Good service history of a car showcases it in a positive light. It also speaks highly about the owner who had taken good care of his car. Auto manufacturers usually provide a user manual, to help car owners in following the maintenance schedule. There are plenty websites, offering car maintenance tips and who have been around for some time in Canada. They provide useful guidance and advice for keeping the car in good shape. They have been instrumental in creating awareness about the importance of car maintenance.

For many years, car manufacturers have applied the concept of ‘regular service’, for the car maintenance schedule. It has been observed that usage of a car largely determines the maintenance schedule of that particular car. The user manual provides specific guidelines, regarding the schedule that needs to be followed by the owner for car maintenance. It is just meant give you an outline and should not be followed religiously. Maintenance schedule is a function of car usage and hence will vary from one vehicle to another.. There are websites that provide you useful inputs and tips on car maintenance. Some websites even provide Online organizers to help track your car maintenance schedule. Listed below are few tips that would help you in keeping your car in an immaculate condition.

• 3000 Miles Maintenance: Changing engine oil and filter is recommended after 3000 miles. Brake fluids, air filters, tyres, hoses and fan belt should be checked regularly.
• 5000-10,000 Miles Maintenance: Tyre rotation and wheel balancing should be done every five to ten thousand miles. This will ensure a even wear and tear of tyres and prolong their life.
• 15,000 Miles Maintenance: Changing air filters every 15,000 miles, will improve the fuel efficiency of your car. Brake pads and fluid should be checked and replaced if needed.
• 30,000 Miles Maintenance: Checking the transmission fluid level is recommended at this stage is recommended. The owner’s manual will have directions of how to drain and replace the fluid.
• 50,000 Miles Maintenance: Examining the coolant overflow tank to check if it needs top up.

Adhering to the tips mentioned above will guarantee you a smooth and safe ride.

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It’s now common knowledge that Wrangler owners like to have fun and what’s more fun than a bigger Jeep? Not much!

The problem Wrangler owners face when lifting their Jeep is that short rear driveline. Any type of suspension lift that exceeds 3.5″ is likely to cause driveline vibrations. Aside from lowering the transfer case (which also lowers ground clearance), the easiest way to eliminate driveline vibrations is to get rid of the short, slip-yoke type driveline and replace it with a longer, CV type. The only way to do that is to replace or modify your existing transfer case.

Replacing the transfer case can cost upwards of a couple thousand dollars. Unfortunately, most of you (like me) probably don’t have that kind of money available to spend on a transfer case swap. That leaves us the option of modifying the existing transfer case by removing the tailcone output section and shortening it by about 3″. Doing this will allow you to install a driveshaft that is about 3″ longer which, in itself, will alleviate driveline angles, but better yet, it will allow you to switch to a CV type drivehsaft which better at handling sharp angles than its slip-yoke counterpart.

Installing a Rubicon Express slip yoke eliminator takes about two hours and requires the following tools.

• Basic mechanics wrenches/sockets
• Circular saw/grinder with a metal cutting blade (a Sawzall will not work)
• Center punch
• Hammer
• Electric drill
• Tap handle - for the 3/8″ tap.
  Do not use a wrench to turn the tap.
  A wrench does not allow you to put equal force on both sides of the tap like a handle does and therefore you can easily break it off inside the shaft.
• 1/8″ and 5/16″ drill bit
• 3/8″ and 5/16″ Allen wrenches
• Cutting oil
• RTV silicone sealer
• Loctite

The advantages of using this particular kit are simple: it’s cheap ($199 USD), easy to install (done while the transfer case is in the vehicle), improves your lifted vehicle’s rear driveline angle, and allows a lowered transfer case to be put back into its stock location.

1. Remove the rear driveshaft from the vehicle.
   On the rear axle, this is done by removing four 1/4″ bolts and two steel retaining straps from the differential output yoke. At the transfer case, simply pull the driveshaft out of the slip yoke. Some oil may spill from the transfer case when the shaft is removed but not a lot.
2. Remove the tailcone section from the transfer case.
   The tailcone is held to the transfer case by three bolts. Remove them and tailcone should pop/slide off the case/shaft. If not, lightly tap it on the sides with a hammer to nudge it free from the case. The only thing holding it in place at this time is silicone sealant.
3. Seal the output shaft bearing surface to avoid contact with debris.
   Rubicon Express suggested the use of duct tape, however other items such as Reynold’s saran wrap will work. Be sure to use a liberal amount so no debris can get into the output bearing when you cut the shaft off.
4. Measure and mark the shaft so that 1″ of splined shaft will remain.
   Remember the rule, “Measure twice. Cut once.” It may be wise to mark a little more than 1″ of shaft because too long is better than too short. If you cut the shaft too long, it can be shortened. If you cut the shaft too short, you’ll need a new one. You will need a circular saw with a metal cutting/carbide blade. A sawzall will NOT work. A 4.5″ hand grinder is ideal for this because it’s small enough to fit in the confined area you’ll be working in. When using a grinder, make sure you cut slowly and no more than 30-60 seconds at a time. This will prevent the shaft from getting overheated and warping. After you’ve cut through the shaft, if it isn’t square at the end, grind it down to make it square.
5. Center punch the end of the shaft.
   This will ensure the drill bit starts in the center of the shaft when drilling the pilot hole. To make finding the center of the shaft easier, place the CV Output Flange over the cut-off shaft. This reduces the visible surface area from about 1.25″ diameter to 0.5″ diameter allowing you to find the center of the shaft easier. Be sure to hit the centerpunch hard enough to put a dent in the end of the shaft deep enough for a 1/8″ drill bit to sit in.
6. Drill the pilot hole in the end of the shaft.
   This is done with a 1/8″ drill bit. This step is easiest done with the vehicle raised 6″ on jack stands and the transfer case lowered 2″. With the vehicle being as high as possible, you’ll be able to sit under it and gauge the direction of the drill. The pilot hole needs to be drilled into the shaft as straight as possible so take your time. The pilot hole needs to be 1″-1.25″ deep. After that is done, you need to bore out the 1/8″ pilot hole with a 5/16″ drill bit. To be on the safe side, you may want to use a 3/16″ bit before going to the 5/16″ bit. This makes it a little easier to drill a straight hole. Make sure the final depth of the pilot hole is 1.25″.
7. Use a 3/8″ -24 tap to cut threads into the 5/16″ pilot hole.
   Use cutting oil (or WD40) and keep the tap threads clean. CAUTION: If you have never used a tap before, then tapping the pilot hole is not the time to learn! For best results you should read up on how to correctly do this and then practice on another piece of steel. The proper way to tap a hole is one full turn forward (clockwise) and one-half turn back (counter-clockwise), but since the shaft is made of hardened steel, tap it in one-half turn forward increments. Better safe than sorry at this point.
8. Install the Oil seal in the Bearing/Seal Flange.
   You will need a press, vice, or similar tool to do this. The oil seal needs to be pressed straight in or damage will occur. Afters the Oil Seal is pressed into the Bearing/Seal Flange, turn it over and run a bead of RTV Silicone along a circumferemnce just inside the three bolt holes. The bead should be about 3/16″. Allow about 10-20 minutes for the silicone to “skin” over before installing it. Take this time to lube up the rubber part of the seal where it will make contact with the CV Output Flange. Wiping transfer case oil on it with your finger will be adequate. Make sure to put oil all around the black rubber part of the seal. This is to reduce friction otherwise the seal will melt and tear within the first mile of driving.
9. Install the Bearing/Seal Flange.
   Remove the duct tape, saran wrap, or whatever you used to protect the transfer case output bearing (in step 3) from the transfer case output shaft. Clean the surface near the bearing making sure there is no leftover residue from when the tailcone was removed. Use three grade 8 M10 x 25mm bolts to install the Bearing/Seal Flange onto the transfer case. Apply Loctite to the bolts before inserting them. Now would be a good time to apply RTV silicone to the remaining splines of the output shaft. This is to prevent oil from leaking through the CV Output Flange once it’s installed.
10. Install the CV Output Flange.
    Slide the CV Output Flange over the output shaft splines and through the oil seal. Take care not to damage the seal. You may need to use a hammer to lightly tap the CV Output Flange down the shaft. Use a 3/8″ bolt and washer to bolt the CV Output Flange to the output shaft. Use loctite to hold the bolt in place.

Congratulations! You no longer need to worry about your Jeep vibrating due to your 3″+ suspension lift.

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A small scratch in your car might make your car very ugly, that’s what touch up paints are for. Touch up paints are paints which matches exactly to the original color of your car which can be applied for repairing or covering minor scratches, blemishes and minor chippings. They are available in small amount in the form of spray or pen applicators. Anyone can easily apply to cover the scratch on the car if the right paint is chosen. By simply applying the it in the scratch on a car, the scratch can be completely removed and the car looks perfectly fine.

How to choose right touch up paint?

The color should be exactly same like the original color of the car before applying. So touch up paint should be carefully chosen. There are several websites which provides the exact paint code for specific brand of cars. If you are looking for touch up paint for your car then you should check your cars exact model number and manufacturing year. Then go to the websites which provide touch up paint codes and browse for your car. Don’t forget to match your search with your exact car model and manufacturing year.

Where to find the right paint?

You can easily find code of the paint of any model of cars in Internet. Just search for the terms like ” touch up paint code”, ” car paint code” etc in any search engine. Simply choose the manufacturing year of your car, brand of your car and the model number of your car. They are generally can be found in hexadecimal number format. You can then you easily go to any online stores or shop and request your paint.

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In my quest to find a way to save gas and increase fuel economy over the past year, I have basically come across the exact same information on just about every site with the intention of teaching how to do so. Brake less, accelerate slower, keep your tires inflated, coast when you can, accelerate downhill, easy on the gas uphill, combine trips, get rid of unnecessary weight, blah blah blah.

But the problem with all of that is… it’s all trivial when it only equates to an additional two miles per gallon. All of that hassle just isn’t worth it to me. I needed a way that I could actually look at my trip odometer and see a BIG difference every time and I found it.

After searching for an answer for months, I saw a few websites along the way that promised I could perform a water car conversion, essentially creating a water fuel hybrid which would allow me to increase fuel economy by 100%. Needless to say I was skeptical. A water car conversion? Come on..

But as time went on I became more and more desperate as I continued to shell out over $50 on every tank of gas sometimes twice a week. It got so expensive. There were better things I could spend money on.

Finally I decided to see what this water car conversion thing was all about. I researched it quite a bit and found some pretty convincing information. It really made sense after I actually looked into it. I’m sort of a scientific guy so I understood it pretty well.

See, you’re not actually combining water and gas and just dumping it into your gas tank. What you’re doing is fabricating a simple conversion system in your engine bay that draws a small current from your battery and feeds it into a small water reservoir.

If you know about physics and chemistry, you know that to divide water molecules, you need an electrical current. What this current does is separates the H20 molecules into HHO gas. This gas is then fed into your car’s intake system and combined with your existing air / fuel mixture to create a super efficient burn for your car’s combustion system.

The conversion itself is very simple. You can buy the parts at a hardware store for about $60 (almost the cost of a tank of gas sadly). Then it takes around an hour to do. If you are not competent, any mechanic will do this for you for an hour of labor. The great thing is, this process is easily reversible. It takes about 10 minutes to remove, so if you are worried about warranty issues, you have no reason to be concerned at all. Any process that is reversible will not affect your warranty.

What you end up with is a super efficient gas saver. Personally, I went from 30MPG to around 50MPG, almost double. The conversion paid for itself in under two months and I’m now putting the extra money I save on gas towards an engagement ring for my girlfriend.

My water car conversion was a great decision and it has been saving me tons of money ever since. I highly recommend doing this. It really helps combat rising fuel costs.

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I was a little skeptical when I first started reading about the hydrogen car conversion, but then I decided to give it a look. Nothing else worked. So I started actually learning how it worked, and being a scientific type of guy, it really made sense. I showed one of the websites featuring the conversion technology description to my former physics professor and he said that it looked pretty legit to him. Ha. He actually wondered why he hadn’t thought of it.

So how does it work? Well the name is a little misleading. You won’t actually be storing any hydrogen in your vehicle anywhere, which is a good thing. Hydrogen is very explosive and dangerous. Instead you will be creating hydrogen on demand by creating a simple conversion system that anyone can do in under a couple of hours. A skilled mechanic can do it easily in under an hour.

The way this works is by drawing a small current from your vehicle’s electrical system. This is then fed into a reservoir that will contain a mixture of water and a tad bit of baking soda (sometimes a little bit of washer fluid too if it’s cold). Using the electrical current, the water molecules are separated into HHO gas, or Brown’s Gas. This is a very stable, clean burning type of gas compound.

This compound is then directed to your vehicles combustion system resulting in an extremely efficient combination of air / fuel / and HHO gas. This combination burns much cleaner and much more effectively than your ordinary mixture. The result is a dramatic increase in your MPG.

Will it harm your vehicle? Not at all. The mixture actually burns cooler and cleaner, so it will actually extend the life of your vehicle. Will it void your warranty? No again. The hydrogen car conversion is 100% reversible. Any process that is reversible cannot void your warranty. How much water does it require? Not much at all. Just a small 16oz fill of water will last several weeks.

If it runs out, the system will not be interrupted, but be sure to keep it full to experience your desired MPG gains! Won’t it cost a lot of money? Nope. You can perform the conversion for under $100, an investment that will pay for itself time and time again. Imagine buying gas half as much. How quick will that add up for you?

A hydrogen car conversion is surprisingly simple to do, and extremely effective. Your car will be a gas saving machine, not to mention it will be much better for the environment by reducing the harmful emissions put off by normal fuel systems. One of the best things… You can actually claim this as a tax write-off as an alternative energy vehicle!!

It wasn’t hard to make my decision after I looked into this technology. Do you want to start saving money on gas today?

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Here are some instructions to help you paint your motorcycle yourself and save a bunch of money by doing so.

Materials Needed

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Harley helmets are available in various shapes and styles. Which item to choose? That relies on many factors — what type of rider you are, if you want the ultimate in safety, and what the remainder of your gear looks. We’ll go over a few of the options available so we can sort through the options and make a good decision.

Wearing Your Harley Davidson Helmet

I’m not going to talk to you on head safety — you’ve gotten that diatribe many times before. As a substitute, I’ll assume that we all believe it to be a given that donning head protection is a good plan. As an alternative, I’ll focus on the helmet options at hand.

Full Face Helmets

Your head is completely covered by these helmets. It likely will not surprise you to learn that these are the safest helmets sold today. They feature a chin bar, together with a face protector and a resistant external shell. These helmets are the perfect selection for people who desire to ride at high speeds but are not into having the wind or rain against their skin. Many options, such as the cool Harley “Ghost Smoke” model, are made. One disadvantage to these helmets is that often, riders find them to be very warm, despite them having unique channels for cooling so that a breeze can flow into the helmet.

Harley Half Helmet

The half helmet belongs to the other extreme of the spectrum as it relates to safety. This style is for the rider who wishes to feel the surroundings while biking, at the cost of some safety. These helmets mostly don’t cover the whole skull and do not fit as tightly on the parts of the head that they do cover. Many half helmets are made with traditional or offbeat Harley styling.

Look for a three-quarter option as an alternative to Half and Full face helmets.

Harley Davidson 100th Anniversary Helmet

Because Harley experienced such overwhelming achievement in marketing their centennial celebration, the company opted to repeat the effort a few years later. For this reason, both 105th and 100th anniversary equipment are available for purchase. Helmets are included in this promotional plan. On some models, you will discover traditional bar-and-shield logos alongside excellent anniversary-style images. Many other Anniversary designs are available as well. If you browse the internet, you will discover lots of ideas that can work just right for you.

Vintage Helmets

If you’re searching for vintage Harley helmets, the perfect place to look is eBay. current designs offer retro styling, while pre-owned items offer unique custom paint jobs. Be cautious with a pre-owned model, though, since it might not be up to modern Department of Transportation requirements.

Those are only a sampling of the Harley Davidson helmets styles out there. You might want to visit Harley Davidson on the web for more ideas. Or, look around a bit on the web, and you’ll discover yourself with many models to choose from.

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Motorcycle boots have lived up to so many great expectations among motor riders. They have to meet the standard of buyers which is being comfortable to wear even for long rides and yet durable enough to protect the feet in case of an unexpected accident. There are a lot of things to consider in buying motorcycle boots online that would help you find the best one for you.

First and foremost, before you ensure the quality of the boots that you want to buy when shopping online, you have to get yourself a website that would answer all your needs. You have to look for a website that offers the best motorcycle boots that fit not only for fashion sake but for safety as well. Look for online sites that are legitimate and recognized. One thing to ensure that a website is legitimate is when it offers a 24/7 chat support that would cater all your questions about the boots that you want to purchase. Read on the reviews posted on their site which written by experienced motorcyclists who have tried the product that they offer. You have to choose a website that would deliver the product a few days after your purchase.

After you have already chosen a website, the next thing that you need to know is what you want in a boots you will buy. You have to choose a motorcycle cycle you are comfortable with as you will be using it on a regular basis. There are some important points you need to know in scouting for the perfect boots.

Avoid buying slip-on boots as they may easily fall off especially when you are riding on a buff road. It would be better to go for boots with laces. Sophistication is an option but it is not necessary. Opt for boots that are designed to endure a watery ride during rainy seasons. Waterproof boots protect your feet from soaking wet thus avoiding possible bacteria. It is ideal that you choose boots that closes at the top, that fastens the boots better and avoiding wind and water to come in. You must look for boots that are flexible and those matches the way you ride. Ankle protection is very important. It is better to buy boots that reinforces the upper front of the ankle. These ankle protections may come in the form of soft cups, plastic and pads covering the anklebones.

Some riders want their motorcycle cycle boots to be stylish. There is nothing wrong with that as long as safety is reinforced. There are a lot of boots that you could choose from in the Internet and some of them come in affordable prices. Before you purchase, read first the product review which shows what the boots is made of, its durability and all the features necessary to ensure safety. Remember that motorcycle ride entails so much potential for a possible vehicular accident so you have to choose the one that would truly protect your feet.

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Motorcycle stunt riding is a growing sport in the United Kingdom and the United States. However, United States law prohibits “stunting” motorcycles on public roads and it can even get you in jail quickly.

If you’re buying a second-hand motorcycle, check if the bike has been stunted. Check for flat spots on the front tire which shows you that the bike has done some wheelies and also check for scratches which could have resulted from a crash. Stunting can trash engines, transmissions and the suspension, so beware unless you intend to use your bikes in the same way, as a stunt bike.

Robert Craig Knievel, Jr. is probably the most famous American motorcycle daredevil. Now considered as both an icon and a legend, he started his career as an entertainer somewhere in the late 1960s. He performed numerous motorcycle jumps which are televised in the entire country. His attempt to jump the Snake River Canyon located at Twin Falls, Idaho back in 1974 was among the most watched (it ranks number 4) event in ABC’s Wide World of Sports up until this date. He died last year, November 30 at age 69.

Some Motorcycle Stunts & Drill Teams in the US include the South Florida Bike Crew, D-Aces Stunt Riders Motorcycle Team (Wasau, Wisconsin), TenNinety6 (Kalamazoo, MI) and the Hardly Angels (a Women’s Motorcycle Drill Team).

Bob Duffey, a professional Motorcycle Jumper was dubbed as “The Fastest Man on Two Wheels Backwards”. He’s got an ET of 11.71 seconds and a trap speed of 122 mph. The man is untouched on the dragstrip riding backwards. This record was done on a 1979 stock Kawasaki Z1R-TC, his favorite bike, at an IDBA (International Drag Bike Association) sanctioned event.

Debbie Evans - The Queen of Trials was the first woman to successfully ride in the US Trials during the late 1970s and is generally considered as the best female rider in the history of the sport.

Australian Robbie Maddison now holds the record for the “Longest Motorcycle Jump”. He broke it earlier in January this year at an exhibition event sponsored by a big hotel. He leapt 322 feet, 7 inches (98.34 meters) totally and ended up smashing the Guinness World Record of 277 feet, 6 inches (84.58 meters) set in 2005 by Trigger Gumm.

Perhaps the most widely known sport bike motorcycle stunt is the “wheelie”. It is a trick where the front wheel or wheels come off the ground and the vehicle is balanced on the rear wheel or wheels.

Other Popular Bike Stunts include the handstand (The rider does a handstand on a moving motorcycle), the Endo (a stunt which lifts the motorcycle’s rear tire off the ground while balancing the bike on the front wheel or wheels while still rolling), the Stoppie (stopping a moving motorcycle, so the rear wheel is raised in the air while the machine is balanced on the front tire and comes to a complete stop), 12 O’ Clock Wheelie (a kind of wheelie that is straight up and the rider scratches the tail of the motorcycle on the street), Circle Wheelie (wheelie while driving in a circular motion), and Combo Wheelie (a wheelie that features multiple rider maneuvers while on one wheel).

A full range of protective gear should be worn when attempting a stunt in a high powered motorcycle. Some popular brands include Alpinestars, Teknic, Icon, Sidi and Joe Rocket whilst Arai, Bell, AGV, KBC, Icon, Shoei and Suomy are some of the popular helmet brands.

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Fact number one: the motorcycle exposes the rider with no protection from a crash. That’s pretty obvious. Unlike a car, the motorcycle has no windshield, door, window, roof, and airbag; not even a seatbelt, to secure and protect the rider. Fact number two: most motorcycle accident deaths occur because the rider is not wearing protective equipment. Riding without body jackets or armors and helmets makes any area of the body vulnerable to impact. Fact number three: a full-face motorcycle helmets provide the most protection to a rider!

While a shorty or a half-face helmet will offer some kind of protection, nothing beats the protection offered by full-face motorcycle helmets. Covering the entire head area, with the helmet’s rear extending to cover the nape and the skull’s base, and front protection for the chin and jaw area, full-face motorcycle helmets cover a hundred percent of what should essentially be protected. A shorty falls short of protecting the ears, the base of the skull, the chin and jaw area. A half-face may cover these areas but still leaves the face open to damage. Full-face motorcycle helmets take care of them all.

Some will say the full-face motorcycle helmets are very constricting, isolating, not to mention it is hot, it reduces hearing, and it separates the free-rider from the wind. Safety-buffs, however, are quick to retort that they can still get wind and coolness and relative freedom with full-face motorcycle helmets without compromising their protection. They say there are modular or convertible, flip-up or flip-face helmets, all improvements of the full-face motorcycle helmets, where chin bars pivot upwards, venting systems allow for head crown cooling and internal airflow, visors and chin portions extend to leave more room, and acoustic features ensure low-noise and maximum sensitivity to ambient noise.

For full-face motorcycle helmets to provide the maximum protection, the outer shell should be sturdy and rigid enough to avoid penetration yet capable of spreading the load and impact. Inside the shell, the liner must be made of materials like expanding polystyrene that absorb the energy of, and crushes on, impact. The chin section or chin strap must fit the helmet snugly to the rider’s head without constricting movement. And fit padding and liners must allow for comfort and snug fit so that the helmet remains intact and in protective position in the event of a crash.

The full-face motorcycle helmets work like a shock absorber during a crash. At top or normal cruising speeds, the motorcycle and its rider is in for a neck-breaking stop in the event of an accident. The momentum being brought to that sudden stop when the rider hits another vehicle, a wall, or a roadside sign, or the pavement, translates to a lot of impact energy that the head has to disperse. Otherwise, the head absorbs the impact and tends to be crushed. The full-face motorcycle helmets disperse that energy over the helmet area and especially the internal liners. The blow of the impact is thus reduced, protecting the head, the face, and the skull most importantly. Without the helmet, imagine a water melon smashing on a wall.

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