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Continental Introduces Analog High-Definition Camera Systems
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By Counterman
link hidden, please login to view link hidden, please login to view link hidden, please login to view announced the release of 181 new numbers for January/February 2025. The company said all units are in stock and ready to ship. The new parts include:
30 Complete Strut Assemblies 11 Shock Absorber Assembly Kits 3 Heavy Duty Shock Absorbers 72 Suspension Struts 40 Shock Absorbers 25 Lift Supports
link hidden, please login to viewsaid these new part numbers cover over 30 million vehicles currently on the road in the U.S. and Canada. They include models like the Audi A4, Chevrolet Cruze, Chevrolet Silverado, Dodge Charger, Ford Explorer, Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota Tacoma and more. The post
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By Counterman
Lucas Oil has announced the latest addition to its vehicle performance product lineup: Lucas Emissions Clear. The company said this fuel and exhaust system cleaner addresses the need for effective solutions to reduce vehicle emissions and improve catalytic converter performance, helping vehicle owners meet strict emissions regulations.
In a news release announcing the product, the company explained that Lucas Emissions Clear Fuel and Exhaust System Cleaner targets the entire fuel delivery system, removing harmful deposits that contribute to excessive exhaust emissions. By reducing particulate matter before it reaches the catalytic converter, the product helps extend its lifespan, optimizes combustion and improves emissions catalyst effectiveness. Formulated for easy integration into routine vehicle maintenance or pre-emissions testing, Lucas Emissions Clear is a one-tank treatment that provides emissions control, promotes cleaner air quality and is compatible with any gasoline engine, the company said.
“A cleaner engine means a more efficient, more reliable car, and Lucas Emissions Clear delivers exactly that for drivers,” said
link hidden, please login to view CEO Morgan Lucas. “We take pride in helping our customers save money on repairs and maintenance. Cleaner emissions not only contribute to a healthier environment, but also extend the lifespan of exhaust systems, providing long-term financial benefits for drivers and helping to meet more stringent regulations. With this product, we are making it easier and more affordable to maintain optimal performance and compliance with emissions standards.” Designed for environmentally conscious vehicle owners, fleet managers, automotive enthusiasts and drivers seeking improved fuel efficiency and performance, Lucas Oil said its Emissions Clear can cut harmful pollutants by up to 90% while delivering up to 5% improvement in fuel economy.
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By Counterman
Hunter Engineering has introduced a website that breaks down sophisticated ADAS procedures and terminology into easy-to-understand topics, as a means to help simplify the ever-complicating conversations around ADAS.
Available for free to access and use, Hunter’s interactive ADAS Learning Tool works on touchscreen tablets or desktop computers. Designed to assist counter workers or allow customers to explore on their own, the tool succinctly answers many of the why, when and how questions both shops and consumers have regarding ADAS calibrations,
link hidden, please login to view explained. “ADAS has received plenty of attention the past several years, but comparatively little of it deals with talking to actual vehicle owners,” said Tommy Maitz, Hunter director of marketing. “This learning tool will help shops have more informative and effective conversations with their customers about which systems are included on their cars, and the need for calibrations.”
The tool begins by separating ADAS procedures into four main categories – camera, radar, ultrasound, internal – and provides brief overviews and images for each type to aid with in-person discussions. From there, a user can examine the color-coded vehicle image to learn about the specific functions and locations of ADAS components, and when calibrations would be recommended or required.
Also included on the page are extensive lists of the names OEMs use for the ADAS systems across their models, color-coded to locations on the image. Although the names vary widely across the dozens of OEMs, the functions usually fall into one of the four main categories, Hunter said.
“While shops generally know much more about ADAS than their customers at this point, there’s still some confusion and uncertainty when they talk to them,” Maitz said. “This tool is a quick and easy way for everyone to understand the concepts and get on the same ADAS page.”
For more information, visit
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By Counterman
FCS announced the release of 116 new part numbers for December. The new coverage expands FCS’s offerings on complete strut assemblies, suspension struts, shock absorbers, lift supports, shock absorber assembly kits, shock absorber conversion kits and air spring to coil spring conversion kits.
The new numbers include:
1 Air Spring to Coil Spring Conversion Kit 2 Shock Absorber Conversion Kits 7 Shock Absorber Assembly Kits 8 Complete Strut Assemblies 3 Hydraulic Suspension Struts 2 Hydraulic Shock Absorbers 35 Shock Absorbers 57 Suspension Struts 1 Trunk Lid Lift Support
link hidden, please login to view said all the units are in stock and ready to ship. They cover applications such as the Chevrolet Equinox, Nissan Altima, Chrysler 300 and more. According to the company, the new numbers represent over 23 million vehicles on the U.S. and Canadian roads today.
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By Counterman
The standard automotive powertrain for the majority of the 20th century was the front engine, rear-wheel-drive (RWD) design. The rear axle assembly housed the differential and individual axles, and it is through this assembly that power was transferred to the wheels.
Even though both front-wheel-drive (FWD) and four-wheel-drive (4WD) cars were also designed and manufactured during the early years of the automobile, they didn’t flourish and the durability and simplicity of the typical RWD design made it the sole choice of automobile platforms for many manufacturers.
In a typical RWD vehicle, the power generated by the engine is transferred through the transmission to the driveshaft, differential and axles to the rear wheels. In a typical 4WD vehicle, a differential/axle assembly is located at the front of the vehicle, and to transfer power to the front, a transfer case is also installed after the transmission and a short driveshaft is installed between the transfer case and front axle.
You will also notice that the front differential/axle assembly is different in two ways. One, the differential location is offset for clearance since the engines were always mounted in the center and, two, since the front wheels must turn to steer the vehicle, the axles must have some type of articulating joint at the end, the most common of which is the traditional Universal Joint (U-Joint.)
The transfer case transfers the power that exits the transmission to either the rear wheels (RWD), or the front and rear wheels at the same time (4WD.) Another feature of a traditional transfer case is that it offers both high and low ranges in either RWD or 4WD positions, as well as a neutral position. This is so that if the vehicle must overcome particularly difficult terrain, it can be placed in the low range so the engine will operate at a higher RPM to provide additional torque to the wheels. The high range is 1:1, which means the output speed of the transfer case is the output speed of the transmission. The low range ratio varies depending on manufacturer.
An important aspect of all this is differential operation. The differential itself transfers the power from the driveshaft to the axles, and it is necessary because it allows power to be transferred to the wheels, but also allows them to travel at different speeds when turning a corner. A conventional differential is considered an “open” design. An operating characteristic of an open differential is that it transfers power to the wheel that spins the easiest.
As an example, if one wheel is on ice, that wheel will spin, resulting in minimal traction. The same affect is what causes a car under heavy acceleration to “burn rubber” with only one wheel. To combat this problem, there is another type of differential that is referred to as “limited slip.” There are many different names for this type of differential depending on the manufacturer, but their operation is the same.
A limited slip differential contains clutch packs built in between the side gears and the differential case. When one wheel begins to spin from loss of traction, the clutches will grab and transfer power to the other wheel. The same clutches will slip just enough to allow the wheel speeds to differ when going around a corner, so the normal differential action is still available.
The majority of cars and trucks on the road come standard with open differentials, due to the additional cost of limited slip. Limited slip differentials have always been an option, just not standard. So, on a four-wheel-drive vehicle equipped with open differentials, technically speaking, the maximum number of wheels that can put power to the ground at any given time is two…kind of funny on something known as a 4×4, but it’s still twice as much traction as RWD only, and for the most part it got the job done. Most people who were really going to be in some serious off-road situations would be sure they were equipped with limited-slip differentials.
4WD, as it was originally developed, was a rather primitive system that required input from the driver, from engaging to transfer case to engaging hubs on the front wheels in many cases. Technology was the eventual downfall of rudimentary 4WD systems as we know them, but the drive to utilize this technology came from the safety benefits of AWD.
The ability to transfer power to all four wheels has incomparable benefits for traction, vehicle stability and handling. Not only does this translate to the safety of daily driven vehicles, but it translates to performance, as well.
With the advancement of computer and electronic technology, antilock braking systems (ABS) and traction control systems (TCS) all of a sudden knew exactly what was happening at each wheel at all times. Was it losing traction, was it locking up under braking? All this data was now available, and engineers knew that the key to vehicle performance, safety and handling all together, was in the ability to precisely control what happened at each wheel at any given point in time.
Traditional differentials, even limited slip, were mechanical devices. There was no external control of how they operated. With electronics and computer control, the traditional differential became a technologically advanced unit containing not only gearsets, but clutch packs like those in an automatic transmission, and their own pumps to pressurize the fluid.
The same technology is present in both front and rear differentials, as well as center differentials/transfer cases. AWD systems have the ability to precisely control the amount of torque that is transferred to any given wheel at any point in time, providing absolute control of the vehicle.
In conclusion, 4WD is functional, durable, rough and tough, but not user friendly. AWD, the product of technology, computers and electronics, is technologically superior, and provides the safety feature we rely on in today’s vehicles.
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