AUTONET TV

Straight Ahead (Wheel Alignment)

If every road was straight and smooth, we wouldn't have to worry much about wheel alignment. But they're not, so we do.  Hitting potholes or driving on rough pavement can knock your vehicle out of alignment and you'll notice it in one of several ways.

Your steering wheel may not be centered when you're driving straight ahead, or your vehicle may pull to one side.  You may find your tires wearing on one side or they may squeal.  All are signs that could point to you needing an alignment.

Your wheels should be perpendicular to the road and parallel with each other.  If not, your tires will wear out faster and your vehicle won't go straight on a level straightaway.

In alignment, there are several factors that must be checked.  One is camber.  Your wheels should be straight up and down if you look at them from the front. If not, you'll wear your tires unevenly on one side.

Another factor is caster, the angle of the steering pivot.  Most vehicles have what's called positive caster, when the top of the steering pivot leans toward the rear.  Proper caster balances steering effort, stability on the highway and cornering.

You may have heard the term "toe" in reference to your wheels.  If you looked at your front wheels from straight above, for example, imagine your wheels were your feet.  If you were to turn your toes in toward each other, that would be toeing in.  The toe of your vehicle should be set to manufacturer's specifications so your vehicle handles well and doesn't prematurely wear out tires.

It's a good idea to have your alignment checked periodically since it can get knocked out by one hard knock or a lot of little knocks.  It's not just about tire wear, it's about ride comfort and safe handling. You may say a vehicle aligned just feels divine.

KPS Princeton Garage
3860 NJ-27
Princeton, NJ 08540
732-297-9515

Below 45 Degrees in Princeton: Consider Winter Tires

Remember snow tires? They were basically just regular tires with big, knobby lugs to get them through deep snow. They were loud and rode hard, and Princeton drivers couldn't wait to get them off the car. Then along came television advertisements for “all-season” radials. NJ drivers ran out and bought some and we thought we were done with snow tires forever.

Tires have come a long way since then. Modern winter tires sold in the Princeton area are much better designed for the wide range of conditions that come with NJ winter weather. They are made with a rubber compound that helps them stay flexible in cold weather. Regular tires become hard and stiff at Princeton temperatures below 45°F (7° C) which reduces their traction. That's a concern in winter, especially with snowy or wet conditions. But it also means that Princeton drivers are better off with winter tires in cold weather even when it's dry.

The tread design on winter tires has been improved to move snow, slush and water. The lugs and grooves throw packed snow out of the tread as the tire rotates. This means the tread is open and ready to move more snow when it rolls around again. Summer tires can pack up with snow, which makes them more dangerous than a bald tire.

The all-season tire that is popular among Princeton drivers is a compromise between summer and winter performance. This means they give adequate performance for Princeton drivers in either season but aren't great in either. Summer tires give great performance in hot weather but lousy performance in winter. Princeton drivers need to put more thought into their tire choices these days.

If you want the performance that new winter tires can give you, you should have them properly installed by your friendly and professional service advisor at KPS Princeton Garage. It's best to purchase four snow tires and put them on all the wheels of your vehicle. But if you only want two, you need to put them on the rear of your vehicle, even if you drive a front-wheel drive vehicle. Princeton drivers always want to put the tires with the best traction on the rear of the vehicle.

For more auto advice about tires for any NJ season, ask your friendly and knowledgeable KPS Princeton Garage tire professional. They can help you find the right tire for your area and for your driving needs. For the best performance from your tires, whatever the season, don't forget preventive maintenance. Keep your tires up to pressure for the best durability, safety and performance, but don't overinflate them. Remember, good car care provides the safest road for all of us in Princeton.

KPS Princeton Garage
3860 NJ-27
Princeton, NJ 08540
732-297-9515

Keeping Yourself in Suspension (Control Arm Assembly Replacement)

When you are pointing your vehicle straight down the street, it should go straight.  That’s pretty straightforward, right? Sometimes, though, you may notice you have to keep adjusting the steering wheel to keep going straight.  While that could be caused by many different issues, one possibility is that you have a failing or bent control arm.

Another sign is that when you brake, your vehicle pulls to one side or the other.  Sometimes your suspension may sound noisy, especially when you’re traveling on rough surfaces.  A damaged control arm may also make it almost impossible for you to get a good wheel alignment. 

The control arms are part of your suspension, and some vehicles have upper control arms and lower control arms.  Not all have the same number of control arms, but one thing is important: If you have worn bushings on your control arms or a worn-out ball joint, the control arm on the other side should also be replaced.  The rubber bushings are susceptible to damage from age and exposure to the elements, and ball joints usually shouldn’t be replaced separately. 

Any time you have a suspension issue, it’s important that a technician inspects the other parts of your suspension as well.  If one part of it is showing its age, it’s not unusual for other components to show similar wear.  

One other thing.  If you’ve had one of your control arms bent or damaged in an accident, you must have it replaced.  Your suspension is an important part of your vehicle’s safety and handling, so you should keep it in good operating condition.  After all, your life is riding on it, literally.   

KPS Princeton Garage
3860 NJ-27
Princeton, NJ 08540
732-297-9515

Change Your Wiper Blades Twice Yearly at KPS Princeton Garage

Because 90% of our driving decisions are based on visual information, unobscured vision is paramount. Which brings us to the topic of today's KPS Princeton Garage article: wiper blades. While this isn't the most exciting automotive subject, it's important. You wouldn't drive at night in Princeton with your headlights off, but a dirty or streaked vehicle windshield can catch the glare of the sun or on-coming headlights and make it just as difficult to see.

Most of us in Princeton replace our wiper blades when they no longer do the job. They are so worn, hard or brittle that they can't clean the windshield. They may even be falling apart. In other words, we deal with our wiper blades from a failure perspective. We address them when they no longer function. The theory, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," doesn't apply here. Instead, we should think about wipers blades as an important safety system that we should maintain rather than repair.

NJ automotive experts recommend that we change our wiper blades twice a year, in the spring and fall. That way you have functional blades for those Princeton spring showers and winter storms.

When we use our wipers a lot, they get worn from the Princeton road grime and bug juice. Even if we don't use them very often, they're exposed to the sun, heat and cold, and air which cause them to dry out, become brittle and break.

And of course, you need a good windshield washer fluid in your vehicle to help the wipers do their job. Always use washer fluid because plain water doesn't work as well and it can freeze in the reservoir. If you're driving where there are a lot of bugs in NJ, you can pay a little more and get fluid that does a better job of clearing them. If you live where you have extremely cold winters, you can get fluid that resists freezing.

Like everything else in the automotive world, there've been some big advancements in wiper blades, both in terms of the design and the materials from which the blade is made. If you are a local Princeton driver that has a need for better than average windshield wipers, you can pay some more for an upgraded wiper. And if you live where there's a lot of snow and ice in NJ, they make special winter blades that don't clog up and freeze like standard blades.

At one of your fall and spring oil changes, ask your KPS Princeton Garage service advisor which is best wiper blade for your driving conditions. Replace your blades on schedule so you never have to struggle with your vision when you switch on your wipers.

KPS Princeton Garage
3860 NJ-27
Princeton, NJ 08540
732-297-9515