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FCP Euro Service Kits

FCP Euro Kits

Making your car last a million miles can either be a joyful or a dreadful experience. If you’ve got a rust bucket that’s nearing a million miles out of necessity, I tip my hat to you. On the other hand, if you’ve got a car that you want to keep on driving into the sunset, then read along and maybe you’ll find a few more tips to keep your car on the road.

Last time I talked about maintaining the engine and transmission if you had any hope to make it to a million miles. This week, I will be talking about the body and suspension. Keeping these parts in tip-top shape will mean less fear of your car falling apart, and a generally more enjoyable ride to the other side of the country.

Rustproof your car

Rust is among the most evil occurrences in vehicle maintenance. Rust can break bolts, eat away frames, and send an otherwise running vehicle to car heaven. For those of you in the rust belt, its extremely important to keep the rust away from your car as much as possible.

The first step is to buy a few cans of spray-on undercoat. Jack your car up, and take a look underneath. Any exposed metal can easily be coated by some under spray. By sealing the metal from the salt and water, you’ll have less chance of nature doing a number on your frame.

Next, look at all the edges at the exterior body trim or molding. Over time, the trim can loosen and rub through the paint, exposing the metal. Use some touch-up paint to cover these areas so that rust bubbles don’t form. Look around the window frames as well as these have a tendency to collect water.

If you’re really worried, pull away some carpeting and inspect your floor. Its also important that you address any water leaks that allow water into the cabin.

If all else fails and rust is already eating away at your car, you can either cut away the rotted metal and weld some new pieces in, or call it a day and get a new car. Unfortunately, once rust has eaten away any major components, you better have some deep pockets of mad DIY welding skills.

Lubricate anything that moves

Find any hinges or moving components and lubricate them with a good silicone or lithium grease. Any part that starts to stick, especially motorized components like windows and sunroofs, will wear out more quickly. A smooth sliding surface is always better than a sticky/dirty one.

Second to lubrication are the door and window seals. Don’t let them dry out and crack! Take your silicone grease and spray down any rubber parts. Your rubber parts, and your wallet will thank you. Not to mention, any sealing surfaces will seal better, keeping out the elements.

Keep an eye on bushings and ball joints

Depending on the location, bushings may be worn without any obvious signs while in the car. The best way to check is to crawl under your car and look at them. Look for cracks or tears. Any indications as such are a warning sign to impending replacement.

Check all suspension links, tie rod ends, and ball joints. Wiggle the wheels around while they’re off the ground to try to find any loose components. Look for torn boots and covers as they do an essential job of protecting against dirt entering moving components.

In the steering system specifically, feel and listen for any movement and knocks. These may be attributed to ball joints, U-joints, end-links, or any combination. As I’ve mentioned before, do your best to replace systems instead of individual components because the wobble/noise will always travel to the weakest link.

Listen for creaks, groans, or clunks

Sometimes, the best diagnoses are from your ears. If you hear clunking, chances are that a bushing or ball joint is worn. Creaks and groans usually point to bushings, especially if you have any poly bushings on your car. If it doesn’t sound right, chances are that it really isn’t.

Stay tuned for part 3 where I’ll be covering everything else you need to know about helping your car reach 1 million miles.


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Written by :
Tim Wong

Tim is a Canadian from Windsor, with a knack for taking things apart, and sometimes putting them back together. He is a mechanical engineer by day and backyard mechanic by night. His mantra in life is to never break another bolt.


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