How Much is Too Much Weight?

Whenever balancing a tire, it is wise to use as little amount of weight as possible. For most standard size passenger vehicle tires, most experts recommend that no more than 5.5 ounces of total weight be added to correct an imbalance condition. If more than 5.5 ounces total or more than 3 ounces on either side is needed, remove the tire from the wheel (rim) and carefully inspect for damage to the tire or the wheel. If the tire still requires more than 5.5 ounces and the wheel is not bent or damaged, replace the tire.

A “dry park” test to determine the condition of the steering components and joints should be performed with the vehicle ______________.

a. On level ground

b. On turn plates that allow the front wheels to move

c. On a frame contact lift with the wheels off the ground

d. Lifted off the ground about 2 inches (5 cm)



Answer/Explanation

The correct answer is a. The vehicle must be on level ground when conducting a dry park test; with the vehicle weight on the front wheels, resistance is applied to the steering linkage. Answers b, c, and d are not correct because these methods will allow the front wheels to move and not apply a load on the steering linkage

Keep the Doors Closed, but the Window Down

An experienced alignment technician became upset when a beginning technician opened the driver’s door to lock the steering wheel in a straight-ahead position on the vehicle being aligned. The weight of the open door caused the vehicle to sag. This disturbed the level position of the vehicle and changed all the alignment angles. The beginning technician learned an important lesson that day: Keep the window down on the driver’s door so that the steering wheel and brakes can be locked without disturbing the vehicle weight balance by opening a door. The brake pedal must be locked with a pedal depressor to prevent the wheels from rolling as the wheels are turned during a caster sweep. The steering must be locked in the straight ahead position when adjusting toe.

Strange Leakage

The owner of a small business drove the company pickup truck into the shop to get it ready to load for the day’s delivery. The business owner noticed that “something” was leaking from underneath the rear of the truck. Not sure what it was, the owner called a local automotive repair shop and asked for help. The shop sent a technician to look at the truck. The service technician noticed that one of the rear shock absorbers had leaked all the hydraulic fluid out of the bottom of the shock.  Obviously, both rear shock absorbers would require replacement because shocks should always be replaced in pairs. The service technician recommended that all four (both front and both rear) shocks be replaced to restore proper handling. Knowing that the front shock absorbers were operating under the same conditions as the rear and were the same age, the truck owner approved the replacement of all four shock absorbers.

Summary:

·     Concern—A liquid was found leaking from underneath a truck.

·     Cause—Hydraulic fluid had leaked from a rusty shock absorber.

·     Correction—Based on the owner’s approval, all four shocks were replaced.

From the June Wheels section of the Dayton Daily News.

Wheels:

R J asks by email:

“The last two fill up at Sheets, I have used the E85 gas. It is 45 cents less, but do worry on how long I can use it. My car is a 2020 Ford, so I do not think I am doing any harm to it. I mean saving 45 cents, it seems lower than the next price, now over $3 a gallon. What do you think? Should I head back to using a high rating or stick with E85?“

Halderman:

Vehicle manufacturers have available vehicles that are capable of operating on gasoline plus ethanol or a combination of gasoline and ethanol called E85, composed of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. Ethanol is also called ethyl alcohol or grain alcohol, because it is usually made from grain and is the type of alcohol found in alcoholic drinks such as beer, wine, and distilled spirits like whiskey. E85 has less heat energy than gasoline. For example, a Chevrolet Tahoe 5.3-liter V-8 with an automatic transmission has an EPA rating using gasoline of 15 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway. If this same vehicle is fueled with E85, the EPA fuel economy rating drops to 11 mpg in the city and 15 mpg on the highway.

If it is not a flexible fuel vehicle, the alcohol can cause a lot of damage. Please drive it as much as possible to use E85 up and fill the tank with regular gas every 50-100 miles to help avoid problems.

Have an automotive question? Get a straight answer by writing to Jim at jim@jameshalderman.com

Answer To This Month's Trivia:

A. AC Cobra