I’ve done several different rounds of modifications to my Jeep and each time I do, I have to reconfigure things like gear ratio, tire size/speedometer, idle speed, and certain creature-comforts I either want or don’t want. Until just recently, I used a $180 OBDII device, designed specifically for my model/year …
Read More »Hands-On: Audew 12V Handheld Wet/Dry Car Vacuum
After a trip to the pier, park or plant nursery, dragging out a big shop vac can be a hassle just to clean light-duty messes in the car. I know this first-hand, as I'm constantly reminded that I should do a better job of keeping the wife's car clean in …
Read More »Hands-On: BlueDriver Bluetooth OBDII Scanner
A few weeks ago, the dreaded Check Engine light came on in my Jeep for the first time (it’s a 2013). Nothing seemed out of the ordinary and I checked a few of the more common issues many Jeepers report seeing from time-to-time but to no avail. Instead of letting my …
Read More »Jay Leno’s New Auto Detailing Products
If you call yourself a gearhead and don’t know about Jay Leno’s Garage, you’re no gearhead, my friend. Okay, that was a little contentious, but Jay Leno has one of the coolest garages on earth (pretty sure more than one, though) filled with a huge collection of amazing cars—old, new, …
Read More »HANDS-ON: TreadWright Off-Road Tires (Part 1)
Given how often we parenthetically talk about Jeeps and off-roading here at GarageSpot.com, it’s no surprise that brands catering to the off-roading community reach out to us quite often. We’re also huge supporters of the little guys—startups and product innovators that are busy putting good ol’ American ingenuity to work, …
Read More »The World’s Hardest DIY Automotive Paint Coating?
Back when I ran my detail shop, we paid big money for the best products to solve what, in those days (the late ’80s into the ’90s), were major challenges: oxidized paint, acid rain damage, and the much more difficult challenge of etched or peeling clear-coat. Of course, since then, …
Read More »The Best 15-Min DIY Brake Noise Diagnosis & Repair Tutorial Ever
One day way back when I was a punk kid—like 15 or so—I was helping a friend “fix” the brakes on his new-to-him ’78 Chevy C-10 pickup truck. He was 16 and had just started driving. He also thought he knew everything there was to know about cars and trucks. We …
Read More »Get WiFi for Your 2010-2016 Ford Vehicle
Last week, Ford announced a new device to enable owners of 2010-2016 model-year Ford and Lincoln vehicles not equipped with a modem access to a wide array of connectivity features through a new platform called Ford SmartLink. Components of SmartLink include a 4G LTE-enabled OBD II plug-in device, as well as a …
Read More »The Indestructible Coating [WARNING: Explosions Ahead!]
If you’re into trucks and haven’t heard of LINE-X, check your pulse. LINE-X have been protecting truck beds and more for decades. What you may not know, is that LINE-X is also virtually indestructible, and is even used in military applications for blast and fragmentation mitigation. Hell, this stuff lines …
Read More »Cummins to Offer Crate Engines
Back in November at the SEMA show in Vegas, Cummins formally announced their long-awaited crate engine program, Cummins Repower, which brings brand new crate engines from the Cummins factory direct to the consumer. The first Cummins Repower engine offering will be the R2.8 Turbo Diesel— a turbocharged, 2.8-liter, 4-cylinder engine based on …
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