My Wife’s Auto Salon

The All Wheel Drive (AWD) system on a vehicle is rather useful when driving on pavement in foul weather conditions.  It has the ability to transfer power automatically.

 For instance if you were driving on slick roads and the front wheels start spinning then a portion of the power is transferred to the rear wheels automatically.  When this happens then your vehicle is now a 4 wheel drive.

This allows the vehicle to be more controllable on slick roads due to the fact that power is distributed more evenly throughout the drive train.

Although the AWD vehicle is useful on the pavement it’s not very useful off road.  Yes it is considered a 4 wheel drive when the wheels slip but it’s not a true 4 wheel drive.  4 wheel drives have a locking differential and a transfer case. 

These components allow the vehicle to stay in 4 wheel drive mechanically until the differential lock and transfer case are disengaged.

An AWD vehicle does not use these kinds of locking components.  An AWD vehicle uses a viscous coupling device.

The viscous coupling is basically a cylinder with a shaft, extending from either end. Inside, there are plates attached to each shaft so that they spin alongside each other independently. One axle and set of plates turn the same time as the front wheels, and the other axle and set of plates turn the same time as the back wheels.

There is a fluid inside that basically connects the plates.  As long as the plates are spinning at the same speed, the fluid stays thin, and the car remains in front-wheel drive.

The moment the front wheels start to slip, the connected shaft – and therefore, the plate that is attached to it inside the viscous coupling – starts to spin much more quickly than the other one, causing friction.

At that very moment, the fluid thickens, causing the first plate – the one connected to the front wheels – to drag the other one – the one connected to the rear wheels – along with it.

Along with the plate, the axle that goes out to the rear wheels is also being turned.  The viscous coupling allows the power from the engine to be transmitted to the rear wheels, as well as the front wheels, whenever the front wheels are slipping.

There are two factors that hinder the operation of the viscous coupling:

·         High torque:  The viscous coupling is basically useless at slow speeds and climbing hills where there is a lot higher torque ratio involved.

·         Heat:  When this fluid gets hot under constant use like in off road applications it loses its viscosity; in turn loses its friction capabilities.

I hope this helps you better understand your AWD vehicle and its true capabilities.  I don’t want you to go off road thinking you have a true 4 wheel drive vehicle because you don’t have a true 4 wheel drive vehicle.

Front wheel drive cars today use a component called a strut.  Struts are located on the front end of your vehicle.

Struts are not only shock absorbers but a combination of energy absorbing, steering and structural components packed into one unit.

The different components that make up the strut assemble are:

• Shock Absorber – The shock absorber absorbs the kinetic energy produced by the movement of the suspension.  It is also the serviceable part of the strut unit.
• Coil Spring – The coil spring serves two purposes.  One, it supports the weight of the vehicle and two; the spring movement keeps the vehicle stable in different road conditions.
• Strut Housing – The strut housing serves two purposes also.  Not only does it act as part of the suspension structure but also connects the upper strut bearing to the lower ball joint. This combination allows the whole unit to pivot when the vehicle is turning.
• Coil Spring Seats – The coil spring seats simply keep the top and bottom portion of the coil spring seated.

Your struts should be checked once a year by a certified auto technician. 

For you do-it-yourselfers; you will have to invest in special tools (strut compressing tool and other tools) to service your struts.  If you are not sure what you are doing then it may be a good idea to pass this job onto a certified technician.  If you have the tools and knowledge then go for it.

If your vehicle ever goes in for a wheel alignment; that would also be a good time to have the struts inspected or serviced.

There are signs your vehicle will show you when it may be time to service your struts:

• Bouncing – Excessive bouncing when the vehicle hits a bump
• Bottoming Out – The vehicle may even bottom out when it hits a bump
• Drifting/Swaying – Your vehicle may drift or sway to one side or another; or may even take a nose dive when you are braking.
• Cupping – Your tire may show cupping in the center.

If you have not already had your struts inspected or serviced; I suggest you have it done now or early fall before winter hits.  Irregular motion of the vehicle on icy roads is not a good combination.

Be safe and let the family know that they will be safe by having your struts thoroughly inspected.

For you do-it-yourselfers out there; Click Here to find all your suspension parts.

Ever go into a parts store or any store for that matter and you are not getting the attention you think you deserve?

 You have to chuckle because you have this big wad of money to spend and the employees never know it unless you flash it in front of their face.

It should never come to that.  If you are not getting the individual attention you need it’s time to look for a new store to spend your money.

This same concept applies when walking into a parts store but with a little twist added to it.

There is a certain attitude you have to have when walking into a parts store; let me explain.  For example, let’s say you’re broke down and you need a part to get you going again.

In other words, you have a problem; you know what you need to fix the problem.  The solution to get what you need to fix the problem is standing behind the counter.

Your friendly parts man just became part of your equation. Thus, he plays a part in the problem.  If you have a problem, make his problem and let him know that you need to fix this problem.

Parts men become a lot more attentive to your needs when you walk in their store and tell them exactly what you need and you needed it yesterday.

If you like to shop online and don’t want to deal with parts men then you have come to the right place.

Click Here to get great deals on all of your automotive parts.

If you are one of those automotive do-it-yourselfers then you probably own a torque wrench of some sort.  If you don’t own one it may be a good idea to purchase one.

 Torque wrenches definitely have their place in your toolbox.  Why, because they act as an insurance policy when working on different components.

 If you don’t know your own strength then you may run into that problem of over tightening and possibly stripping the threads of a bolt or bolt hole.  Worse yet; you can possibly twist a bolt off in the bolt hole.

 If you have a soft touch you may not get the bolts tight enough and they can work loose.

 Either way it’s going to create more work for you down the road.  I always dread having to drill out a busted off bolt, it can create a lot of problems if I don’t drill my hole directly into the center of the busted off bolt.

 By using a torque wrench we insure ourselves that the bolts or nuts are getting tightened to the proper specification.

 Torque wrenches measure torque in foot/ pounds.  There are smaller torque wrenches that measure torque in inch/ pounds.

 Foot/pounds are the most common measurement of torque and that’s the measurement you will encounter 95% of the time.

 The most common sizes of foot/pounds (ft/lbs) torque wrenches are 3/8” and 1/2” drive.

 3/8” drive torque wrenches range from 0-65 ft/lbs and the 1/2” drive range from 50-250 ft/lbs of torque.

 There are larger torque wrenches (3/4” and 1” drive) but you should never have to use anything larger than a 1/2” drive.

 Anytime you are repairing something that requires a torque value then it is important to follow the specified procedure, this way you do not risk voiding the manufactures warranty.

 To get your selection of torque wrenches, Click Here.

There are several differences between diesel engines and gasoline engines.  One of the most obvious differences is how they ignite the fuel.

Diesel engines use compression to ignite the air fuel mixture where as gasoline engines use spark plugs to ignite the air fuel mixture.

During the compression stroke on diesel engines, as the piston is coming up compressing the air it is creating an extremely amount of heat; much more than gasoline engines

This extreme heat ignites the fuel when the fuel injector injects the fuel right before Top Dead Center.

During the compression stroke on gasoline engines (carburetor equipped) the fuel is already mixed with the air during the intake stroke.  As the piston nears Top Dead Center the spark plug creates a spark and ignites the air fuel mixture.

Diesel engines are more efficient to run.  In the past diesel engines were loud but today they have become much quieter. 

Diesel engines are known for their ruggedness and reliability.  They have no spark plugs or wires thus cutting down on the maintenance.

To get your full line of diesel parts and accessories, Click Here.