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Shop Press

Shop Press is the news and idea hub for everything related to working on cars and trucks, focusing on repair, technology, and wrenching lifestyle.

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Give your customers extra grease

I’ve mentioned the easy business you can score by offering to perform trailer service for customers that pull. When doing a job not long ago, someone asked me why I was adding lubricant to the dust caps. It’s a fair question. When getting into bearings, I know I’m...

This tungsten scraper is my new favorite tool.

Disclaimer: I purchased this tool at full retail price at my own expense, with no compensation to write about the item. I was watching a video the other day of Eric O. at South Main Auto replacing a manifold on a Pentastar. We have a little experience with that here...

Polishing headlights vs. replacing them! (VIDEO)

Description Yellowed, hazy headlights aren’t just ugly; they can reduce a headlight’s effectiveness for your customers. Would you rather polish the old lenses, or simply install a Dorman replacement?Related Videos

Parallel connectors vs. butt connectors

Dorman makes an item to join wires, the parallel connector, that is both helpful and widely misunderstood. If one reads reviews of these, they’re often rather negative. More than a cursory examination yields the issue, however: these are often purchased mistakenly by...

Vehicle weights are increasing. Can your lifts handle it?

Average vehicle weights in the United States have steadily increased since the mid 1980s, driven by sustained consumer demand for vehicles with more power, features, and room. Hybrid and electric vehicles can be especially heavy with their batteries and motors,...

Diagnostics case study: don’t overcomplicate things

A vehicle recently came to me that made me feel pretty terrible. The customer was not happy, and I know for a fact the shop lost money on the job, so presumably they were unhappy, too. The vehicle—and scenario—seemed ripe for a quick story, because there were so many...

5 unconventional brake job tips

5 unconventional brake job tips

by | Jul 12, 2022

We’ve all read articles on brake jobs and are familiar with the standard tips. Check the rotor thickness and runout. Pay attention to pad wear patterns. Don’t add fluid to the system when pads are worn. Blah, blah, blah. Here’s another list of tips that’s slightly...
Quick tip for greasing clogged fittings

Quick tip for greasing clogged fittings

by | Jun 30, 2022

I’m showing my age a bit, but when I write a car up for a LOF job, while I’m undercar I’m sniffing around looking for spots to hit with my grease gun. Many newer cars have nothing at all, but an older truck? There might be a dozen. Older tractors and motorcycles,...
Which type of salvage yard do you prefer?

Which type of salvage yard do you prefer?

by | Jun 28, 2022

In the world of salvage auto parts, most yards fall into one of two camps: you-pull-it and full-serve. You-pull-it yards are just what they sound like: bring your tools; you’ll be removing the parts you need. Full-serve is just the opposite; you call up and either...
VIDEO: The fastest way to remove a wiper arm

VIDEO: The fastest way to remove a wiper arm

by | Jun 23, 2022

VIDEO: The fastest way to remove a wiper arm Description We’ve all gotten stuck using a pry bar, the smallest two-jaw puller in the toolbox, or a block of wood and a mallet to free a wiper arm, but there’s an easier way—a Dorman Wiper Arm Tool. Watch as...
Serviceability Hall Of Shame: captive chassis mounts

Serviceability Hall Of Shame: captive chassis mounts

by | May 10, 2022

In today’s SHOS, I’d like to discuss captive chassis bolts. You’ll find these holding things like subframes and control arms to unibody chassis, and probably in some other spots, too. In this article, I’m showing the way Dodge chose to mount the first-gen Dakota cabs...