If you’ve ever owned a car, there is probably no question you’ve had car troubles. Its frustrating, time consuming and expensive. Often when you call the stealership with questions they offer no advice and their prompt reply is “bring it in”, translation = “Give us money”.
This blog is about automotive mechanical problems, possible fixes, general maintenance tips and defects found with vehicles, both imports and domestic. I’ll be posting weekly and will be following readers comments and questions so feel free to reply and I will get back with you.
To give a little background: I’ve been mechanically inclined my whole life, I currently build street rods from the ground up (Weekend hobby), I’ve repaired a variety of vehicles with problems ranging from a defective headlight relay to pulling a blown engine, general car maintenance, repaired body damage from auto accidents, during college I even did maintenance and small repairs for a local motorcycle shop. I also have experience in Mig welding, vehicle wiring diagrams, and body work - fixing rust spots, damaged areas, wet sanding.
I’m by no means an authority on the mechanics of automobiles but I grasp technical concepts well and am familiar with almost all aspects of a vehicle’s general makeup, i.e. all cars are generally made of the same parts to make them run but manufactures like to be considered different from competitors. One obvious example is Chevy, Toyota and Ford pick ups using a torsion bar system for the front suspension, whereas Dodge uses the tried and true coil over. You can find arguments favoring either as the better system but it’s probably more about preference and what your plans are for the vehicle - whether you plan on adding a lift, dropping it, or leaving the suspension stock.
Dodge Ram coil over
Chevy Silverado Torsion Bar System