Tag Archives: Safety

Dangerous Wheel Spacers

I was looking over an 8th-generation Honda Civic in the shop, and was finding quite a few issues with it. There were some fluid leaks, the brakes were almost worn out, and there were broken springs in both the front … Continue reading

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Didn’t Use PPE – Got Burned

New blog post or video every Monday, plus pictures throughout the week on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! Watch Mechanical Malarkey on YouTube! Mechanical Malarkey T-shirts, hats, and stickers are available to order! -Dan

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Let’s Talk About Lug Nut Torque

New blog post or video every Monday, plus pictures throughout the week on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! Watch Mechanical Malarkey on YouTube! Mechanical Malarkey T-shirts, hats, and stickers are available to order! -Dan

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Don’t Stack Wheel Spacers

The same wheels don’t fit every car. The width, diameter, and backspacing will vary depending on the design of the car, as well as the center bore size and lug nut pattern. Sometimes people want to change out the wheels … Continue reading

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The Scariest Tire I’ve Ever Seen

As a mechanic, I see a lot of worn out tires. Usually we’re able to sell tires to a customer before they’re completely used up, but sometimes they’re already bald, or even worn down to cords. Sometimes the tires are … Continue reading

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Aftermarket Trailer Hitch Ripping Out Sheet Metal

Some cars have factory-designed trailer hitches available, with well-designed attachment points. Other cars, usually ones that aren’t really meant to do any towing, don’t have factory options, so you’d have to get an aftermarket one. I’ve seen a lot of … Continue reading

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Be Careful With Your Sparks

There are multiple things mechanics do that create a lot of sparks. Some are destructive, some are constructive: metal cut-off wheels, acetylene torches, and welding. When doing any of these, you need to be aware of where your sparks are … Continue reading

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Don’t Forget the Center Ring

Original equipment wheels that come on a car are designed so that they fit snugly around the center of the wheel hub. This is important because that takes the load off of the studs, so they’re not what’s holding all … Continue reading

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Compare New & Old Parts Before Installing

A customer brought their Honda Accord to the dealer because there was a little clunking noise from the brakes or suspension. It didn’t take me long to figure out what the problem was once I got the wheels off.

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Corroded Airbag Sensor Wire

A Honda Civic came into the shop needing an SRS light diagnosis. This light indicates that there’s something wrong with the airbag system. On Hondas from the early half of the 2000’s, this is often caused by a faulty seat … Continue reading

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