Posted on 4/20/2017
Your axles are the last link in transferring power from the engine to your wheels. They're strong parts that last a long time, but they can run into trouble. Of course, axles just wear out over time and need to be replaced, and sometimes axle seals leak, causing the axle to wear out prematurely. Lubricant leaks out and water and dirt can get in and contaminate the gears. When this happens, you might hear strange noises coming from your axle. If you have a rear wheel drive vehicle, the sound would be at the back. If you have a front wheel drive vehicle, the sound would be up front. Of course, with an all wheel drive vehicle, the sound could come from either the front or the back. It might be a groaning sound or a clunking noise when you’re turning. Your service technician here in Temple at Elite Auto Repair can inspect for leaking seals. There's a rubber boot that protects the constant velocity, or CV joints, on so ... read more
Posted on 2/16/2017
I probably don't need to tell you how important your disc brakes are! Having good brakes just keeps you out of trouble. Carefully maintaining your brakes is the key. With disc brakes, brake pads rub on a disc, or rotor, to slow the wheels. The pads are attached to a caliper that squeezes them against the rotor. It's kind of like how squeezing the handbrake on a bicycle pushes the brake pads against the wheel of the bike. Now, pads just wear away with use, kind of like how a pencil eraser wears out. But the good news is replacing brake pads is a straightforward repair. If you hear squealing or grinding when you use the brakes, have your service advisor here are Elite Auto Repair in Tempe check them out. He'll have one of our certified technicians perform a thorough brake inspection to see what needs to be done. He'll check for signs of brake problems and go over other brake components to see tha ... read more
Posted on 11/17/2016
Wheel bearings - not the most exciting topic. :) However, they're another important part of your car that keeps your ride smooth and safe, and they need proper maintenance. Wheel bearings are what enable your wheels to spin freely. Since they bear the entire weight of the vehicle, they have to be tough. Wheel bearings can last well over 100,000 miles, but they do wear out and eventually need to be replaced. You might hear a groaning sound from your wheels. The sound might disappear at some speeds and reappear at others. Your service technician her at Elite Auto repair can quickly tell if your bearings are bad by raising the vehicle and wiggling the wheel. When you grasp the top and the bottom of the tire, it shouldn’t move along the vertical access. Many vehicles these days have wheel bearing assemblies that cannot be serviced. When those bearings go bad, we simply replace the entire assembly. For those ve ... read more