Performance Unlimited Blog

The ad for new tires says $55. That’s not too bad, though four times $55 is $220. Then you have the other associated fees that run the price even higher – new valve stems, mandatory disposal fees for the old tires, etc. Oh, and did you notice the part of the ad where it reads “Starting at …” What does that mean? What that means is that $55 is for tires a little bigger than those on the wheelbarrow you used this weekend working on the garden. Let’s suppose you drive a 2010 Chevy Avalanche LTZ. The standard tire on that vehicle is a 275/55R20. The same place that offered tires starting at $55 charges $129 for the cheapest tire they have for your car. And, if you buy the cheapest tire, expect to feel the difference in the way it rides and handles. In fact, expect to replace it sooner than you would a better tire. So, what would you pay for a better tire from that location? The top selling tire this big box store offers is $226. That’s more than the cost of four of the baby tires at the s...

You’re used to seeing road along this stretch. Today, however, you see water instead. You slow to a stop as you contemplate the million-dollar question – “Can I drive through this water?” When water covers the road, as is the case recently with heavy rains, we occasionally find ourselves faced with the question above. It’s terribly inconvenient when the road is blocked. We come to depend on a particular route to go from home to the office, to the store or to visit friends. When the road is covered in water, the last thing we want to do is to backtrack to a detour. Why not just get up a good head of steam and plow right through? Why not plow right through? Because you might not make it through. And, if it’s convenient to use a detour, consider how inconvenient it can be if your vehicle is stuck in the middle of rising water. How do you get to dry land no less to your destination? In fact, depending on the storm conditions, have you put yourself and others in the vehicle in danger? Some...

If you don’t drink and drive, if you don’t text and drive, you’ve reduced two of the major factors that, as a result, could find you in an accident. Of course, there’s always the question of whether the ‘other’ driver was drinking or texting. Still, considering that somewhere around half of all auto accidents occur because of impaired driving, this is a significant way to improve your odds. Another major cause of accidents is driver error. You don’t see the red light or you don’t check your blind spot before switching lanes: those are just a couple of ways that driver error can land you in trouble. Once again, you have to ask, what about the other driver, too? Most likely you know better than to drink and drive. You’ve heard enough about accidents that occur because someone was busy texting instead of driving. You’re fastidious about paying attention when you drive. You’re constantly on your toes watching what other drivers are up to. Does this mean you’ll never have an accident? ...

“Winter potholes make driving here in the Midwest a brutal experience for cars and vehicles,” said Denny Norton, owner of Ringwood based Performance Unlimited auto repair shop. “Winter roads tend to knock a car’s alignment out of whack while roughing up your shocks, struts, steering and suspension.” Considering, Norton said spring is the best time of year to check out your alignment, steering and suspension. He said that, if you check it out now, your steering and suspension should be sitting pretty for the rest of the year. However, if you don’t have a trusted auto repair shop give your alignment, steering and suspension a check you could drive on faulty auto parts. The problem with driving on damaged steering and suspension parts is that, as with bad apples in a barrel, a rotten part will turn other parts bad around it. So, you could start out with a worn idler arm and wind up replacing bushings, bearings and other parts, too; a repair that is relatively inexpensive co...