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Another Happy Customer!

Very satisfied! I got the two headlamps I needed for less than half the price of one from local auto parts store!

Shipping was fast. Fit was perfect.

Carl in Tennessee

 

Upcoming Events
If you would like your event featured here, e-mail us with details.

Cruise Niagara 2013
5/23/2013
Welland, ON
e-mail

Springfield Swap Meet & Car Show
5/24/2013
Xenia, OH
e-mail

Plymouth Volksfest
5/24/2013
Plymouth, UK
e-mail

FJ Bruisers Annual Spring Event Mudfling
5/25/2013
Sterling, VA
e-mail

Piedmont Classic Chevy Club Annual Car Show
5/25/2013
Raleigh, NC
e-mail

Big Sandy Spring Festival Car Show
5/25/2013
Paris, TN
e-mail

Hamblen County Car Club 2013 Swap Meet
5/25/2013
Morristown, TN
e-mail

4th Annual Charity Car Truck & Bike Show
5/25/2013
Temple, TX
e-mail

Barndogs CC Ilmenau
5/25/2013
Martinroda, Germany
e-mail
website

Fourth Annual Coldspring Texas Car Show
5/25/2013
Coldspring, TX
e-mail

Bobs Big Boy Spring Breakout Cruise
5/25/2013
Corona, CA
e-mail

20th Annual Spring Fling Auto Show
5/26/2013
Gowen, MI
e-mail

Gate City Corvette Club Spring Fling Corvette Show & Shine
5/26/2013
Bedford, NH
e-mail

Sunset Cruisers 2013 Events
5/27/2013
Climax, MI
e-mail

Summer Bash Car, Truck & Bike Show
5/27/2013
Hampton, VA
e-mail

Capri Club 2013 Events
5/28/2013
Forest Town, UK
e-mail

3rd Annual Benefit Corvette Show
5/28/2013
Brick, NJ
e-mail

Arroyo High School Annual Car & Motorcycle Show
5/30/2013
San Leandro, CA
e-mail

Vettes of Coastal Maine
5/31/2013
Rockland, ME
e-mail
website

Krusin Klassics Car Club 28th Annual Car Show & Swap Meet
5/31/2013
Escanaba, MI
website

Berks County Mustang Car Club
6/1/2013
Bethel, PA
e-mail

Western Utah Chapter 6th Annual Free Car & Bike Show
6/1/2013
Tooele, UT
e-mail

Famous 50's Car Show
6/1/2013
Amsterdam, NY
e-mail

Annual Holy Rollerz Christian Car & Bike Show & Wounded Warrior Benefit
6/1/2013
Killeen, TX
e-mail

Nebraska Rod & Custom Association; 21st Annual Tour Nebraska
6/1/2013
Grand Island, NE
e-mail

Vintage Nostalgia Show Wiltshire
6/1/2013
Codford, UK
e-mail

Pontiac Tribute Day
6/1/2013
Shawnee, KS
e-mail

Big Bumpers Meet - Oldenburg
6/1/2013
Oldenburg, Germany
e-mail
website

Spring Bash
6/1/2013
Tuscaloosa, AL
e-mail

Centerburg Church of God Car Show
6/1/2013
Centerburg, OH
e-mail

Cruise for a Knight Car Show
6/1/2013
York, PA
e-mail

British Bash
6/1/2013
Louisville, KY
e-mail

Cannonball Chairty Rally Hits the Pavement
6/1/2013
Goodyear, AZ
e-mail

1st Borders 3 Jamboree Car Show 15th Annual
6/1/2013
Moyie Springs, ID
e-mail

Endeavor Lodge #17 4th Annual Car Truck Motorcylce & Tractor Show
6/1/2013
Lincoln, DE
e-mail

9th Annual Meet & Greet Car Show
6/1/2013
New Baltimore, MI
e-mail

15th Annual British Car Show
6/2/2013
Genoa, OH
e-mail

Summer Jam Car & Craft Show
6/2/2013
Rosenberg, TX
e-mail

Jesse Kitchens Memorial TSA Scholorship Car Show
6/2/2013
Parker, CO
e-mail

Automezzi XXIII
6/2/2013
Denver, CO
e-mail

3rd Annual Nevada City Foreign Car Show & Wine Stroll
6/2/2013
Penn Valley, CA
e-mail

Rum River Rodders Car Club
6/5/2013
Anoka, MN
e-mail

US Car Days Zeven
6/7/2013
Bremen, Germany
e-mail
website

Harvard Milk Days Car Show
6/8/2013
Harvard, IL
e-mail

7th Annual "Scrap Drive" Rod & Custom Car Show
6/8/2013
Polo, IL
e-mail

14th Annual Rods & Rails Extravaganza; A Classic Car & Motorcycle Show
6/8/2013
Perris, CA
e-mail

The Corvette Club of Windsor - Annual Waterfront Corvette Show
6/9/2013
Windsor, Canada
e-mail

American Cars & Petticoats Bodensee
6/9/2013
Ravensburg, Germany
e-mail

Mopars in Motion 2013 Events
6/9/2013
Bristol, CT
e-mail

Westchester Region Automobile Club of America 2nd Annual Car Show
6/9/2013
Patterson, NY
e-mail

30th 50th Anniversary
6/9/2013
Denver, CO
e-mail

GMCCA 31st Annual Car Show
6/9/2013
St. Paul, MN
e-mail

Cars R Starts @ PPG Car Show
6/9/2013
Sterling Heights, MI
e-mail

10th Annual Benefit Car Show
6/9/2013
Colorado Springs, CO
e-mail

The Center of the Nation All Car Rally
6/14/2013
Spearfish, SD
e-mail

28th Annual Mothers Polish Classic at Pismo Beach
6/14/2013
Redlands, CA
e-mail

Golden Gears Last Chance Fun Run
6/14/2013
Alamogordo, NM
e-mail


 

Power Stop Rotor & Brake Pad Kits

See what we have from Power Stop

Power Stop OE replacement brake kits are now in the RockAuto catalog for a wide range of years, makes and models of both cars and trucks. These kits include Autospecialty OE replacement brake rotors and high performance Evolution ceramic pads. Each kit is matched to include optimum pad and rotor combinations for faster stops. Enjoy the extra pad bite without noise or dust.

Power Stop OE replacement brake kits

Enjoy this fast, complete, affordable solution for your next brake repair. These rotors and brake pad kits are available for the front, rear, or both front and rear replacement. Find Power Stop OE replacement brake kits for everything from Acuras to Volvos in the "Brake/Wheel Hub" category under "Rotor & Brake Pad Kit".

 

 

Forum of the Month

CruzeForumz.com

CruzeForumz.com is a forum dedicated to the Chevy Cruze. A range of topics is covered from general Chevy Cruze talk to maintenance, engine and performance, modifications and more. By joining, you will be invited to share your knowledge or learn something new. Registration is fast, free and simple! Once you’ve registered introduce yourself in the "IntroductionZ" area and tell us about your Cruze.

 

If you are the administrator or member of a forum and you would like to see your website featured in an upcoming newsletter and receive a discount code to share with your members, contact cynthia@rockauto.com.

 

 

Repair Mistakes & Blunders

Ouch!

My first car was a 1960 Ford Galaxy. I had little money and jack stands were not at the top of my priority list. So, of course, I improvised with whatever was handy (cinder blocks and pieces of 2x4). Since cinder blocks were often used for house foundations, surely they would be strong enough to hold up a car, right? On one occasion, I had completed some work under the car and needed to remove the support blocks. When I jacked the car’s weight off one of the cinder blocks, it fell into several pieces. The weight of the car was evidently holding it together! I counted my blessings and immediately drove to the store and purchased two jack stands (which I still have 42 years later).

Chuck in Colorado

 

Tell us about your most infamous auto repair blunder or unconventional fix. Use your woe to help others avoid similar mistakes or share off-the-wall solutions that worked (at least for a while!). Please e-mail your story to flamur@rockauto.com. Include your mailing address and if you would like a RockAuto T-Shirt (please let us know your shirt size) or Hat if we publish your story. See the T-Shirts and Hats under Tools & Universal Parts in the catalog. The story will be credited using only your first name and your vague geographic location (state, province, country, continent, etc.) so you can remain semi-anonymous!

 

 

Automotive Trivia

Automotive Trivia

What is the primary reason there are three bumps (also known as pads or nibs) on the lens of a sealed beam headlight?

A. The bumps are the break-off points for glass made using mold-blown manufacturing.
B. The bumps begin the headlight assembly process as small orifices. One orifice is used to vacuum all the air out of the headlight. The other two orifices are used to subsequently inject inert gases. The orifices are typically hot sealed with glass.
C. The bumps are used to align old mechanical headlight aiming tools. In the US, the aiming bumps were even found on modern-style, plastic headlamp assemblies until 1991. Newer headlight aiming systems do not need the bumps, but the bumps are still built into new replacement sealed beam headlamps.

What is the primary reason there are three bumps (also known as pads or nibs) on the lens of a sealed beam headlight?

Answer below

 

 

 

Shelf Life of a Shock Absorber

RockAuto

My son recently proclaimed my 1979 Chrysler 300 handles like a “Duck,” the amphibious military vehicle used to land troops on beaches during WWII. My son is a WWII buff, but he has never driven or even ridden in a Duck. In his two months behind the wheel, he actually has only driven six different vehicles, including the 300. I still was embarrassed and took his criticism seriously, because I knew the 300’s shock absorbers had a lot of miles on them and were ready to be replaced.

I bought Wholesaler Closeout, Monroe Gas Magnum shocks for my Chrysler. RockAuto’s Wholesaler Closeout parts may have been recently manufactured, but these particular shocks had been on the shelf for a long, long time. They were made by Monroe for the Big A auto parts chain. Big A went bankrupt in 1998, the year my son was born!

Wholesaler Closeout Monroe Gas Magnum Shocks

Getting premium Monroe shock absorbers for about $6 each was a fantastic deal, but what is the shelf life of a shock absorber or strut?

Manufacturers do not specify the shelf life of modern shocks and struts, because they last indefinitely. I had no qualms about installing these new/old shock absorbers. Monroe shock absorbers are designed to withstand 50,000 miles of driving. Every mile driven cycles the shock absorber at least 1500 times. That adds up to at least 75,000,000 cycles over 50,000 miles. The shocks are also designed to withstand the extreme conditions under a moving car. A shock that can survive 50,000 miles of potholes, ice, dirt, salt, various altitudes, etc. is not measurably harmed by years spent safely swaddled in a cardboard box on a warehouse shelf.

What about oil leaks? Shock absorbers and struts contain hydraulic oil. Truly ancient hydraulic seals made from materials now considered inferior might have “dried out” or otherwise lost their ability to seal over time, but Monroe shocks were made with modern seals even in the 1990s. These new/old Monroe shocks do not have any oil leaks. The mounting bushings also look identical to any more recently manufactured new bushings.

What about gas leaks? A “gas” shock or strut usually has nitrogen gas in the oil reservoir. A gas shock is not the same thing as an air shock. The nitrogen gas is primarily intended to help keep the oil from foaming when the shock cycles rapidly on washboard dirt roads or at high vehicle speeds. If the hydraulic oil foams, then the shock’s damping capacity is reduced. If the shock’s oil reservoir is not leaking oil then it probably is not leaking nitrogen gas either. One of the reasons nitrogen is now used to pump up tires is that nitrogen molecules are larger and less prone to leaking than oxygen and other components of air. Ambient “air” is 78% nitrogen, so there is no strong chemistry working to force the nitrogen out of the shock’s oil reservoir.

Even shocks that have been driven way beyond the 50,000-mile mark over many years usually do not fail because of oil or gas leaks. Modern shocks use multistage oil valves. Each valve is a calibrated metal disk that flexes to let oil flow through in response to different road conditions. The first stage valve opens in response to little bumps, the second stage valve opens in response to medium sized bumps and the third stage valve opens in response to big bumps. These valves are usually what wear out first. The metal valves fatigue and go limp after millions of openings. The first stage valve is the first to die because the vehicle is constantly exposed to little bumps and the valve is constantly cycling.

Multistage valves are one reason the old push-down-on-the-fender test for shocks is now almost useless. If the car keeps bouncing after a big push down on the fender, then that means the third stage, big-bump, valve is now worn out, the second stage valve has been worn out for awhile and the first stage valve has been worn out for a really long time. A shock that fails the fender-push test should have been replaced long ago. That shock absorber or strut has not been protecting the vehicle’s suspension parts and assisting with safe vehicle handling and braking.

Time will tell, but I bet I will continue to be very happy with the new, fifteen-year-old shocks on my thirty-year-old 300. We will see what my son, the handling expert, says the next time I let him behind the Chrysler’s wheel!

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

 

 

Charlie's 1980 Toyota Celica

Charlie's 1980 Toyota Celica

In 1979, I purchased my first new car: a 1979 Toyota Celica. I really liked that car and apparently so did my mom because in 1980 she bought one too (a 1980 model)! Well, my 1979 Celica is long gone, but mom kept hers and gave it to me a few years ago. She always kept it in the garage and I can honestly say that this car was literally driven by a little old lady! It has a whopping 83,000 miles on the odometer and I take her out for a spin maybe once a month or so. I even get the occasional "thumbs up" and positive comments along the way. As a new discoverer of RockAuto, I have only purchased rear brake cylinders for the Celica, but I am looking forward to many more deals on great parts as needed.

Thanks RockAuto!

Charlie in Florida

 

Share Your Hard Work

Do you purchase parts from RockAuto? If so, RockAuto would like to feature you & your car or truck in our monthly newsletter. New, old, import, domestic, daily driver, trailer queen, classic, antique, we want to see them all! Please e-mail flamur@rockauto.com with your vehicle's history, interesting details, your favorite images and what parts from RockAuto you have used.

 

 

Let RockAuto Help

Let RockAuto Help

Are you organizing a car show or other auto related event? From goody bag stuffers to gift certificates...we can help. We can even publicize your event in our newsletter.

Just send an e-mail to marketing@rockauto.com with information about your show.

 

 

Automotive Trivia Answer

Automotive Trivia

What is the primary reason there are three bumps (also known as pads or nibs) on the lens of a sealed beam headlight?

A. The bumps are the break-off points for glass made using mold-blown manufacturing.
B. The bumps begin the headlight assembly process as small orifices. One orifice is used to vacuum all the air out of the headlight. The other two orifices are used to subsequently inject inert gases. The orifices are typically hot sealed with glass.

Answer: C. The bumps are used to align old mechanical headlight aiming tools. In the US, the aiming bumps were even found on modern-style, plastic headlamp assemblies until 1991. Newer headlight aiming systems do not need the bumps, but the bumps are still built into new replacement sealed beam headlamps.

What is the primary reason there are three bumps (also known as pads or nibs) on the lens of a sealed beam headlight?

Back up to trivia question

 

 

 

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