Reviews about Auto Parts

DUISparky says "Great look and exceptional quality" about Linby - Linbar - Part # 603-1 for Yamaha V-Star 650 Custom/Classic

DUISparky — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:19:29 GMT

I know both of you have been waiting for several months in great anticipation of my final product review of the 2009 calendar year. I know that I still have a few weeks left in which to do this, and as Slacker-In-Chief I really should wait, but I know something else will come up and it won't get done until next year. That's not so bad really, but ... I got nuthin!

So here we go! Back in July, you may remember, I took the cruiser down to my brother's place in the middle of the desert at Lake Powell, UT. It was during this 1,000 mile trip that I came to the following conclusion: The case guards and highway pegs on my ride kinda sucked. They were uncomfortable, to say the least.

What to do? One of the other guys down there has a Harley and I was checking out the crash bars on it one day. They were very uniquely shaped and looked quite comfortable. He gave me the name of the manufacturer, Linby, so when I got home I did a little investigatin' over the net. I knew I had a 1,400 mile ride coming...

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bkovacs says "Expensive pads are no better than cheaper brands" about Hawk - High-Performance Street (HPS) brake pads

bkovacs — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:36:22 GMT

My brother raved about Hawk brake pads, so when my 1995 Subaru Legacy wagon needed pads a few years ago, I looked for a set of Hawk pads. I found them at The Tire Rack, one of my favorite online stores, at a cost of about $65. At the time (2005), a set of cheapie pads at any autoparts store cost around $30, so Hawk pads were at least twice as expensive. Still, I had dreams of high performance and low dust, so I paid the permium for Hawk HPS pads.

What they are

Hawk sells lots of different brake pads and the HPS is targeted at "spirited" street driving. Most of the rest of Hawk's line is meant for racing or combined street/racing applications. "HPS" stands for "High Performance Street," and the company promised strong braking and minimal dust. Since brake dust looks awful on my plastic wheel covers, I was in favor of low brake dust.

A set of Hawk HPS pads includes four pads -- enough for both front wheels on my car. The specific part number I bought was HB408F.665.

Using them

I installed...

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kiserkristi says "Prestone Windshield De-Icer works wonders" about Prestone - Windshield De-Icer

kiserkristi — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:07:59 GMT

After many mornings of scraping ice in the freezing morning air, I decided to buy this de-icer spray to speed up the process in the mornings when I don't have much time. This de-icer spray works fast and melts even the thickest ice. I am extremely impressed by the quality of this product and the convenience that it gives me. If I am pressed for time in the mornings all I have to do is spray this on the windows/windshield with the defroster on in my car and depending on the thickness of the ice/snow I can wipe the windshield once and go within seconds/minutes. It has a dual action trigger that allows you to either spray a stream of fluid for thick ice and snow, or a spray setting that lightly mists a larger area for thin ice. The bottle is very easy to hold onto, even with thick gloves on. If I use this product in the morning, less ice sticks to my windows/windshield overnight, making it very easy to remove ice in the morning. They call it "refreeze protection" and it does just that.

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CharlieVictor says "Dissatisfied with use on both my vehicles" about Anco - Anco Contour Wiper Blades

CharlieVictor — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:28:21 GMT

These are horrible wipers. I don't usually give in to the latest craze, but seeing this style utilized on the newer VW, Mercedes and Jaguars I decided it must be an improvement. I found these not to work well in any scenario. The curve is not solid enough to make complete contact with the windscreen and gets worse over 50 Mph. At freeway speeds, their useless. The usable range at a stop light is 2" shy of each tip of the wipers increasing to 4-5" at freeway speeds. They also lift off the windscreen at speed and leave huge areas un-wiped. Huge safety issue. Not having a support system at the ends means no matter how strong of a arm spring you use makes no difference at the tips. They also cost twice as much as the "tried & trued" conventional blades. Yes, the conventional style isn't perfect, even a pain in ice/snow, but can be remedied with long known techniques. You will make a big mistake giving in to these. Definitely not worth the extra money.

I originally bought these for my 05+ Toyota...

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bkovacs says "Fits perfectly... but where's it made?" about CarQuest - EV257 Inner Tie-rod

bkovacs — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:39:40 GMT

OH NO!! My car failed its annual safety inspection due to worn inner tie-rods. There are two types of tie-rods on most cars (inner and outer), and the inspecting mechanic said that the inner tie-rods on my 1995 Subaru Legacy were shot. He actually showed me the looseness of the tie-rods.

Since I do almost all my own car work, I went to a CarQuest auto-parts store and bought replacement tie-rods. The tie-rods were surprisingly cheap, costing only about $25 each. The rubber boots protecting the tie-rods on my car were cracked and failing, but I had bought those previously and had planned to replace them before. Good thing I didn't replace the boots, as it turned out to be a lot of work to replace the tie-rods, and the boots get replaced when the tie-rods are replaced. My 1995 Subaru used CarQust part number EV257.

What it is

Take a look at the pictures to the above right. (Just click on a thumbnail.) An inner tie-rod is a long straight steel rod that connects the car's steering rack to the...

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GANGSTER602 says "THE BEST CREATION EVER" about Chevrolet - Camaro Car Seats

GANGSTER602 — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 02:59:45 GMT

THE CHEVROLET CAMARO IS ONE OF THE BEST THING POEPLE HAVE INVENTED. WE NEVER GO ANY WHERE WITHOUT THE CHEVROLET CAMARO. THE CHEVROLET CAMARO IS THE ONE THING THAT PUTS ME AT EAS. IT IS TO KNOW THAT MY KIDS ARE SAFE ON ON THE ROAD. IT IS ONE THE THINGS THAT MY FAMILY EVER GOT. THE CHEVROLET CAMARO IS THE FIRST THING WE EVER PUT IN THE CAR.

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PAULPRO says "Great traction and fine ride" about BF Goodrich - Traction TA Radial Tires

PAULPRO — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:56:44 GMT

Researching tires is difficult. Each manufacturer says its tires are best. There are not enough independent tests to make a good judgement. Everyone's driving habits are different. Most auto websites with tire reviews do not reflect real world conditions. The reviewers' opinions are useless because they are only looking at performance, have two or three sets of tires for each season and/or racing, and wear out their tires by 10K because they are aggressive drivers. I suppose those reviews would be fine if I lived in a Southern climate and drove a Rice Rocket. Consumer Reports does not do tire reviews frequently enough or of enough different types to be of help.

I have a 1998 Subaru Outback Limited Wagon. The original tires were Michelin All Season radials. Having never had good luck with OEM Michelins on my wife's Grand Voyagers, this set did not surprise me. After the first set on our first Grand Voyager in 1988, we replaced the original Michelins immediately after...

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MamboDave says "Good tire for the money" about Definity - Dakota A/T light truck tire

MamboDave — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:06:05 GMT

I bought the largest size Dakota tires for my '99 F-150 4x4, and have been happy with them

Back when I was researching the tires offered in the size I wanted, all the reviews were conflicting. It seemed the best 4x4 tires in the Dakota's class, as per the reviews, were being rated well for lighter trucks, but they'd do poorly on full-sized trucks.

I was willing to spend up to $200 a tire if, and only if, I could find a tire that had everything I wanted. After weeks of reading everything peronsal owners had to say about their tires I still didn't even have any main contenders (I did when I started, but they fell by the wayside). So I just gave up and went to Pep Boys for these. I figured that, at the price, I couldn't go too wrong.

In the end I don't think I found the tire I was lookng for, but these have served me well enough that I'm getting ready to replace them with the very same.

Even on my F-150, unless it is fully-loaded (read: over-loaded), these tires' pressure capability...

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Stinkusmcgee says "A great gift!" about Rain-X - Winter Windshield Blades

Stinkusmcgee — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:10:47 GMT

My daughter received a set of the Rain-X Winter Windshield Blades from her Grandmother as a gift last Christmas. Strange I know, but my daughter had requested new wiper blades. She's attending school in eastern Washington, which meant frequent trips over the mountain pass. She could never be quite sure what type of weather to expect, so a good set of wiper blades was important. She loved them. Raved about how well they worked in rain, sleet and snow. The family all jumped on the band wagon and ask Grandma for wiper blades. Me included. Over the last 8 months, on our birthdays, we've all receive Rain-X Winter Windshield Blades from G-ma. I'll never change to anything else.

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doug1215 says "Protecting my family and business, Goodyear Triple Tred Tires " about Goodyear - Assurance TripleTred Tires

doug1215 — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:34:41 GMT

My wife and I own a small wholesale business in Lake Charles,La. ,along with raising two kids.

The best insurance for the company is having Great Tires ( all weather stopping power).

Both family and business changed from the Hydo-Edge Michelin to the Good Year Triple Tred and find them to have the best all weather stopping power.

When you have something to protect, there no better insurance than Good Year Triple Tred!

Sounds like a commercial, but my family and company mean everything.

Douglas Olcsvary Menard Electronics Lake Charles, Louisiana

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xtine316 says "Toughest longest lasting liner there is" about Line-X - Spray On Bed Liners

xtine316 — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:18:40 GMT

We got into the Spray liner business a years back and since then we have sprayed almost ever brand of bed liner out there. Line-x is the most expensive but its the only liner that doesnt peel up over time. It is the only liner that we have sprayed that the customers do not come back a year or two later complaining. It costs us more to spray it but it is worth it. We learned if you pay a little more up fron t you get a lot less headache down the road.

I might be biased, but definately knowledgable about all bed liner brands.

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ear7 says "Don't forget to take your receipt to AutoZone." about Auto Zone - Battery

ear7 — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:06:32 GMT

We went into AutoZone to buy a car battery because we were told that our battery was about to die. It actually lasted us about 4 more months and then died. When you a buy a car battery at Auto Zone they charge you $12 to bring your battery back and then you take it back and they give you your $12 back it called a "core charge". Well my husband took the battery back in our newer car forgetting the receipt was in our old car. We brought the receipt back 2 hours later and they would not give us our refund of $12. They told us all the batteries had there receipts and their were none that did not. We normally love Auto Zone but this was quite disturbing. So the next day I had to call Auto Zone's manager and he was quite nice to refund us. He told us he was very sorry for the bad customer service and that was not typical for Auto Zone. Just remember to bring you reciept or you may have to go through the run around like we did.

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RockStarAutoGlass says "Rock Star Auto Glass, serving Phoenix auto glass for 10 years!" about Rock Star Auto Glass - Rock Star Auto Glass

RockStarAutoGlass — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:46:10 GMT

Rock Star Auto Glass Has been steadily replacing auto glass & broken windshields in the greater Phoenix Arizona area for over 10 years. In fact, as an astute reporter, I made it a point to have my auto glass replaced by Rock Star Auto Glass (yes, I had been driving with a cracked windshield for almost a year) before writing about the company.

Knowing I had this report to write I finally decided to have the auto glass replaced at my office in Phoenix. I was determined, however, to make this the most grueling windshield replacement Rock Star Auto Glass had ever endure with any customer.

The first dastardly deed on my list was to act like a total airhead when reporting the windshield claim to my insurance company. Between forgetting my insurance policy number, and telling the Rock Star Auto Glass customer service rep she should be able to look up my policy number in her system (which is clearly wrong) the CSR kept her cool and was quite polite, even against my greatest attempts.

Next on...

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bkovacs says "Easy way to add a new fused circuit in a car" about Littlefuse - FHA200BP Add-A-Circuit Adapter

bkovacs — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 01:31:07 GMT

I was having some car problems a few months ago and needed a way to test a circuit in the car. At the auto parts store, I found the Littlefuse FHA200BP Add-A-Circuit adapter, which is actually a little gizmo that is used to add another electrical circuit to a car. However, it worked perfectly for my testing and it may come in handy the next time I have to install a car stereo.

I paid about $4.50 for the Littlefuse FHA200BP Add-A-Circuit adapter.

What it is

The Littlefuse FHA200BP Add-A-Circuit adapter takes a single fused circuit and splits it into two circuits. On one side, it has two blades that mimic the blades of a modern automotive fuse. On the other side, it has two sets of slots for two fuses. To use it, you have to pull a fuse from the car's fuse box and push the Littlefuse FHA200BP Add-A-Circuit adapter into the now-empty fuse slot. Then take the fuse that you removed and install it on the other side of the Littlefuse FHA200BP Add-A-Circuit adapter.

There remains another fuse...

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SandraD725 says "Smooth, quite, good handling tire!" about Goodyear - Viva2 Tires

SandraD725 — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:37:26 GMT

I bought 4 of these tires at my local Wal-Mart. After going to 4 tire companys and getting quotes, I found this to be the best tire for the money. I was looking for a V rated tire but found out they were out of my league in price. This tire is an H rated. As soon as I drove off I knew these were the tires for me. Smooth quite good handling tire. I hope they last at least to 50,000 (65,000) advertised. I had bridgestone tires on my car and they did not last 45,000, the price difference between these Goodyears and Bridgestone was around $200.00. I am completely happy so far.

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tdenis says "Decent Tire for Passenger Car Use!" about Goodyear - Viva2 Tires

tdenis — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:29:26 GMT

Just purchased a set of Goodyear Viva 2 tires from WalMart (6/18/09) and placed them on 2005 Nissan Altima. I travel 100 mile round trip every working day as commute. While I drive the speed limit (+ or - 5 mph), 95% of my mileage is highway driving. But I encounter multiple roadtop surfaces that are demanding on a tire - from very smooth to irritatingly rough & noisey.

I may change my mind as time goes by, but am certainly satisfied with the comfort and quietness of this set. Car seems to hold tracking well and ride is quiet and comfortable... (a necessity for my 50+ year old rearend!)

While this tire has been touted for the new low resistance roll factor technology for fuel economy, I've not had long enough to see if there is any difference from my current average of 29.18 mpg. However, I plan to do updates to this post.

My last (going home) - or first (going to work) stretch of road (approximately 7 miles) is a single lane winding and twisting road that when 2 cars...

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jimflutes says "Up grades any cars interior,fantastic customer service. " about NaturalAutoProducts - Car floor mats Cocomats

jimflutes — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:24:12 GMT

This a review of car floor mats made from palm leaves,which makes them a very eco-green product. They are very stong, and very good looking. I am always on the look out for the best custom made products for my car,these were a real find. They come in a lot of styles and colors and designs. They are much stronger then the high end nylon mats,and come with the best rubber(not vinyl) heel pad that I have seen so far,and I have plenty of custom made car mats. They are Coco Mats,and sold by Natural Auto Products on line. There are many Coco Mats on the net ,but these are the best by far,and yes they are more exspensive,but in my opinion worth it. Now the best part is that Jeff,the owner,stands behind his products 100%. I know this to be a fact ,because a slight mix up was handled very positive and to my satisfaction. This is an old school company that makes a great product and stands behind what they say. This is the main reason that I am writting this review. www.cocomats.com...

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AverageConsumerGuy says "'bout as nervous as a long tail cat in a room full of rockers" about Goodyear - Viva2 Tires

AverageConsumerGuy — Tue, 26 May 2009 15:31:48 GMT

I just bought a set of 4 Goodyear Viva 2 for my Dodge Intrepid. I usually do a lot of homework on stuff before I buy it, but didn't this time. The previous tires were real champs but were not available at Walmart. I was looking for comfort on the highway, no noise, and handling in wet weather. I'm two weeks into these tires and am not too happy. I travel Interstate frequently and it's been rainy this month. Frankly, I feel like I am on a amusement park ride, their is little confidence in the stability like I had with the other tires. I hydroplaned twice already traveling at a safe speed. I never had this problem in the past. I was advised to check air pressure.....hmm... anyway if I could get my money back I would. Riding with these tires I am 'bout as nervous as a long tail cat in a room full of rockers.

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dukegrl says "I had no idea great tires could make such a difference!" about Michelin - Latitude Tour

dukegrl — Mon, 04 May 2009 20:21:40 GMT

I am not much of a car person, so I thought tires were tires. I can't begin to tell you how wrong I was, better tires make such a difference. I drive alot since I am in school, and live about four hours from my family so good tires are a necessity. I always knew to keep my tire pressure at optimum levels, but since I replaced my old worn out tires...WOW. I did a lot of researching before I purchase my replacements, and I couldn't be more pleased with the results. I feel like I just bought a new car. The noise level(which I didn't know was caused by the tires) is GONE, I had no idea my car could drive so quietly. It handles much better in rainy conditions, and it rides so smoothly it feels like I'm riding in a luxury sedan rather than my sporty SUV.

I absolutely love my Michelin Latitude Tour tires, and I highly recommend them to anyone looking to upgrade their tires! They have worked wonders for my driving experience in my Ford Escape!!

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Bruce-in-TN says "Goodyear Assurance Tripletreads just don't quit!" about Goodyear - Assurance TripleTred Tires

Bruce-in-TN — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 20:48:07 GMT

Bought a 1999 Honda Accord 4-door V6 with these tires on it 23 months ago. Tires had about 10k miles on them. I've put @68,000 miles more on them, and they still have probably 10k miles to go - these tires are unbelievable!

I have had them rotated and balanced about every 12-15k miles.

I do a lot of highway driving with my job, and these tires have been awesome - very very smooth at 75+mph, with an acceptable level of road noise. Excellent handling in all road conditions in TN/N. Alabama. I really couldn't ask for a better tire, and will be purchasing another set without any thought about alternatives!

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