We just completed episode 3 of the 1A Auto Talk & Tune show, and it went quite smooth! Dan and I talk about intake manifold water leaks, 3000 mile oil changes, and the best features to have in a modern vehicle. Backup cameras? 10 cup holders? Automatic parallel parking? Traction control? What’s your favorite feature?
We also came to the realization that episode 2 felt a little stiff, so we did our best to stay loose in this one. The cloudy day helped the glare on our receding hairlines as well, which we both appreciated.
Got questions? Got answers? Got an awesome build-thread of your car / truck project?
If you follow along with the 1A Blog, our Facebook page, our Youtube channel, or you know, the internet… You might possibly have seen that we have created a short, weekly, question & answer show. We are officially done with episode 2, and we have decided to call it the “1A Auto Talk & Tune” show. Right now, it’s me and Dan. We are typical “car-guys”. We own vehicles that go fast, and are always wondering what modification to do to our vehicles next. That being said, we may mix more people into this show over time to add a little variety. With so many automotive enthusiasts in the business, it would be a shame if you didn’t get to meet more of them right?
So how did this week’s episode go? Well. We talked about bear claws with exclamation points, destroying automatic transmissions, swapping automatics to manuals, and replacing shocks and struts. Looking back, we may have been a little too wordy this time around. Don’t worry though! We are learning incredible amounts from each episode that we shoot, and we are looking forward to answering more of your questions next week.
This past week at 1A Auto, we wanted to try something new and exciting that had never been done before. I hopped onto the 1AAuto Facebook page and asked our Facebook friends for some hard-hitting car questions. I then grabbed my coworker Dan and set up a camera so that we could answer these questions on video. Dan had no idea what he was getting into, and I gave him very little time to prepare, yet he handled it like an absolute pro. We were both a bit camera shy because this was our first Question & Answer Episode. If you like it, please let us know, share it with a friend, and tell us what you think about the questions in the video. If it goes over well, we’ll make more.
Wondering what the sleeve on the lower brake caliper bolt does? This article reviews what the lower brake caliper bolt’s slide pin rubber is and it’s purpose.
Why Is There a Rubber Sleeve on the Lower Brake Caliper Bolt?
If you have ever had the pleasure of doing a brake job on a rusty car before, you have likely encountered the engineering nightmare that is known as a “lower brake caliper slide bolt.” Now, if you have erased this hardware-laden memory from your brain, or aren’t familiar with this style of bolt, I’ll do my best to help out.
This is the type of bolt that doesn’t want to come out of its hole because rust has essentially fused it with the brake caliper bracket. It’s the bolt that gives you a few hope-filled turns with a pipe-extended, half inch drive ratchet, and then crushes your dreams when it becomes stuck solid for absolutely no logical reason. It’s the threaded evil that requires a chisel and sledgehammer to remove when the ratchet fails to do its one job. Yep. That’s the bolt we’re talking about here today.
A Theory: The Brake Caliper Slide Pin Rubber Is an Anti-Rattle Device
If you have ever successfully removed this bolt (which not many have in the Northeast), you know that it has a rather cute little rubbery sleeve on the end of it as if to mock each one of your herculean removal efforts. The upper caliper bolt does not have this cute rubber sleeve, so why in the world did the car manufacturer put one on the bottom caliper bolt? The truth is, I don’t have an answer for that. However, I have spent quite a few late night hours in search of the truth, and I’m now here to share with you the one theory that makes the most sense to me.
These cute little rubber caliper bolt “sleeves” (that’s the most common name for these) are anti-rattle devices for the calipers. The sleeve provides additional friction, which prevents the brake caliper from rattling/chattering within the confines of the caliper bracket. It works similarly to a shock absorber, where it slows down and dampens the movements of the calipers.
As long as the whole system stays rust-free and lubricated, it’s truly a simple and effective system. However, when that rubbery sleeve prevents the caliper bolt from sliding, or rust begins pulling the vehicle back into the earth, all bets are off.
What Do You Think?
So does this theory make sense? Do you have a better explanation of what the rubber caliper bolt sleeve actually does? Tells us in the comment box below.
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When the command is given to “Fire Em Up” during this years 56th annual Daytona 500;Austin Dillon will be behind the wheel of a number that his grandfather ran, but was also made famous by Dale Earnhardt. It’s a number that since Dale’s death had unofficially been retired until the right driver came along to carry on the legacy of the #3.
As the grandson of Richard Childress, the time seemed right to bring the number back to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and to place Austin behind the wheel. With a blessing from Dale Jr. and his sister Kelly, Austin had received a green light to run the number for the first time in over twelve years.
Someone may have been smiling down from the heavens, because during the time trials on Sunday, Austin Dillon went around Daytona International Speedway at a speed of 196.019 MPH which was landed the Dow sponsored Chevrolet smack dab on the Pole for Sunday’s race.
At the drop of the green flag on Sunday, there will certainly be cheers and tears from many race fans as they watch the number 3 lead the pack across the start/finish line for the “Great American Race”.
Today, we are inaugurating a new feature here on the 1A Auto blog. Periodically, we will be spotlighting some really great resources out there in the automotive world, such as car clubs, owners groups, enthusiast communities, shows / events, and more that we think our devoted 1A Auto readers and fans might find interesting and useful. If you have a great automotive website or resource you would like us to share with the rest of the 1A Auto community, like and message us with suggestions on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/1AAuto.
Our first spotlight is on the Eastern Michigan Camaro Club. The Camaro was introduced to the world in 1966 and the rest is history as it has become one of the most famous cars ever made. This non-profit club was formed in 1991 to bring together Camaro owners and those who just plain love Camaros from the local area to gather at club meetings, exchange some laughs and experiences about their Camaros, do some cruising, and just have some fun. The club is also dedicated to sharing their love and passion from one of America’s greatest Muscle cars with others in order to further awareness and loyalty of the car. If you own a Camaro and happen to live nearby, check out their website for details about membership and more at http://www.emcamaro.org/Home.html.
The club also holds the longest running all-Camaro event in the United States each year – the CAMARO SUPERFEST. The show draws a few hundred Camaros each year and is also one of the biggest Camaro events in the U.S. and Canada. Last year, the show had over 400 participants! This year’s show will be held on July 4th, 5th, and 6th at the Riverside Park in Ypsilanti, Michigan and some of the proceeds go to charity; they are looking to raise $5,000 this year! One of the cool things about the show is that on Friday, they will be heading out to the Michigan International Speedway and allow participants to drive their Camaros on the rack for a few laps, with a picture at the start-finish line. How cool is that? Registration for the event will be open soon, so visit their dedicated website for the show at http://www.camarosuperfest.com/Home.html.
The other day, we shared with you the amazing video of Jean Claude Van Damme performing an epic split between two Volvo Trucks driving in reverse. Well, if you didn’t think that was wild, we have another amazing video that has also gone viral in the past few days. We feel obligated to share it since, well, it’s just plain awesome to watch.
In the video, TORC Series racer Adrian “The Wildman” Cenni is driving a bright orange, modified four wheel drive truck. The truck speeds up the ramp that is positioned on the dirt track, hitting its target and then flying through the air, then does a barrel roll before landing on the ground upright and in one piece. A barrel roll is usually reserved for planes (or James Bond flicks), as shown below, not trucks.
The stunt, which was performed at the 2013 Tecate Score Baja 1000 in Mexico last Friday, apparently was the world’s first barrel roll in a truck. Check it out below, pretty amazing stuff. Oh, and don’t try this at home.
