How Vehicle Brakes Work

Inertia or momentum, as described by Newton’s Law of Motion, is the tendency of an object to remain in its current state and resist change. It is measured by an object’s mass when stationary, its mass and velocity when in motion. How do these laws of physics relate to the average commuter? It’s simple. Engineers use algebraic formulas relating to the Law of Motion to design braking systems that will arrest the forward momentum of a 4, 000 pound vehicle traveling at 88 feet per second. Therefore, you have a reasonable expectation that your car will stop when you step on the brake pedal.

Keep in mind, however, that brakes are a wearable item, meaning that certain components of the braking system will wear out before the rest of the car. These components are:

• Brake Rotors - Brake rotors are flat steel discs mounted vertically to the vehicle’s axel. They are approximately nine to ten inches in diameter and one inch thick on most domestic, passenger vehicles. Many rotors are designed with vanes sandwiched between two friction surfaces. This is to dissipate excess heat when the brakes are actuated. Each manufacturer publishes the minimum rotor thickness designed for a particular vehicle. When rotors wear to this minimum, they need to be replaced. Ask your service professional to measure the rotor thickness each time your brakes are inspected.

• Brake Pads - Brake pads consist of friction material on a steel backing plate. The pads are mounted to the stationary brake caliper. When the brakes are actuated, the stationary pads clamp both side of the spinning rotor. This causes friction which in turn produces thermal energy, or heat. The frictions of the pads on the spinning rotors cause the rotors to slow which in turn slow the vehicle’s wheels. This friction and heat cause microscopic particles to be lost on both pads and rotors each time the brakes are actuated. Pads should be replaced when 75% to 80% of the friction material is worn away.

• Brake Fluid - Brake fluid is a misnomer for hydraulic oil especially formulated to be used in certain types of hydraulic brake systems. Hydraulic brake components consist mostly of steel. Brake fluid is hygroscopic. This means that all water molecules have been removed in order to prevent internal corrosion of the brake parts. However, this causes brake fluid to attract moisture. Over time the brake fluid will become saturated with water. This is the primary reason to periodically replace the brake fluid. Check the owner’s manual for the replacement schedule or have your service professional check for moisture or rust scale in the fluid.

Your ability to commute safely day in and day out is literally riding on the condition of your car’s brakes. All highway systems and accompanying traffic laws are designed on the premise that vehicles can stop at certain points. Without this ability our roadways would be dangerously chaotic. Have your car’s brakes checked often. A good rule-of-thumb is to perform a visual brake inspection each time the tires are rotated, or every 5,000 miles.

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Torque Converters

If manual cars use clutch, automatic cars use torque converters. A torque converter is a fluid coupling mechanism that allows the engine to spin independently from the transmission. Torque means power in the automobile's dictionary. Torque converter then is literally a power converter.

There are four different torque converter parts: pump, turbine, stator, and transmission fluid. The transmission fluid provides the converter the high performance power to do its job for fluid coupling. The pump acts as a centrifuge. It works pretty much like a washing machine. As the pump spins, the transmission fluid is flung to the torque converter's outer part. As the transmission fluid is flung outside, a vacuum is created at the center which further draws more fluid toward it. The turbine, on the other hand, causes the fluid to change direction, which in turn also causes the turbine to spin. Now if the transmission fluid hits the pump, it would cause the engine to slow down, thus wasting energy. To prevent this, a typical torque converter has stator. It redirects the transmission fluid so it does not hit the torque converter pumps. The stator dramatically increases the efficiency of any torque converter.

Working together, these four torque converter parts ensure that the torque converter function well. There are five specific functions that converters do. It provides multiple torque or power generated by the engine. It works like a clutch that transmits engine torque. It absorbs vibration of the vehicle's engine, smooths out the engine's rotation, and drives oil out of the hydraulic control system.

Like the other parts of any vehicle, these torque converter parts are also prone to wear and tear. However big or small, any damage on them means the owner of the vehicle is in for some torque repair. Do not forget to check that everything is well lubricated so that the converters move smoothly. For instance, as what we have stated awhile ago, the turbine is an essential component of the transmission torque converter. It is what connects the input shaft when the torque converter is mounted to the transmission. Normally damage to this part ensues a replacement of the whole transmission torque converter.

Another common problem is stator clutch seizure. Stator clutch seizure happens when the blades of the stator become locked together preventing it from rotating during the coupling phase. This trouble is usually resolved through either complete torque rebuild or re-installation of your torque converter.

One of the minor but vital parts of converters is the torque converter clutch. It acts an electronic clutch that engages the engine and the powertrain or the part that generates power and delivers it to the road surface. The torque converter clutch is also known as a lock up converter. It slips and makes idle the car so it does not move. However, it never completely engages the way manual transmission car clutch can. Little slips cause inefficiency. Expect that manual transmission cars have higher performance level and better mileage than automatic ones.

Car Wheels - Keep Clean, Keep Safe

Do you have alloy car wheels installed in your car? Well if this is the case then you will have to be very careful with the maintenance of these wheels. You need to take proper care of your wheels as they are very important for proper running of your car. Here are certain important points that you need to remember for cleaning of the alloy car wheels.

Initially you will have to make sure that you pre rinse the wheels with the help of a fine shower. This will help in removing all dust particles and debris from it.

You will also find tar strains on some of the wheels which will also be cleaned with the special tar remover which is available in the market. Make sure that you perform this activity with a soft cloth preferably cotton.

After this you need to make sure that you buy a wheel cleaner which is easily available in the market. Get a bucket full of warm water and add the cleaner in it. Make sure that you use the cleaner only. Keep in mind to follow the steps mentioned in the manual of the cleaning solution.

You can also opt for sponge cleaning. By dipping a sponge in soapy water you can wash the car wheels very well. This will not only clean all the dust but will also make it shine. It is important for you to rub it in a very systematic way and gentle way too, so that there are no scars on the car. Do not forget to change the water after it becomes dirty or else instead of cleaning the car you might make it dirtier. In order to dry your wheels you can use chamois.

Last but not the least ay to clean the car wheels is by using the special alloy wheel wax available in the market. This is a special kind of wax that not only helps one to clean the car wheels but along with it also helps the wheels to shine and look smarter and richer. This wax is made in a way that it protects the car wheels from the dust particles and also the moisture to enter. This is why you will find most of the users prefer using wheel wax to keep it clean.

These are certain cleaning tips that you need to keep in your mind for the safety of your car wheels

Chuck and Eddies Auto Parts Online Video

Chuck and Eddie's Goes Mobile!

Chuck and Eddie's Auto Parts continues to be a major technology leader within the auto recycling industry.  We've just launched a mobile website with fully functional shopping capabilities.  This means customers can scan our entire inventory right from their smart phone and shop for parts from anywhere!   Log on to www.chuckandeddies.com from your smart phone and the mobile site will automatically be displayed.

Mechanics love our mobile site because they can order parts while they're in the process of diagnosing a vehicle in the garage.  Do-it-yourselfers also enjoy the convenience of buying online wherever they might be. 

To compliment our mobile website, we've also developed a mobile app for all IOS (Apple) and Andriod devices.  The app incorporates the same shopping feature as our mobile site, and also contains some other useful tools.  One big advantage of downloading our app is a great money saving feature.  We will "push" messages to your device about special offers available ONLY to those who have the ChuckandEddies.com Mobile App.  This, alone is reason enough to have our app on your device.

Our apps will be updated with new features as time goes on.  We've just finished our first upgrade which will allow customers to send photos of parts they need directly to our Parts Specialists.   This feature will be available only for IOS devices.  

We hope you will find these new tools useful.   Here at ChuckandEddies.com, we're working hard to make parts purchasing easy and cost effective.

Salvaging Makes Dollars and Sense

There are many situations to consider in which salvaging your vehicle makes sense or even dollars and cents:

1. It may have been in an accident and your insurance company is writing it off.

2. The cost to repair it far exceeds the value of the vehicle.

3. The trade in value is so low it does not merit the effort.

4. You can’t find a buyer or anyone to “take it off your hands”.

5. Trying to sell it on your own is not worth the hassle or trouble trying to find someone who can use it.

6. It may have been a long standing problem for you and you do not want to pass a “lemon” onto someone else.

7. It may have been sitting so long that it does not run and is simply taking up space in your garage or even worse in your yard becoming an eye sore for the neighborhood and an embarrassment to you.

8. It is in pieces from a project that you never seemed to get around to due to time needed, money required to fix it or experience on “how to get the job done”.

These are just some of the reasons why salvaging your vehicle may be your best solution. In the hands of experienced and licensed salvage yards your useless car or truck can become useful again. Whether it is being “parted out”, gotten ready for the “crusher” to potentially use the scrap metal again somehow your vehicle can be recycled and reused. With everyone going “green” it is becoming more and more important to recycle. Having a salvage yard take your junker or clunker for its still useable parts is a great way to get rid of your problem and create opportunities for others to get inspected used auto and truck parts saving our landfills a tremendous amount of space. Basically taking your lemon and making lemonade.

These credible Salvage Yards or Auto Recycling Centers are in the business of making the best use of your used up vehicle. Some of your old vehicles parts will find themselves in other vehicles in other towns or even far away states from where you live. Many recyclers ship parts all over the country and even to other countries. They inspect, test and in some cases even warranty the used auto or truck part. Many auto repair businesses would rather work with a reputable Salvage Yard or Auto Recycler since they know the high costs for “new” parts that come from the dealerships.

Auto recyclers are in the business of buying vehicles that are no longer operational or of use to their current owners. Many of these vehicles were in auto accidents and/or “totaled out” by the insurance company because to repair them would cost more than they are worth. In these situations, many of these vehicles still have parts that are in perfect working order. The Auto Recycler dismantles the vehicle and resells all of the good parts

Goodies from ChuckandEddies.com

You get more than just what you order when you make your parts purchases on the ChuckandEddies.com website. We always like to throw in a little something extra.

In the past, we've sent Chuck and Eddie's branded mints, pens, flashlights, tee shirts, and more.  One of the more popular giveaway items is our mouse pad. 

Our marketing team goes out of their way to find unique as well as useful items to surprise our customers with.   We try to change things up as much as possible so each time you order, you get a different surprise.  

If you've received something extra in your order, we'd like to know what you thought when you discovered the extra little something in your order box.   Comments from our valued customers help us to develop the best possibly buying experiences for our customers.