Catering by Michael LLC » Autos

Update on News

admin — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 14:27:54 +0000

There is lots of trucking device that is invented today. Even trucking news are available in the market today, because of this you can be more updated about the latest news in your place or in your country. It is very important for us to be always updated on what is happening on our country or in our place; you can do it by having some gadgets or device.

Making comparisons

admin — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 17:06:28 +0000

When you are out in the road, vehicular accidents can strike you anytime and anywhere! Thus, since you have no way of knowing when it will happen, it’s best that you just prepare for it! Thus, what you need is a car insurance policy! However, there are many car insurance companies out there, lucky for you, there are websites that have nothing but the best car insurance companies in their website! Thus, making it easier to compare and find which car insurance policy will work for you!

Better wheel

admin — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 01:49:34 +0000

There are so many types of custom wheels that provide similar performance. Although some models can really excel in high speed performance and handling compared to other models, for the casual driver, this is just comparable performance. Thus, choosing the right one for casual street driving is just a matter of personal choice and financial position. The major consideration is therefore aesthetics. There are really some nice and attractive custom wheels available in the market. Wheels that provide that extra flashiness and yet provide greater safety than the standard wheels. Wheels can be chosen for any style or motif that car owner wishes to express. Normally, complicated designs have higher prices but provide the biggest attraction. However, simplicity in design and coloring provides elegance that itself is attractive.

In regular use, the most beat up parts of a car are the tires, which absorb most road conditions. Naturally, the wheels are the next beat up parts as all the energy absorbed by the tires is transferred to the wheels. Thus, despite the inherent durability of most wheel rims, the regular beating will certainly take its toll. Thus, to maintain the overall attractiveness of a car, investment in better wheel rims will payoff in the long run.

BOTTOM LINE

admin — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:33:42 +0000

“The bottom line for your guys is this: Don’t think that you can’t improve the performance of the modem computer truck.” Heffington said. “You can. Sure, the tools have changed, but the basic idea hasn’t. If you remember nothing else, remember this:A chip can help you in three basic ways. First, the majority of the gain is improved fuel economy. Who’s going to argue with that? Second, the chip improves towing ability, and it also helps the vehicle perform better offroad. Third, it helps the vehicle deliver improved acceleration and performance overall.”
If the chip can deliver all that, then why are there still so many Doubting Thomases? Apart from the fact that many of us instinctively shrink from the new, one of the major stumbling blocks to the acceptance of high-performance chips is the fear that such modifications will void the warranty—a fear often played up by truck dealers. Despite what the service manager at your dealership may tell you, such modifications are completely legal—and protected by federal law—as long as you use parts that have been certified by the Environmental Protection Agency If the dealer gives you a hard time, stand your ground.Your truck is legal, your warranty valid.
A couple of years ago, a truck performance expert told me, “No question, electronics is a whole new ballgame for a lot of people in the automotive aftermarket. It’s an extreme challenge. And if you can’t conquer it, then you might as well forget everything else— because no matter how good the other pieces are, if you can’t make them work with the computers on these trucks, you can’t deliver better performance.”
But the aftermarket is meeting the challenge. So, when I hear a friend moan about the “good old days of burnt rubber and sweet thunder,” I tell him the “good old days” are right now. Here’s what the thunder said to me: You want a truck that can handle deep-rutted trails? Done. You want a truck that can tow a loaded trailer up to an alpine deer camp? Done. You want a truck that burns less fuel, but delivers more performance? Done. You want a truck that effortlessly pulls a fully loaded bass boat up a steep, slick boat ramp? Done.
The only difference now is that we don’t get our hands dirty— unless, of course, we’re trying to pull a nightcrawler out of a Styrofoam cup for a favorite nephew who believes his uncle is just the guy to help him catch his first big bass.

FEDERAL IMPETUS

admin — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 14:27:31 +0000

What really got the ball rolling for on-board computer controls was pressure by the federal government for cleaner-running and more fuel-efficient vehicles. “On-board computer controls and emerging chip technology gave the truck manufacturers the ability to meet new government standards,” Heffington said. “There was just one problem..
The problem was that the manufacturers needed to build trucks that appealed to a wide and diverse market. Left out of the equation were those owners who needed their vehicles to serve special purposes—such as outdoorsmen who tow boats, haul heavy loads, or drive through deep troughs of mud. That opened the door to the aftermarket to supply chips that could customize a vehicle’s performance to an individual’s needs.
When computer-controlled engine management systems first came on the scene, chips—called Programmable Read Only Memory chips, or PROMs—could be unplugged and replaced, much like you’d change fuses in an electrical circuit.These devices contained ignition spark and fuel delivery information (calibrations) that could increase vehicle performance while still meeting more stringent emissions standards.
During this period, aftermarket chip manufacturers designed and built PROMs that could be dropped in, in place of the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) PROMs. But over time OEM on-board computers evolved into what you see today: electronically erasable PROMs.
The advantage is that “these programs control an ever increasing number of engine and powertrain functions in an increasingly sophisticated way. These functions include ak-fuel ratio, spark curves, transmission shift and lockup points, cooling fans, and even certain suspension controls. All of these capabilities can be tuned to fit the particular needs of a particular truck.” Hefflngton said.
The disadvantage is that these sophisticated functions required another huge technological leap by the aftermarket suppliers, and chip installation now means downloading codes via a cable attached to the vehicle’s computer.

WHAT THE THUNDER SAID

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:23:35 +0000

The main intersection in the town in which I grew up was dominated by a firehouse and three gas stations. It could have been any intersection in middle America in the mid-1960s, and my first job was pumping gas at the Mobil station.Across the street, behind the firehouse, was our town’s version of Gasoline Alley, a series of high-performance “speed” shops devoted to “The Embassy Trade” (we lived within shooting distance of Washington, D.C.), where a kid could hear the exotic, guttural roars of unmufflered Ferraris and Lamborghinis. I also listened in wonder to American music every Friday evening as Tom, the chief mechanic, would peel out in his ‘55 Chevy, leaving twin streaks of black on the cement, and as Eddie, my fellow gas jockey, would rev his ‘66 Plymouth Sateffite as he pulled it into a vacant service bay. He spent the summer, head under the hood, in a labor of love, and by Labor Day, through the addition of such high- performance components as a four-barrel carburetor, racing headers, glass packs, and high-performance manifolds, he had turned his 383- cubic-inch engine into one screamin’ machine.
Back then, at the height of the muscle car era, the performance enthusiast was a marked man—a dirt-under-the-nails bruised-knuckles kind of guy. Essentially, he was dedicated to a single premise: “How do I make this thing go faster?” and he found a whole industry— based mainly in Southern California—ready to assist him in his quest.
But times change, and by the mid-1970s the glory days of the muscle car—and their sound of sweet thunder—were gone. Speed was replaced by caution and a new emphasis on fuel economy and emissions. Manufacturers realized that the mechanical systems that controlled a vehicle’s performance could not deliver the precision that new government standards mandated. Slowly at first, and then with increasing speed, manufacturers began to incorporate electronic controls into their lines. Speed shop purists and shadetree mechanics grumbled: Every year it seemed there was less and less to work on.

LONG RANGE

admin — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:18:55 +0000

Texas sportsmen know all about long drives (the lyric “I’ve seen miles and miles of Texas” ain’t no joke), but anyone who routinely drives long distances in remote areas knows the danger of running out of fuel. To counter this, Phillips—who often drives to New Mexico to hunt deer—wanted a larger fuel tank. Stamper recommended a 14- gauge aluminized steel (for superior rust resistance and strength) model, which mounts between the driver’s side frame rail and the drive shaft. By moving from the 26-gallon stock tank to a 38-gallon tank, Phillips increased the range of the truck by 50 percent.
To make the long rides more bearable, Phillips also upgraded the tires.The design of the Uniroyal Laredo AWT light-truck tires strikes a good balance between on-road and offroad performance. The tires will also run much cooler on long runs than their beefy heavy-lugged offroad cousins—which helps ensure long tire life. Since Phillips likes to hunt in rough, remote country, he wanted two final additions to his truck: auxiliary driving lights and a winch. Superwinch supplied the X9, which boasts a line-pun rating of 9,000 pounds and 100 feet of wire rope; and IPF recommended its RV Sports Series driving lights, as well as a halogen backup lamp.
By the time I got a chance to drive the revived Chem Phillips was ecstatic about the performance gains. “It’s got a lot more pep,” he said, “and I get better fuel economy to boot. I’ve really got a truck for the long haul.”
Indeed he does. So do you. Don’t think for a minute that you can’t modify the modern “computer” truck.We may not be able to yank up the hood and dive in with a socket wrench the way we once did, but as the aftermarket learns to combine bolt-on hardware with plug-in software, we’ll still be able to tweak our 4x4s.
After the field test, I told Phillips that I was impressed with the truck’s overall appearance—particularly the body, which was in surprisingly good condition except for some scratches along the body panels.
“Are you going to get those taken care of?” I asked.
“Hell, no!” Phillips snorted. “Those are war wounds created by oak and mesquite branches. Around here we call ‘em Texas pinstripes.”
“What about that big scratch on the hood?”
Phillips laughed. “That’s from when my buddy over here sighted in his gun. He forgot to put a pad down.”
“Yeah,” Stamper chipped in. “But I’m paying for it now. Every time we get stuck hunting, he makes me get out in the mud and run the winch.”