Car News Articles

Today is a special day; a day in which we take a break from the frantic flow of our regular lives and give thanks for the important things in our lives. Almost all of us are blessed in ways that we are too busy to acknowledge with the frequency that we should; for my part, I am grateful for my family, friends, health, a rewarding career, and the ability to pursue my interests.

More than that, though, I am thankful for:

• The existence of cars, miraculous machines that the world too frequently ignores, underrates, and maligns. Cars aren’t just a lot of fun to drive and enjoy; they democratized access and transportation by giving each of us the ability to cover great distances independently and relatively cheaply.
• This blog, which has grown beyond my self-interested and frequently eccentric murmurings, blossoming into a real destination with a diversity of viewpoints and voices.
• My fellow Car Lust contributors, who have helped carry so much of the editorial load and whose participation has made this blog infinitely more interesting.
• Our readers and commenters, who enliven this place with conversation and who make Car Lust the most commented-on Amazon blog.
• The entire Car Lust community’s patience with my frequent absences from the blog, driven by a personal and professional schedule that has been remarkably frantic in 2009. 
• The virtual but very real friendships this blog has allowed me to create with my fellow contributors and with many of the commenters. I would be significantly less fulfilled as a human being had I not gotten to know (among others) Cookie The Dog’s Owner and his love of Alarm fur Cobra 11; Mochi Mochi’s breathless excitement about automotive beauty in odd places; Anthony Cagle’s love of huge American iron; David Drucker’s and Rob the SVX Guy’s completely divergent views on, well, everything; Big Chris’ devotion to the Chevy S-10 and booming sound systems; Nathan’s earnest quest to find a poor man’s BMW; David Colborne’s ability to mix wry automotive commentary with esoteric military history; Chuck Lynch’s appreciation for George Barris cars; …m…’s odd attraction to both the Toyota Echo and Tommy’s Dad’s amazing genius at used car challenges. This is to say nothing of the honor of conversing with Virgil Exner Jr.
• Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit fame, who has repeatedly shown his lack of good taste by frequently linking to us over the last few years. I am convinced that most of our contributors and readers found us through his links. Thank you, Glenn.
• Amazon, to an incredible degree, for providing the resources to run Car Lust and for allowing me to donate my time to this blog and trusting me to ensure that my involvement here doesn’t interfere with my job helping improve our Auto Parts & Accessories store.
• Chuck, for taking the Vega Turkey picture above. It’s timeless and completely wonderful.

–Chris H.

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Your Subaru Wheel bearings Explained.

 

 

So there are many models of Subaru, many different platforms, or generations.  I will have to break this up into more than one article or it will be just too hard to follow.  This first article will focus on the Subaru Forester, but many of the Subaru models use the same bearing design.

 

There are many different variations of the wheel bearing and below are some pictures of the some of the common designs of the last few years.

 

This is the old on the left, the updated in the middle with the release in the race 

 

 

Here we have a roller bearing on the left, the updated bearing on the right and a worn/ dmaged hub and tappered wheel bearing in the middle.

 

The Subaru Forester from 1998 to about 2003 had a pretty significant issue with the longevity of the right rear wheel bearing.  I am going to focus this article on that era first as it will explain a lot of common symptoms, along with showing the differences Subaru has made in the design of the wheel bearing.

 

The first Foresters came with a roller type rear wheel bearing pictured below.  This wheel bearing had a longevity issue, and some didn’t last 30,000 miles before failing.  The bearing was updated first with a tapered roller bearing, second with a tapered roller bearing with a release in the outer bearing race and finally with a revised installation tool and procedure.

 

Why some wheel bearings last longer than others has a lot to do with tire pressure, brake heat, driving patterns and habits,  vehicle alignment, suspension system integrity and lastly road crown.

 

Road Crown?

In areas where it rains a lot like my home state of Washington, there is the need to keep the water off of the road as such the roads are paved with a slight inclination to the right, if it was the other direction the water and you would veer to the left and into oncoming traffic.  This can put increased pressure on some of the vehicles systems such as the right side wheel bearings.

The Subaru Forester is not the quietest vehicle ever produced, and sometimes it can be hard for the driver to hear the audible signs of a failed wheel bearing, but if it seems like the road noise in your Sub is loader than normal chances are one of the wheel bearings has started to fail, and if let go too long, the hub can become damaged.  The hub pictured below is pressed into the wheel bearing and is what the wheel actually bolts up too as well.   Taking your Subaru to a good shop that will keep an eye or better yet an ear on these things can help catch the wheel bearing early.

 

 

The latest Subaru bearing is the only bearing you should have installed, there are many aftermarket versions without the release which plays a critical role in longevity, if you own a Forester and have had to have this done over and over you may not of had the updated parts installed.

Make sure you are getting the bearing pictured below.

 

The front of the Forester uses a tapered roller bearing and while they do fail, just not at the same rate as the rear did.  Subaru and most either All Wheel Drive or front wheel drive vehicles use a similar design. 

The days of taking out the bearings, cleaning and repacking every so often have long been gone.  When the bearings have symptoms in a modern vehicle the result is more expensive but there is no maintenance like there was in the older vehicles. As such it is unreasonable to expect the grease in the wheel bearing to last forever, and the bearing will overheat if not properly lubricated or can fail for a long list of other reasons.

So if confronted with a wheel bearing issue in a Subaru know it’s bound to happen, there are 4 of them, and slowly over the life of the car all 4 will probably have to be replaced and the right rear more than once.

The next Wheel bearing article will cover the captured type wheel bearings found in the 2000 and newer Outback and Legacy and the ones under an extended warranty by Subaru

 

Thanks for reading

 

Justin

GUANGZHOU, China — Chang’an Auto is adding a hatchback variant to its popular Yuexiang series, with three trim levels priced between $7,300 and $10,000.

Built on the company’s B2 compact platform, the Yuexiang hatchback is 11 inches shorter than the sedan and shares more than 75 percent of its components, including a Mitsubishi-sourced 97-horsepower 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine and a five-speed manual gearbox. A smaller 1.3-liter engine will be added later, along with an automatic transmission.

The Yuexiang hatchback is aimed at such Chinese competitors as the Chevrolet Aveo and the BYD F3R.

Inside Line says: Even the entry-level Chinese cars are starting to look more competitive. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent

American Honda Motor Company’s Powersports Division announced today the release of the much-anticipated 2010 VFR1200F.

“This is one of the most exciting motorcycles in Honda’s history,” said Powersports Press Manager Bill Savino. “The VFR1200F establishes a whole new definition of performance motorcycling, one that taps into Honda’s rich V-4 VFR heritage and extends it into the future of Honda motorcycling. The new technology within this motorcycle is flat-out amazing and it all works together in a manner that takes the VFR1200F strides forward in how a high-end machine looks, works and feels. This is a sport motorcycle that will leave you smiling and ready for more even after you’ve been riding for hours on end.”

More detailed information and images of Honda’s model line can be found on www.powersports.honda.com or see your local Honda powersports dealer.

VFR1200F
The 2010 VFR1200F embodies the next generation of new motorcycle technology, resulting in unsurpassed rider benefits for those in search of a sporting motorcycle that truly transcends common bounds. Honda’s V-4 heritage has been re-invented in astonishingly innovative form through the fusion of advanced technology to craft a futuristic sport motorcycle created for the sheer joy of riding, custom tailored for experienced hands who ride hard, ride long, ride far and ride often.

Just a few of the incredible features and benefits found in the VFR1200F include Honda MotoGP engine technology and architecture; a light and compact 1237cc liquid-cooled 76-degree V-4 that pumps out amazing levels of power; Throttle By Wire for next-generation throttle response; lightweight and compact Unicam® valvetrain allows for significantly smaller cylinder heads; optional Dual Clutch Automatic Transmission with manual mode and automatic mode with two D/S modes and paddle-style shifters; Honda slipper clutch in the manual-shift VFR1200F; GP technology layer-concept aero fairing for unrivaled air management and futuristic style; next-generation shaft drive system with offset pivot point and sliding constant-velocity joint for a new level of shaft-drive performance and control.

The VFR1200F will be available at Honda dealers in Spring of 2010. For more information on the VFR1200F, go to www.powersports.honda.com.

About Honda
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. is the sole distributor of Honda motorcycles, scooters, ATVs and personal watercraft in the U.S.  American Honda’s Motorcycle Division conducts the sales, marketing, and operational activities for these products through authorized Honda dealers. For more information on Honda products, go to www.powersports.honda.com.

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A warning system can help make teen drivers safer, according to a trial program in Staffordshire County, United Kingdom. The County Council installed in-vehicle data recorders in the vehicles of 50 local teen drivers in March 2008 and studied them for six months.

The IVDRs, manufactured by GreenRoad of San Francisco, are normally used by truck drivers to help them learn safer driving practices and increase fuel efficiency. The IVDR keeps an eye on overly sharp turns, heavy acceleration, hard braking and quick lane changes. In this study, a warning system with red, yellow and green lights on a dashboard-mounted box was turned on midway through the trial. At that point, students received indications on how well they were driving.

After analyzing data from 18,000 trips, researchers found that the number of unsafe driving incidents fell by half after the warning lights were turned on.

It’s possible that insurance companies could charge lower premiums for teenage drivers who had such a system installed in their cars, according to Israeli safety researchers who studied the data.

Spy-in-the-Cab Could Improve Teenage Driving (New Scientist)

It’s very rare that a group of nine motoring journalists drive 46 cars and come to the same conclusion about which is best.

But that’s what happened at this year’s Car of the Year, where the discussions about the overall winner were tamer than a meeting of the local historical society.

So why did it win so convincingly? The answer lies underneath the bonnet.

It had the smallest capacity engine of the entire field (a 1.4-litre the same size as the Ford Fiesta) but was quicker in the 0-100km/h sprint than three of the four six-cylinder family cars.

Compared with the Mazda3, a quality competitor that has won the small car category for three years running, its numbers are even more impressive. It was more than two seconds quicker in the 0-100km/h sprint, but uses roughly 20 per cent less fuel by the official label.

Inside, it feels a class above the opposition, while on the road it is comfortable and composed, with accurate steering and predictable handling. It also managed one of the highest occupant protection scores in independent NCAP crash testing.

As an all-rounder, it’s in the Adam Gilchrist class.

The Golf’s 1.4-litre engine also points to the future. Its rare combination of turbocharging and supercharging is an innovative answer to the problem of global warming and changing consumer attitudes to conspicuous consumption.

Others are following VW’s lead, using forced induction to extract more power from fewer cylinders to meet stringent new emission laws around the globe.

The Golf beat a total field of 46 cars, including 13 other category winners, to scoop the prize.

So what of the other category winners?

The BMW 135i coupe and Holden SS ute were ruled ineligible because they were carryover category winners from last year and didn’t win the main 2008 prize.

Four judges voted against the Mazda6 in its category and they argued it wasn’t good enough for the major gong.

The Porsche Boxster and Volvo XC60 also narrowly won their categories and didn’t have much backing for the overall prize. Honda’s Odyssey didn’t make the cut because some judges felt the cabin had taken a step backwards against the previous model.

The Volkswagen GTI lost out because the judges thought the 118TSI was better value, while the Ford Fiesta’s breathless automatic version cost it a place in the final.

Jaguar’s XF missed out because while all the judges were impressed by its new 3.0-litre diesel, none were impressed by the hefty price rise that came with it.

Volkswagen’s Passat was cruelled by a lack of rear head and leg room, while some cabin foibles cost the Land Rover Discovery a win. The Outback won admirers for its cavernous interior and punchy yet frugal four-cylinder engine, but lost them with its hard cabin plastics and awkward looking exterior.

The Nissan Maxima’s incredible value proposition and its surprisingly spirited 2.5-litre V6 were impressive, but it lacked the fun factor to be an overall winner.

In the end, the Golf’s hot hatch thrills, fuel efficiency and cabin quality added up to a winning formula.

Not everyone will agree with the result, but we’re confident we’ve got it right. What do you think?