Some Basics About Body Mount Bushings

Most cars nowadays employ a unibody design. This means that the car body and frame are one thing. However, for models that from 1996 or older and almost all truck models you can find a different design. There you will see that the frame and the body are two separate things. In these model the frame holds the engine and suspennsion. The frame is connected to the body and provides it with support by utilizing rubber bushings. 

You can find anywhere from 6-12 bushings thorughout the car. These body mount bushings provide the car with a cushion to absorb the rigors of driving and engine vibrations. While they do have an insane lifetime they are still susceptible to damage. They do wear out with time. When it starts to wear out the car tarts to lose its allignment. Because of this the hood, trunk and other parts might become difficult to open or might even get stuck. 

Another thing you might notice is the fact that your car is dipping low on one side, this comes with body mount bushings being worn out. When that moment comes the only thing to do is to get a new body mount bushing kit. Then replace the old one with the new one.

Determining Body Mount Bushing Damage

There are several different ways damaged body mount bushings can cause damage to your car. Not all are noticeable. Some are hidden and some you can see if you know where to look. Knowing about these symptoms will help you replace the entire body mount bushing kit with a new one. 

So what are the symptoms? Well, let’s start with the noticeable ones. When your body mount bushings wear out your car can get misaligned. At that time you will see that you are having problems with opening the door. If you have to slam the door to latch or pull on it to open then there is a chance there is body mount bushing damage. 

Another problem that happens are fender and door gaps. When the bushings are damaged the body sags. This causes the body parts to move and be misaligned. So what happens is that you start to see that there is a big gap on the top fender where as the bottom one is extremely close to the door. You should be weary about the fender getting in touch with the door. This causes serious damage to the body and becomes a costly repair.  

The hard to spot symptoms are worse to be honest. When your body mount bushing fails it can cause the window seals to be opened. This lets in moisture and can cause a leak even. So what happens over time is that the incomming moisture and water starts to cause rust. The rust may start from the window frame. But this is not limited to the window at all. Your floow and internal structure of the cowl is at risk too. 

Even in the back of the car it can cause trunk, rear deck, and quarter panel damage. So make sure you do a regular body check and keep an eye on symptoms of body mount bushing failure in your car.

Car Headlights Explained

Headlights are one of the most important components in a car. Not only do they enhance beauty but also at the same time play a huge role in providing better visibility. Let us explain how they work and what their types are.

1. Halogen Bulbs

Halogen bulbs have long existed in the market. Might not be surprising to say that it is the most popular bulb type in the market. These bulbs or headlights perform similar to the bulbs found in households in the sense that they have a filament made of metal that lights up and shines brightly upon being heated with electrical current. Halogen bulbs are long lasting, cost-effective and easy to replace. One disadvantage of Halogen bulbs is that they produce yellow light. These lights will work well in foggy weather as white light bounces back in such conditions. Therefore, if it is a foggy day, you might want to turn on your halogen lights.

2. HID/Xenon Bulbs

HID or High Intensity Discharge bulbs have a totally different technology at hand. They perform very different to other bulbs in the market as it has a glass tube with Xenon gas trapped inside and the light is produced when electric power is passed through electrodes. HIDs used a ballast that happens to be an electronic circuit for controlling the electric current as well as the output. Even though they last longer than filament bulbs, HIDs hold a big disadvantage and that is they produce very bright blue light that irritates other motorists on the road.

3. LED Headlights

LED or light emitting diode, is in the game nowadays. It has rapidly gained the attention of everyone due to its numerous positive aspects and keeps on capturing consumer preferences. The first advantage is that LED bulbs last longer than other bulb types and consumer less power. These two reasons alone are enough to be used in headlights, taillights, fog light bulbs, and even indicators nowadays. LED headlights have a heat sink attached, which is basically a small fan that forces heat out to prevent damage.

4. DRL 

Daytime running lights come factory fitted in majority of cars nowadays. These are basically LEDs that remain turned on while the car is on. Since they are LEDs, they consume almost zero to none energy and are liked mostly by people due to their styles and designs. They also tend to increase the visibility of your car during daytime. 

5. Digital LED Headlights/Smart LEDs

Digital LED headlights are both expensive and intelligent. Therefore, they are only being offered on selected luxury cars such as Mercedes and BMW etc. These headlights are intelligent in the sense that they automatically by using sensors, increase or decrease light when driving on dark or visible roads. Depending on road conditions, they will automatically turn high beam on and off, if they detect an incoming driver. 

Conclusion Headlight technology has evolved to new heights with so many options even for indicators and fog light bulbs. With the amount of research and technology being done to come up with new inventions in this area, you will not be surprised if something totally out of this world pops up.

Tips to Repair Your Car Bumper Guard

Currently, new cars are coming with plastic-made bumpers that are rigid and lightweight. But, you might be forgotten that once upon a time steel-mad bumpers were very popular. Its true plastic is not much more protective in a collision. 

But, don’t forget one thing that only plastic-made bumpers can provide a visual purpose above everything else. A car bumper guard that has made with plastic is flexible in design. The material is not just lighter, it also easy to repair and take care. 

When you need to repair your car bumper, you can do it yourself. But, if you don’t know the steps, you can’t do it anyway. Some simple steps will make your job done. Let’s know them below: 

First Step– Force The Dent Out

Go to the opposite side of the dent and try to force out it with your empty hands. You can take out some dents this way. But, avoid keeping extra force on it and provide it a bit nudge. Thus you can remove the dents of the mirror using just your empty hand. 

If it doesn’t work, use a hot air gun or hairdryer and set it directly on the denting surface. But, don’t forget to keep enough distance between the plastic surface and the hairdryer. You need just about five minutes to take out dents this way to dispose of this nasty item. 

Use a towel made of terry cloth or a petite wooden block so that you can push out the dent when the surface is heated enough. Be careful when you do it. See the bumper from different angles if it has additional dents. 

Second Step– Hot Water Technique

You can effectively take out them if you have minor dents on your car bumper. By removing the plastic bumper from its body, drop a smaller amount of warm water to the inner part of your car bumper. Move around the bumper to its all sides to pour warm water all over its surface. 

Push out the dents using a terry cloth keeping it on a table. Go with the messaging motion when you do this process. Also, use the same process if you find there wax that you like to remove from its surface. One caution you should take while doing it that use gloves when going through this process. 

It’s because you’re working with hot water that may cause burn if it drops on your skin. Also, avoid pouring warm water to any decorated surface directly. After removing and cooling the bumper, check from different angles for the additional dents. 

Third Step– Dry Ice Technique 

You need a hairdryer, hand gloves, dry ice, and an aluminum foil. First, heat the damaged part of the bumper by a hairdryer. Then, wear safety gloves and take a piece of dry ice. Keep it on the top of the dented part. 

You can insulate the part of the bumper using a piece of aluminum foil. It’ll take the bumper at its original shape within a few minutes.

Tips On Buying Auto Parts Online

The internet has become an integral part of our lives. Online shopping has opened up a whole new ecosystem in commerce. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that you can buy auto parts online. With online shopping, the whole country is your local auto parts shop. Shipping isn’t a problem nor is quality if you are careful enough. From the front to the rear of a car you can buy anything.

From bumper protectors to engines to even whole cars, there are no limits nowadays. You can source genuine auto parts on a cheap from online stores. Finding a replacement for your car’s parts has never been easier. Here are some tips on how to buy auto parts online that will help you in your quest for parts replacement.

Know Your Auto Part

So you have to replace something in your car. You know where it is but not what it is or what it does. You don’t even know it’s part number. So what do you do? How do you find the right auto part? Well, first you can check the owner’ manual. If you cannot find the number, then you can check on the manufacturer’s store.

They will have the information you require. You can also research on eBay. In recent years eBay has become a hotbed for anything automotive related. There are other places where you can check out the model number and related information. As long as you know the car brand model and the year your car is from you can find out any car part information.

Knowing What Type of Car Part to Get

So there are a few types of car parts in the industry. You can get genuine auto parts which are also known as OEMs. There are other car parts that are not from the original manufacturer those are called aftermarket parts. You need to decide which type of part you want before going into the market.

You may want to buy genuine auto parts because of the guarantees they provide. These parts come with warranties and have been approved by the car manufacturer. Consult your mechanic about the choices you have. An expert will be able to point you in the right direction.

Finding The Right Store

Whenever you search for auto parts in the search engine you will see thousands of sites popping up. All of them will be saying that they have the best parts. It is your job to search through the sales pitch and find the right auto parts shop for you. Things to look for in a shop would be to see their inventory first.

Then you should look into their customer service. A good customer service structure indicates that the store is good. You should also look at reviews and ask the community about the car parts shop’s reputation. The community will be able to give a good idea about the business. You can be tempted to go to sites like craigslist but I would advise against it.

This is because craigslist is not dedicated to the automotive industry. So there is a chance of you getting the wrong parts. Also, the return policy isn’t that good. You should always choose a shop that has good return policies.

Shipping and Payment

You should check the shipping option for the site. Shipping should not cost you a lot of money also there are car parts stores that offer free shipping. Also remember to choose a site that offers order tracking. This is important because this way you can know where the order is and when it will be delivered.

On top of these things make sure you choose a site that offers a safe and easy payment method. You need to make sure you have a good site that offers protects your information. Additionally, you can sign up for PayPal. This will allow you to protect your information while being able to make payments for your order.

The Final Step

If you have determined all the factors have been met, then you can order your auto part for replacement. Make sure you take all the right steps. This will ensure that you don’t suffer in the long run. Being efficient with the utmost comfort is the ultimate goal, so make sure you utilize it.

6 Best Aftermarket Fog Lights for Your Car in 2019

One of the easiest ways to improve your car’s exterior is to install fog lights. Whether you do it for aesthetics or for safety there is no denying that the fog lights are essential to your car. Driving at night requires good lighting, especially in remote areas. Cars nowadays come with good lighting but adding aftermarket fog lights can vastly increase visibility, especially during fogs and heavy snow. These days you can find a host of different fog light kits for cars and trucks. Here are some of the best the market has to offer.

Astra Depot 55 Watt Projector Fog Lights

Made with proper glass lenses these fog lights are a good choice for anyone who has limited mounting space options in their car. These lenses due to their glass lenses are less susceptible to damage. Rocks and debris effect it much less than many other fog lights.

JW Speaker LED Fog Lights

These were initially planned as upgrades to ’07 to ’13 Jeep Wranglers. If you want a fantastic pair of fog lights, then these are for you. Although a bit pricey these are one of the finest fog lights available on the market. These are elegant and classy along with being of the highest quality. The ease of installation for these is pretty easy. These fog lights have 1080 lumens, this means those dimly lit dark and foggy backwoods adventures are completely lit up.

Rigid Industries D-Series Dually 20-Degree Flood Lights

Staying on the rugged side of things, rigid industries brings you one of the toughest most durable fog lights on the market. The Rigid Industries D-Series Dually 20-Degree Flood Lights are strong enough to withstand a direct blunt force. With rigorous testing methods for their lights, you can rest assured that these lights will last you a long time and be able to function in rough driving conditions with ease.

Spec-D Fog Lights with Color-Changing Halo Ring

These are perfectly good fog lights with an aesthetic appeal. If your decision on getting the fog lights are not entirely based on functionality. If you are considering aesthetics, then these are the lights for you. The Spec-D isn’t any regular fog light. It has a surrounding ring that can give off seven different colors. You can set it according to your mood or your car’s color.

Rugged Ridge 3-Inch Square LED Fog Lights

These are quite famous. These Rugged Ridge lights are extremely durable and will serve you a long time. Although more of a driving light than fog lights these lights provide amazing luminosity and is guaranteed to illuminate your way.

Blazer Baja Light Kit

These are not the brightest on the list but not bad either. These fog lights are on the cheaper side and is a great way to upgrade your car’s fog lights. If you are on a budget and want better lighting, then this is the one for you. Minor lighting upgrades will be seen once you go through with the fog light installation.

Choose Right One

So there you go, my choice for the 6 best aftermarket fog lights in the market. These lights were chosen after careful research but these are not the only good choices available. Make sure you know what your needs are and conduct your own research to find what suits you best. Installing the right fog lights is imperative and ensuring the fog light bulbs are up to your standards.