Performance Unlimited Blog

Are you and your vehicle prepared for the challenge? Warmer weather is settling over the McHenry area while the soil is retaining enough moisture to promise ample splattered evidence that brings a sparkle to the eye of the dyed-in-the-wool offroader who considers dirt on the fenders a badge of honor. Yes, it’s time to hit the road, and then leave the road, with your off-road monster of choice. Of course, this is not the territory for the bashful or the unattended amateur. You need to know what you’re doing. You need to understand ground clearance. You need to think before you leap into that approaching ‘puddle.’ You also want to make sure that your Jeep, Land Rover, Ram, 4Runner or, uhm, Prius, is ready for the occasion. In the case of the Prius, the best way to prepare for offroading is to stay on the road. But those other mountain masters are made for the ‘dusty trails.’ It’s in their DNA. Still, maintenance and thorough inspections are critical before you head out. Knowing your vehi...

Did you ever pull out of your Johnsburg driveway, head down the road and not find yourself surprised when your car, truck or SUV broke down? When are automotive breakdowns expected? Did you ever call your boss to tell them you’d be late when leaving home for work: “I just wanted to let you know I’ll be late today. My engine is going to overheat halfway there.” Those conversations don’t happen because people don’t like to breakdown on the road somewhere. If there’s a problem with your car, truck or SUV, you want to deal with it on your own terms. You want to bring it to a shop near your Johnsburg home before you’re stuck somewhere waiting for a tow truck. The real key is to perform regular maintenance as prescribed in the owner’s manual. The auto manufacturer knows what to expect in terms of when different parts need service or replacement. Conduct this maintenance on time, and you’ll probably avoid unexpected breakdowns. Think about it this way: while performing maintenance, even somet...

A jar of jam is a sweet idea here in the McHenry area. But there is nothing sweet about a jar from your car hitting a post-winter pothole. Hit the pothole hard enough and your teeth may float in your mouth a bit while your spine coils and uncoils painfully. Then there’s the question of what that pothole is doing to your car. Cars are designed taking potholes into account. Suspensions are built to reduce the shock of uneven roads. But not all cars are built for offroad driving. And when a bit of the offroad spoils the McHenry asphalt where you’re driving, those irregularities can test your car’s suspension, steering and alignment. Even your tires and wheels are required to be up to the challenge. Even an offroad vehicle, with a suspension built for the most extreme terrain, will experience wear and tear. What will a similar surface do to a vehicle primarily designed for finished roads? Hit just one McHenry pothole hard enough and a litany of damage can occur. And that list is not necess...

Whether you’ve noticed or not, it’s coming. It comes this time every year – road construction. Flaggers will appear with signs that say ‘STOP’ on one side and ‘SLOW’ on the other (not sure why they call them ‘flaggers’ anymore since they don’t actually use flags anymore). You’ll also see more of those intrusive species – the road horses and hazard cones dotting the highways. And in among them, along with rock crushers, road graders, bulldozers, asphalt spreaders, etcetera, you’ll see those two-legged creatures of the species homo sapiens. This particular family of the species are easily identified by their fluorescent plumage.  You don’t want to hit the road cones or the road-construction equipment because of what it will do to your car. You really, really don’t want to hit one of the roadworkers because of what it can do to your liberty, wallet and peace of mind.  When you come upon a flock of road workers and their various utensils, you’re asked to slow down. This is a good ...