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Types of Automotive Lifts

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Here are the different types, available from garage equipment supply dealers:

In-Ground

This type of vehicle lift is assembled below the garage floor. It consists of one or more pistons, depending on the maximum weight capacity. Lifts with one or two pistons are used for compact, mid-sized and full-sized cars. Lifts with three or more pistons are used for larger vehicles, such as buses and RV’s.

Two Post Surface Mounted

The most common vehicle lift utilized today is called a Two Post Surface Mounted lift. On each column, there are lift arms. These are controlled mechanically, electronically or hydraulically.

Multi-Post Runway Automotive Lift

The most common type is the four-post mounted lift, which is extensively used by oil change, transmission, and muffler service shops. You’ll find this type of auto lift in wheel alignment service stations as well. The car is driven onto the two runways and raised, exposing its underside.

Low/Mid Rise Frame Engaging Lift

This type of vehicle lift engages the vehicle’s frame in lifting. There are two ways this type may operate. One way is scissors-style, moving straight up. Another is parallelogram-style, moving forward or backward, while raising or lowering. This type is commonly used for brake, tire, and wheel services as well as auto body repair.

Drive-On Parallelogram

The Drive-On Parallelogram is a surface-mounted vehicle lift. It has two runways where the wheels of the car should be placed. It has a lifting mechanism that moves the vehicle a short distance forward or backward while raising or lowering. The direction depends on the way the lift is mounted.

Scissor Lifts

The Scissor Lift can either be of a fixed pad type or a roll-on frame/underbody engaging type. It has a lifting mechanism that’s similar to the parallelogram lift. Their main difference is that the scissors lift goes up and down on a straight vertical path.

Movable-Type Wheel Engaging Lift

This type of vehicle lift is used for vehicles that are longer than conventional cars, such as buses and trucks. It consists of several lifting columns in sets of two, four, six, or more. The columns can be moved and connected with the other columns so that their movements are synchronized.

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Source by Anna M. Barlow

Tarps Used For Pond Liners

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A pond in the backyard is a great way to make the landscape beautiful. Ponds are gorgeous with exotic fish and aquatic life, but they do require maintenance and care. The best type of care for this type of structure is a proper pond liner. The most used and least expensive type of liner is a tarp that is heavy duty and strong enough to keep the pond life safe. These tarps are flexible, waterproof, UV protected and tear resistant. They are essential for maintaining the structure of a pond.

How to Purchase a Tarp for a Pond

The first thing to consider is what type of climate do you live in warm or cold. What is the location of the pod is it in the direct sunlight or the shade and the cost and quality requirements. The best type of liner to use is one that is flexible and adjustable. There are PVC, Butyl, and Ethylene liners that are used as pond liners. These liners come in several earth tones to match their background, they are inexpensive and they last for years. There are also performed liners that are built to the specific size and shape of the pond. Also there are concrete liners which are made from cement, sand, gravel and water. These concrete liners have to be put in by professional installation to ensure the quality and longevity of the structure.

Other Uses for Heavy Duty Liners

Heavy Duty tarp liners are used for camping, cars, trailers, boats etc. These tarps are light weight, easy to handle, flexible, waterproof and tear resistant which is excellent for these heavy structures. They are also mildew resistant and have a required thickness to reduce wear and tear. Roof and rack covers are great for temporarily repairing a leaky roof it helps to prevent major damage and keeps the integrity of the roof intact. The improper use of cheap coverage on a leak can lead to mold and eventually destruction. The best types of tarp to use on these structures are heavy duty and silver tarp.

Conclusion

Heavy duty tarp is an excellent multi purpose, poly liner that can be used to cover many things from ponds, to campers to vehicles and boats. It is an inexpensive way to make repairs and protect major structures, by keeping them secure and away from the elements. When selecting a tarp or liner to cover a particular structure it is best to know what type of tarp you need by analyzing the area and weighing the options that are best suited for the situation.

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Source by Robert Page

Where Can I Drive My Go Kart? Seems Illegal in Most Places

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Most people get glassy eyed when they see a go kart (people who love go karts that is) and tend to forget about where in the world they are going to drive their go-cart.

Sometimes the images in your mind go to race tracks and passing Ferraris, but “Really now! Are you going to be driving this thing on a race track?”

I received this email from a reader about go karts (and sadly it is a common question)

Hi, I got stopped by a police officer for operating my go kart on the sidewalk, and he said I could be charged with: Operating a vehicle without being licensed, driving to endanger, driving a non-certified vehicle, and told me I had to be over 18 to operate any gas powered anything. I understand now that I can’t drive a go kart anywhere pretty much but where should I go?

Because the question “Where Am I Going To Ride This Go Kart?” was not asked at the outset, now you have a very depressed individual, considering getting rid of the gokart all together.

One issue is about “Where” the other about “Age.”

I am not legal authority, but I can tell you some basics: Un=Liscensed motorized vehicles cannot drive on roads.

About the age, that varies from state to state.

You need to look into your state statutes and codes to get verification on legal data. Consult a local attorney for that informaton…

But that aside, it is a good idea to know where you will be driving this go kart.

In your driveway?

On your uncles farm?

(Obviously not on the street because that is against the law)

In cornfields?

In your yard?

Do you have a big enough yard to ride a go kart?

Are their laws against go karts in your neighborhood?

Have you permission to ride it in the parking lot across the street?

Riding a go kart involve more than just you on a gokart.

It affects people around you in the following ways:

– A go kart is a driving projectile.

– A “unknown talent” is setting its course.

– The coarse is not set, but can change from moment to moment.

In short a go kart coupled with a driver is like running with the bulls in Spain.

Those around the go kart have no clue as to whether it is going to strike them or not.

So before you get upset that you cannot drive it “anywhere” realize that people around you have to take on a burden. A burden of concern and care. Will they, or you get hurt?

There are Legalities

Additionally, the Go Kart is not legal on the roads for various reasons, primarily because of its low profile (people can’t see you) and its lack of many other essential road handling and accident preventitive components.

This set of questions is probably the most difficult to acknowledge, because there are so many obstacles. And I don’t mean trees and cars, I mean regulations about motor vehicles. You cannot just blast down the road with your go kart. Sounds like a fun idea, but in reality it is dangerous and against the law.

If you end up buying this go kart, or even making it, you may end up with a very depressing set of conclusions:

I can’t ride it anywhere!

And even if I could, I can’t put it in the car to get it where I want to ride (its too big)!

So ask the question first. Get an answer.

The answer maybe as simple as networking with some people to find a place to ride: ie your uncles farm! (but there is even more than just your uncle at stake there too… remember there are 10 questions, not six)

There are various go karting clubs out there and you can join them. You do not have to be a go kart racer to join these clubs, it is just place where you can enjoy the go kart. Be sure to get in contact with them in your area before investing in the go kart and all that goes with it (ie helmuts, gloves, suits, etc..)

And finally, I did some digging of my own on riding gokarts on trails. There are usually stipulations on what type of go kart you can ride on a trail. For example in the state I live in, the trails require that the go kart have suspension and a full roll cage by a reputable manufacturer. You will also need to get a permit. The age of the drivers is also limited.

So look into ATV trails and see what you come up with.

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Source by Robert Gamble

Improving the Ground Clearance on an Austin Healey 3000

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I bought our Austin Healey at the end of 2005 to add to our classic car fleet. I have owned (and still own) a number of classic cars including an Austin Healey Sprite but this was our first foray into Big Healey ownership.

They are very robust cars based on a strong steel chassis with a fairly lightweight body, 3 litre engine with four speed gearbox with overdrive. They were raced and rallied to great effect in the 1950s and 1960s and one of the contributors to this success was their roadholding. The cars have fairly basic suspension based on a rigid axle and a pair of cart springs with lever arm dampers giving it a firm ride with very little body roll and are fairly low to the ground. Herein lay my problem.

Ever since I bought the car the exhaust pipe, which runs under the rear chassis rails and the rear axle, drags on the gravel as I drive from our house onto the road. The exhaust also catches on the ever increasing number of speed bumps that seem to be reproducing almost of their own accord. On one occasion while our Healey was out on hire, the customer obviously hit something fairly low and broke one of the exhaust brackets. The car came back from the hire with the exhaust held onto the rear bumper by a twisted wire coat hanger.

After replacing the damaged bracket I checked with a local Austin Healey specialist to see if there was a way or raising the ride height. His answer was no, but if we wanted to race the Healey he could lower it for us. Not really helpful. I continued to soldier on assuming there was nothing I could do and this was just a feature of the car.

Then when we were on this year’s MSA Euroclassic touring Spain and France in our E-Type Roadster I spoke to one of the Austin Healey drivers on the run and explained my problem. He said that his local specialist had actually managed to raise his Healey, rather than lower it, so it appeared it was possible, although he wasn’t sure exactly what had been done. Unfortunately the company he used was some way from me so not very convenient. On one of my trips to AH Spares I mentioned my dilemma, armed with the knowledge that a fix was possible. He said that the problem was probably just old, soggy springs and that replacing them with a new set should return the ride height to normal. The cost of these wasn’t excessive and fitting them within my technical capabilities.

Four weeks ago I collected a pair of new springs and a complete set of fixings, U bolts, bump stops etc. Over the subsequent weekends I removed the old springs and fitted the new ones. While under the car I noticed one other small problem which may have been a contributing factor. The rubber bump stops bolt onto the top of the axle and as the suspension moves the bump stops hits metal boxes bolted to the underside of the wheel arches. Sounds fine in principle but the metal box is hollow and over the years, both of them appeared to have taken a bit of a pounding and the bottom of the boxes had bent upwards, by at least 1 cm.

I unbolted the boxes and hammered them back to the right shape. There was some rust in the bottom of the boxes which had probably contributed to them weakening over the years. Clearly a design flaw, there were no holes in them for rain water to drain away, so no wonder they rusted, but as they now had rust holes there was no need to drill holes to correct the omission. I assumed that the weakened boxes would again bend over time so packed them with pieces of wood cut to the right size. This should be firm enough to stop the boxes being crushed again, while soft enough to absorb some of the shock of being bit by the bump stop.

Assembly complete, I told the car out on a road test. It passed the very first ‘gravel test’ as it didn’t drag on the gravel when leaving the drive. Road holding felt fine, no obvious change and no bottoming out on rough roads. I am sure the exhaust will still catch on speed humps and there is nothing I can do about that.

On the return to my garage I measured the ride height to see how much difference it had made. The car now stands a full 4 cm higher than before. So a couple of hundred pounds and a few days work and my problem of four years standing is now fixed.

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Source by Tony Merrygold

License Plate Search – How to Trace License Plate Numbers Online

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Do you have a license plate or license tag number and you need to find out the name and address of the owner of the vehicle? If so, you might have already realized that there is no free online database of license plate numbers.

Don’t worry. There is still hope. If you need to conduct a reverse license plate number search online, below are several methods to accomplish your goal.

  • The first method is to hire a private investigator. Find your local phone book and turn to the private investigation pages. Start calling and get prices for how much they charge to run a license plate trace. You can expect to pay $150 to $300 to get this service completed in your local area.
  • The next method is to use a large online private investigation service like Abika.com or BestPeopleSearch.com. These services will charge you $79 or more to search by license plate number. You will normally get back a combination of the following information: the first and last Name, address, registration and expiration date, make and model of vehicle, VIN number, title number, lien holder name. These services can normally get information for most states in the United States as Canadian Provinces. License plate data for additional countries are also available depending on the service.
  • The third option is to join a private investigation tools membership service where you have access to databases and resources used by private investigators. These memberships normally start at $29 to $59 per year and give you access to all sorts of people search databases used by private investigators. This is a good choice if you’re willing to do the work yourself and you want to save a little money. The downside to this option is there is no guarantee that you will be successful in your search.

As you can see from the options above, there is no such thing as a free reverse license plate search. About the only way you can get it done for free is if you know a law enforcement officer who will conduct the search for you (they have access to all of the databases).

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Source by Kirk Randolph

The Importance of Ambulance Services in Society

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Certain situations in life require immediate medical care and a fraction of a second delay can drastically change somebody’s life. The ambulance service and paramedics are very important in society as they save hundreds of lives daily by responding to emergency calls. They operate from ambulance stations located in various areas with control centres that respond to emergency calls and dispatch them when needed. Whether the patient is in rural retreats, busy seaside resorts or large urban conurbations, they reach the emergency scene within minutes of the call.

The emergency ambulance service crew includes a technician and a paramedic. Once the paramedics arrive at the emergency scene they evaluate the situation and the condition of the casualty and decide whether to take them to the hospital or just treat them there. One of the important roles of the ambulance crew is to stabilize and treat patients quickly to prevent any mishap before the patient reaches the hospital.

They provide immediate and effective life-saving care in a safe and clinical working environment with maximum mobility. They are well trained in first aid skills to be able to deal with profuse bleeding, crush and fall injuries, cardiac arrests, road accidents, and much more.

During earlier times they were used to transport patients after the doctor or fire department rescue squad applied simple first aid. Mostly the patient would ride alone however, in some cases the doctor rode along in the ambulance. Today, ambulances come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes equipped with a huge range of essential pre-hospital emergency machines including heart defibrillators, intravenous drips, splints, oxygen, drugs and much more. All ambulances have radios installed in them. Many times ambulances also transport non-emergency patients that might be transferring to another hospital or treatment centre.

In some cases patients may be transported in an air ambulance which is basically an aircraft specially designed for providing emergency medical assistance in critical medical situations. An air ambulance is used when the patient has to be transported over a long distance or terrain or if the patient has to be quickly transported to a treatment centre. Air ambulances are equipped with basic equipment like ECG monitors, ventilators, medication and stretchers.

For more information regarding ambulance services in the UK refer to SearchMe4 online business directory.

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Source by Malik Afzal Asif

"I Need to Get the Bird Droppings Off My Convertible Top" She Said

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Is your car going to the birds? Are your local tweets putting droppings on your car’s convertible top day after day? Don’t despair, let me explain to you how to clean it off. You see, many people who have convertible tops just cringe when they see bird droppings on top, but I always remind them it’s a good thing that the convertible top was up, because had been down that bird crap would have been on their seats, dashboard, center console, and floorboards.

Worse, they might come back and find the car now has a nest which has been built under their seat. Still, you should never let the birds ruin a perfectly good day. And luckily, there are a couple tricks of the trade for cleaning bird droppings off the convertible tops.

Also, you should realize that it’s a lot easier clean bird droppings off of the convertible top, then off of the paint of your car, once those bird poops have dried on. Below are a few tips to clean it off all by your lonesome without taking it to a professional car wash or auto detail shop;

– First, you must loosen up the bird droppings and make them moist so that they come off without damaging the fabric. I know you are saying “Oh yuk,” but hang with me for a moment while I explain this. To make the bird crap moist, I recommend a garden hose with a spray nozzle and some warm soapy water in a bucket.

– Next, take a dishwashing sponge, those little small kinds that have the abrasive on one side and a sponge on the other. Use the soft side of the sponge first and try to get most of it to wash away, then flip it over and without applying too much pressure move the abrasive side of the sponge back and forth over the bird dropping along with the grain of the fabric.

– You will note that this gets most of it off, sometimes all of it. If not, repeat this step several times. Do not get inpatient and use too much pressure to scrape it off, as you can permanently damage or put scars in the fabric.

This is how the top auto detailers do it, and some of them have foam sprays which help dissolve the bird droppings. However, this technique amounts to the same thing, and generally it works every time. Please consider all this.

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Source by Lance Winslow

Tuning Diesels: Simple Modifications to Improve Diesel Car Performance

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This is a quick guide to modifications to get more from any diesel engined car. While it is possible to go to much further, most of these diesel tuning suggestions are relatively cheap, quick and simple.

Engine Upgrades

As diesel engines use compression ignition, the two main areas we are looking at for diesel tuning is the injection system and air intake. Adding a tuning chip or external tuning box allows you to get more from your engine. Diesel engines often come in several performance variants, and are tuned to run on a wide range of fuel qualities.

Modern diesel tuning systems – either the external diesel tuning box or internal chip remapping will adjust the engine parameters dynamically to give better power at all rev ranges. As a bonus, since you have more power available, you will often find you use less fuel overall – unless you have a very heavy right foot.

Choosing between a external tuning box and diesel remapping is largely a matter of preference. Costs are similar – normally around £300-£500 for a quality system. Diesel tuning boxes can often be installed at home, while engine remapping will require a visit to a workshop, or a mobile workshop visit. The external tuning boxes also have the advantage that they can be removed if the car is going to a main dealer for servicing, or you want to transfer it to a new vehicle.

Some older systems for tuning diesel engines just ‘fooled’ the ECU into think it was colder, causing smoking and idling problems, but modern tuning boxes and tuning chips are much more complex, varying the adjustments they make depending on the engine requirements. These modern diesel tuning systems are probably the single biggest upgrade available to most people, with up to 35% more power promised, depending on your make and model.

A replacement air filter will give increased air flow, so giving more potential power. Almost all modern diesel engines will automatically allow the for increased air flow, giving a small boost of a handful of percent. Even replacing your current filter with a new standard filter will help, as they do become clogged over time.

See BHP Plus for a range of Diesel Tuning Boxes and Air Filters.

Tyre Upgrades

Surprisingly, tyres can give a significant boost to performance – although perhaps not straight line acceleration. Sports tyres give better grip (generally at the cost of reduced lifespan), which will improve cornering and braking.

Switching to a lower profile type tyre improves handling by reducing the amount the tyres distort under heavy cornering. They do, however, generally give a harsher, noisier ride quality.

Sport and low profile tyres are more expensive than regular tyres, but the only way to see if the gains are worth is is to try them, or try two identical vehicles with and without them fitted.

One other tyre upgrade worth mentioning is winter tyres. With a rubber compound that stays softer at lower temperatures, and tread designed to cope with water, snow, slush and ice, winter tyres will give significantly better grip that standard all year tyres. This will allow you to drive faster and more confidently when you would otherwise have to be very cautious. These are especially useful for higher performance or tuned diesel engined vehicles, as the large amount of torque available can easily lead to unwanted wheel spin in icy conditions.

Body Upgrades

Contrary to what some believe, there are very few body upgrades that will have any beneficial effect on a cars performance. Add on wings, body kits and similar only add to the cars weight, and have a negligible effect on handling – some may even make it worse!

However, one body upgrade, that is worth considering is shock absorbers. Especially if your originals are more than a few years old, upgraded sport versions can offer better grip and handling. As most diesel engine cars are heavier than their petrol equivalents, firmer shock absorbers can help reduce body roll in corners, and power lost to unnecessary movements.

Driver Upgrades

One element we have not yet mentioned is driver habits. There are a few simple things you can do that will provide benefits on any vehicle.

  • Keep the weight down by not carrying unnecessary weight.
  • Keep the car aerodynamic by keeping windows and sunroofs closed, and not adding external add-ons
  • Keep the car maintained regularly, with oil, filters and general maintenance to get the most from it
  • Go on an advanced driver training course or a track experience day to get some tuition from a professional driver, who can teach you how to drive safely at speed, reading the road ahead, racing lines, handling skids and more.

I hope this has been of use to you – safe motoring!

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Source by Jonathan Elder

Vehicle Lease Takeovers – What Does it Mean?

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A Vehicle Lease Takeover or Vehicle Lease Transfer simply means that an individual with a Vehicle/Car bought on lease wants someone else to take the vehicle/car and balance lease payments off their hands, as they are unable to continue paying the lease for some reason.

Some people may think that a person is trying to get rid of the vehicle/car because of damage or an accident and/or the vehicle/car is not good enough. But this is not the case. There are many reasons why someone who has bought a new vehicle/car from the showroom and used for few days or months, wants to forego the use of his vehicle, and tries to find someone else to takeover the balance lease payments, while bearing the loss of a few thousand dollars in the bargain. The reason could be as simple as losing a job, divorce proceedings, moving house, or financial circumstances and constraints, losses in business, etc, which could force a person to opt for a Vehicle/Car Lease Takeover.

The individual or lessee trying to get rid of the vehicle and balance lease payments, should understand that they will have to bear a loss if they want someone else to takeover the lease, and relieve them from the lease payments. The loss could be the down payments and taxes they have paid, or the expenditure incurred on interiors, or additional gadgets and gizmos installed in the car, etc. The best option is to calculate the cost of the car, expenses incurred, payments made, etc, and try to calculate a figure that you can get, or have to bear a loss. But searching for someone to get the vehicle and lease payments off your hands is not easy. A lucky individual may find a friend or relative to takeover the balance lease payments, but then they have to go through the hassles of transferring the lease payments.

Whatever the reasons for trying to get rid of a vehicle and balance lease payments, looking for someone else to takeover the vehicle and balance lease payments is not an easy task, especially if you are in a hurry and need to get the lease takeovers and lease transfers completed quickly. This is where the Lease Takeover and Lease Transfer companies come in handy. These Lease Takeover and Lease Transfer companies are specialists and knowledgeable about their field of operations and can assist and aid an individual in finding someone to takeover the lease and even assist the individual with the paperwork required for lease transfers.

These Lease takeover and lease transfer companies not only inform the individual about the procedures and paperwork, but they also advice the individual on the options and prices available. You can find the Vehicle/Car of your choice – whether it is a Ford, Chevrolet, Honda, BMW, or whatever make, model, or brand – and within your budget in the listings of the Company. If they do not have the Car of your choice, they will look for one and inform you as soon as it is available. Of course these companies do not work for free and do charge a fee for their services. But the fees are a small percentage or fixed amount and considering the services they provide, it is a small cost when you want to get the vehicle and balance lease payments off your hands – quickly.

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Source by Sunil Punjabi

The Benefits of Chassis Braces

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Today’s cars, even the commuter ones, are designed and tested with tools and concepts that were unavailable even two short decades ago. But even with these advances, designing an automotive chassis is fraught with compromise, as numerous design parameters such as engine placement, cabin space, safety and material considerations and target costs play on what the final design will be. Few laymen or automotive enthusiasts will even care about understanding the forces – such as axial forces, shear forces, bending, torsion, angular deflection and moments of inertia – when they set out to purchase a car. Engineers worry about these things, but as we said, design compromises compel a lot of designs to be compromised in favor of balancing the features of a car towards a certain percentile of the population.

Car guys know that an automotive chassis’ job is to hold the vehicle’s components together while the car is in motion, all while being loaded by forces (such as vertical and lateral loads) that are transferred to it by the suspension, through the wheels. With standard OEM components like the tires, shocks, springs, bushings and a stock drivetrain, whatever loads are transferred to the chassis can be handled by the original design. The problem arises when you add stickier and/or wider tires, stiffer springs and/or shocks, stiffer bushings and more power. You then get unwanted chassis flex that affects the way your car handles. A big no no then. And when you talk about a car that’s been on the road for more than a few years, you can add metal fatigue to the equation.

The best solution for a really stiff chassis would be a carbon fiber tub or a chassis that has been stitch-welded with a roll cage added. Highly impractical for a street/strip car enthusiast who has to juggle a budget or simply wants a good enough solution. Enter chassis braces. Old-timers will at once be intimately familiar with the simplest of these, the strut brace. This, even today, is one of the first add-ons you purchase when you put a chassis brace on your car. When cars were made with a separate ladder frame onto which the body was attached, there was also the subframe connector. Nowadays, you have strut braces for the front and rear, underchassis braces, fender braces, floorpan braces and rear suspension braces for stiffening the mounting points for the rear links.

Obviously, the effect of these braces will be to stiffen the chassis to the extent that tuning the car’s handling will be a much more consistent affair. For those who take to the track, these chassis braces may not result in dramatic time improvements, but the improved confidence through better feel will improve consistency, which will affect the way the driver well, drives. This then, can indirectly lead to improved times. For less than new cars, these braces, as we have said, will stiffen the aging chassis to the extent that the platform will be as rigid, if not more, than when it was new.

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Source by Janus Onbekend