor whereas turbochargers are powered by an exhaust. In both types, the air heats up as it is compressed. In some engines it is necessary to cool the air before it goes into the engine. In those engines, the air passes through what is called an intercooler to bring its temperature down to the proper range. An intercooler is like a small radiator and may be cooled by air flow or by liquid coolant.

Delavan owners of superchargers and turbochargers should always use the fuel grade recommended by their vehicle manufacturer. This is important in charged engines because of the extra pressure as the fuel and air is compressed. Using fuel with too low of an octane rating could lead to premature detonation which can cause pricey damage.

Generally speaking, turbochargers and superchargers do not require regular maintenance. But they do wear like any other part in your vehicle and will eventually need repair or replacement. All of your vital regular vehicle maintenance should be done on schedule – things like oil changes and transmission service and so on. Talk with your knowledgeable Advanced Auto Clinic tech about any concerns you have and about the next services your vehicle needs.

 

Advanced Auto Clinic

1101 Ann Street, Delavan, WI 53115

At Advanced Auto Clinic in Delavan WI (53115) we install quality NAPA
replacement parts. Give us a call at 262.728.2944. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.