General Challenger

  • Burnout Primer

    All drag racers spin their wheels in a burnout before every race. The burnouts may seem to be pure show-boating, but there are real reasons behind all the smoke and noise. Burnouts before a drag race serve to heat the tires of the car, softening the rubber, providing more traction for the start of the race. The burnout also removes any debris from the tires. Spinning the wheels leaves a layer of rubber on the road surface, providing better traction in the future. The burnout is crucial for...
  • Crumple Zones

    Crumple zones, crush zones, or crash zones, are a structural safety feature used in automobiles, to absorb the kinetic energy from the impact during a collision by controlled deformation. This energy is much greater than is commonly realized. A 4,409 lb. car traveling at 37 mph.,before crashing into a thick concrete wall, is subject to the same impact force as a front-down drop from a height of 47 ft. crashing on to a solid concrete surface. Increasing that speed by 50% to 56 mph. compares...
  • Camera Technology

    Not so long ago, drivers had only the view provided by the auto’s windows, as well as their own judgment, to drive their vehicles. However, no matter how experienced and skilled a driver was, there was always the risk to misjudge the distance between the car and curb while parking or not to notice other auto’s maneuver on the road, especially when it was in the blind zone. All these led to numerous accidents in which no one could prove whose fault it was. The good news is that if you own a...
  • The Right Size Wheel for Your Tire

    It is important to ensure your vehicle is installed with a properly sized tire. Each tire size is designed to fit a specific rim width. The correct rim width allows the tire sidewall to flex where the designers meant for the flex to occur. There is a wide range of tires that will fit a specific rim width. After you know what size range of tire will fit your wheels, you can pick a size based on aspect ratio and height of the different tire sizes. A rim that is too narrow in relation to the...
  • Tire Contact Patch

    All vehicles are supported by a cushion of air contained in four flexible rubber tires. Each tire’s contact patch, or “footprint,” is a little smaller than a hand. As a result, not much of the tire's surface area is touching the ground, so the amount that does touch the ground must handle a great deal of weight (i.e., load) and force. These four patches create the traction which makes the vehicle go, stop and turn. Basically, they send feedback to the driver which helps to control the...
  1. The Advantages & Disadvantages of Lowering Your Car

    Cars come with conventional-size and strength springs that help it deal with potholes and bumps on the road. Manufacturers have spent considerable time and money to come up with just the right suspension components. Nevertheless, it has become fairly common for car owners to modify their cars’ suspensions to make them ride lower. Usually aesthetics are one of the most important reasons for reducing ride height- many people prefer the appearance of a lower car- but there are other...
  2. How Rev Limiters Work

    Simply put, rev limiters restrict the maximum speed an engine can achieve. They are there to prevent an engine from damaging itself by extending beyond its limits. Any engine is only designed to be able to function up to a certain speed, which is measured in revolutions of the crankshaft per minute. Out of the factory, the rev limiter is set at the point the engine’s maker is happy for it to rev to on a regular basis. It’s not to be confused with the redline, although it can sometimes be...
  3. 0% financing

    Wondering if anyone has any insight or thoughts into the current offer of 0% a.p.r. for 72 mos. I wonder, will this be a one-time deal? I've literally wanted one of these cars since 07, when they came out. For one reason and another over the years, I've never yet pulled the trigger. Got on this forum several years ago, to follow the latest news and info. I've lurked, enjoyed your guys' posts and kept on dreaming of the day. I've said for years, "why can't they offer 0% on the damn...
  4. Electric and Hydrogen-Powered Cars

    Stellantis is finalizing its 5-year and 10-year plans. According to Automotive News Europe, newly appointed Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato told Italian journalists, during a roundtable event, that all future vehicles from the company would be electrified. They will be built on a new platform known internally as the STLA large-vehicle architecture that will be shared across brands under the Stellantis umbrella. Tim Kuniskis, in a recent Autoweek interview, was quoted as saying, “I...
  5. Car Weight Terminology

    There are three different terms that are used concerning a car's weight- Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) and Curb Weight. So how are they different? A car’s Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) refers to the maximum poundage your car can weigh to operate safely and without harm to its components. Put simply, it's the maximum weight before everything breaks. Manufacturers calculate this number by testing the structural integrity of your car’s suspension...
  6. Rocker Arm Ratios

    Many have heard the term rocker arm ratio mentioned when talking about an engine. But, do you know what rocker-arm ratios are, and how different ratios can affect an engine’s performance? To start with, an engine is just a sophisticated air pump. The amount of power this “pump” delivers is directly affected by the amount of air ingested and expelled by the engine. Increase the amount of air flowing through the pump, and you can increase power output. While an engine is running, air is pulled...
  7. Auto-Stop/Start Technology

    Since the Obama Administration finalized standards in 2012, to encourage the automotive industry to reach a 54.5 miles per gallon corporate fuel economy average by 2025, manufacturers have been employing every means possible to squeeze another mile out of a gallon of gasoline. A combination of aerodynamics, weight savings, electrification, hybrid technologies and advanced engine management software has gone a long way, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that you save a lot...
  8. Richard Petty- "The King"

    Richard Lee Petty is aptly named "The King." Over a racing career spanning 34 years, from 1958 to 1992, he was the first driver to win the NASCAR Cup Series championship seven times, while also winning a record 200 races, including the Daytona 500 a record seven times. Incredibly, he won a record 27 races (10 of them consecutively) in the 1967 season, alone. Statistically,he is the most accomplished driver in the history of the sport, and is one of the most respected figures in motor...
  9. The History of Car Antennas

    Automotive antennas have evolved since their introduction in the 1930s. Once tacked on as optional equipment, they are now designed into the car as an indispensable accessory. Several different approaches have been used to improve performance while making the antenna attractive, including embedded windshield versions and electric hide-away styles. The First Antennas In the 1930s, car antennas were incorporated into the radio body, as most stations were in the AM band, which required a...
  10. Using a power washer on an auto finish can't be a good idea?

    See this fairly often. Not something I would attempt. What do others think?
  11. A Guide to Locking Lug Nuts

    Do you want to protect your wheels and tires from being stolen? The best security is locking lug nuts. These special wheel locks will help keep your wheels and tires safe even in dangerous neighborhoods or unlit parking lots. You’ll sleep better at night knowing that they will still be on your car when you wake up in the morning. Without a unique key, most thieves will be stopped in their tracks if they attempt to steal your rims and may move on to easier scores. Thieves are not only after...
  12. Camera Technology

    Not so long ago, drivers had only the view provided by the auto’s windows, as well as their own judgment, to drive their vehicles. However, no matter how experienced and skilled a driver was, there was always the risk to misjudge the distance between the car and curb while parking or not to notice other auto’s maneuver on the road, especially when it was in the blind zone. All these led to numerous accidents in which no one could prove whose fault it was. The good news is that if you own a...
  13. 226 mm / 8.89 in. LSD CV Axle Shafts only currently available through Mopar in North America.

    These axle shafts required for the 2008 - 2014 LSD rear wheel differentials are not currently available through Cordone (remanufactured) and despite catalogue indications to the contrary not even produced by Trakmotive / SurTrack / GSP North America. East Coast Mopars and others providing the Getrag swap pkgs. are using axles provided by Mopar, at similar pricing to the dealerships. I can't even find used axles through auto wreckers in western Canada. Sharing this so others don't waste their...
  14. stay stock or not

    I've got a 2014 billet silver with the red stripe rally redline, and was wandering would it be better to keep the paint scheme and stripe the same to keep it original or change it up a little i haven't seen 1 like mine and only know of 1 other one in my area. thats black with the red stripe .i plan on lowering it and tinting the windows and possibly changing the stripes, and maybe going a little darker paint like a gray with black stripes but not the same as what i have now.i know theres not...
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