Mainstream auto advice - improve your car
 

This article appeared on Yahoo 10 bolt-on auto performance upgrades that really work - Yahoo! Autos

It listed bolt on improvements to add to your car to add performance or handling. Who of you would do any of the advised modifications?

I have four very different cars. '83 300SD, 87 Toyota MR2, '95 Mitsubishi 3000GT, 2012 Toyota Camry. I can't imaging making any of those mods on any of my cars.

If I was made of money, maybe the coil-overs for MR2 or the 3000GT, but the cost is about half of what each car is worth. I don't race either car, so what is the gain against the rougher ride?

Do you think any of the improvements are worth the price for your car?

I'm sure PM got paid handsomely for featuring those company's products in that advertisement - and that's all that article was, an advertisement masquerading as an article.

Depending on the vehicle, larger/wider tires and braided metal brake hoses can be a good idea - but not necessarily the exact same products featured in the article.

Cold air intakes and larger exhausts? Can make some noticeable difference on a diesel - next to useless on a gasser from what I've heard - lot of money for minimal difference at best - and I've heard if you lower the exhaust backpressure too much on some gassers, you risk burning up exhaust valves.

High quality brake pads are ALWAYS a good idea - but again, not necessarily the high-tech racing pads featured.

"Bolt On's" are for pansies. :D Hardcore modders shy away from parts in catalogs. :rolleyes:


The only thing on that list that's on MY list is the braided stainless brake lines. I've already got ceramic pads on all 4 with uprated rotors in the rear. It's got a LOT of stopping power but a little more would never hurt.

Sway Bars definitely, shocks and springs, maybe, on the right car. Wider tires, no point IMO but some stickier summer tires, definitely.

For daily driver duty, why bother? If you stand on the brakes, do all corners lockup or kick on the abs? If so, we've reached the limits of the tires, not the brakes. Brakes in good condition should usually have enough power to slow down the car, even at WOT.

~Nate

this is an interesting article concerning stainless steel brake lines versus traditional rubber.....

Stainless Steel Braided Brake Lines

Well, it looks Popular Mechanics is now in the business of peddling aftermarket stuff like every other car magazine and car TV show.

I have done all of them one time or another except the stainless lines and the special engine mounts.

Hmmm, I have wider/taller tires, lift kit with taller shocks, 5" straight pipe, heavier duty brake pads, stainless lines, and AFE cold air intake all on my GMC... O_O

I remind people that believe that "race technology" is always better than factory . . . that most racing cars never see the range of road surfaces, weather or miles that the family car does. Further, most daily drivers don't maintain and wrench their cars as well or as often. The biggest example is conversion to heim joint thrust and control arms, or the installation of strut tower bars. Both tend to need regular inspection for wear and adjustment, and in the case of the tower bars, inspection for sheetmetal stress cracking of the strut tower areas from the added stress.

Agreed. If any of the vehicles listed already meet your needs as far as being a daily driver or performance, why bother?

That said, if the stock components on a vehicle leave something to be desired as far as reliability, performance, and safety - then upgrading them in a sensible manner - not throwing hyped-up expensive eye candy on it as was displayed in that article - does make sense.

Braided metal brake lines do make sense from a safety and reliability standpoint - rubber brake hoses do age and can fail after time - the inner linings have been known to come loose and act like a check valve, causing the brakes to lock up or not apply.

Cheap brake pads are an accident waiting to happen, and can ruin the rotors as well, making for an expensive fix. A set of house brand pads from a certain auto supply store ruined the front rotor on my first 87 300D when the glue holding on the steel backing pad melted, and the plate dropped down and sliced into the rotor hub.

My 05 Jeep Liberty came stock with 225/75/16 tires - tall narrow minivan tires, on a top-heavy 4000 lb SUV. Felt like the beast was always in danger of rolling over when going around a corner at speed. Switching to 245/70/16 tires greatly improved the stability and handling.

Same for the factory shocks and springs on the Jeep - cheap junk that was worn out long before I replaced them at 50k miles - but then, a decent set of plain Monroe shocks and quickstrut assemblies put it to rights - not a uber off-road suspension setup for multiples of 4 figures as some advocate.

Most of the stuff in that article was nothing but eye candy for the young buck gearheads that haven't learned yet what works and what doesn't.

Depends on the vehicle, and whether or not YOU are happy with the way it handles and performs.

Yup another crappy car upgrade article written by non gearheads

Fuel injected cars won't burn the valves. On a carbureted car if you don't reject or adjust, you run the risk of running lean due to reduced scavenging and then you can possible burn stuff up.

As for stainless lines, this is a necessary upgrade for any motorcycle-you will get a huge increase in performance when swapping rubber for braided.

I have 1,2,3,6 and 8 on my 190E..

Note my sig.... my wagon, while a daily driver, makes considerably more power than stock. That said, stainless lines give a firmer pedal feel because they expand less under pressure than rubber lines allowing more braking power sooner.

One of the problems I see with folks that would take this article for face value is that much of these "go-fast" goodies get purchased and bolted on by wanabees thinking that they have somhow found an extra 40-50 horses as a result of the swap! :rolleyes:

The other issue, is that the same crowd does so with a 10-15 year old platform with aged or compromised OEM parts, that are now even more stressed when some "race-ready" part is installed!