Performance Unlimited Blog

Makayla Huff, in Performance Unlimited car No. 22 was one of 28 competitors last Saturday in the McHenry Kiwanis Soap Box Derby. John Street in McHenry was transformed last Saturday from a residential roadway, on the southern edge of the downtown shopping district, to a speedway where racers finished the final tweaking of their racecars in preparation for the 13th consecutive McHenry Kiwanis Soap Box Derby. Just east of 4th Street is a high point on Johns Street. Here were placed two ramps to give the racers a boost as they started racing downhill past Green Street. One car is placed on each ramp and the starting blocks are interconnected so that, when the lever is thrown, both cars start off simultaneously. The derby was a double-elimination race that included 28 racers and required 63 heats in identically prepared stock Soap Box Derby cars. The winner was Allison Hunt, age 10, but only by seven-hundredths of a second. Narrowly falling to second place was eight-year-old Eugene...

It’s a good idea to keep your hands on the steering wheel when driving. An auto repair technician, however, may violate that reasonable premise. An auto repair technician may take a car for a test ride. Finding a straight, flat road, they’ll wait until there isn’t any traffic to contend with and, then, they’ll take their hands off the steering wheel. When letting go of the steering wheel, the auto repair technician will carefully observe the vehicle’s reaction. What they’re looking for is pull; they want to see if the car wants to pull one way or the other. Pull, or drift, is a strong indication that a vehicle requires a front-end alignment. With the wheels properly aligned, the car should track down a straight, flat road. Proper front-end alignment takes into account the slope of the road. Roads are crowned in the center and low on the edges so the water can roll down into the gutters when it rains. Taking a car for a test drive can give an auto repair technician other clues abo...

Summer has at last arrived. Good thing your air conditioning is working. One day soon, you’ll come out to the car on a 90-plus day and find that it’s a virtual oven in there. As soon as you slide into the driver’s seat, beads of sweat will appear on your brow. It’ll almost burn to touch the steering wheel. But, no problem; you’ll turn on the AC and, within minutes, nice cool air will pour out of the vents. You may find yourself driving down the road thinking how nice the cold air feels in your face. And it is nice. You’ll drive along thinking how nice it is and telling yourself how soon you’ll feel nice and comfortable. You may say that to yourself again, and even again. At some point, you’re liable to have a discouraging thought spoil the moment: “Is it taking longer for the AC to cool the car?” No, there’s a good chance that isn’t your imagination. Automotive air conditioning doesn’t often stop working all at once. It’s not a matter of it works or it doesn’t; rather, it’s a matt...

A recent post from the Northwest Herald recommends that car owners demand that their auto repair shops have ASE-certified technicians. That’s good advice. ASE is the shortened acronym for the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. Since 1972, this non-profit organization has worked ensure that auto service technicians have the skills and training to properly repair your car. But, there is more to the consideration when you decide where to bring your vehicle for service. The answer to that question includes consideration of the tools of the trade that they use in your auto repair shop. Their auto technicians may have the latest in automotive service training but is their automotive service equipment at the cutting edge of technology? Performance Unlimited is an example an auto repair services provider that is committed to providing its ASE auto service technicians with the tools and equipment necessary to do their job right. To that end, owner Denny Norton recen...