They make things to last as long as the consumer demands. Kids toys were not all built solidly when we were kids. Tonka was a high priced toy. Today they still make quality toys. I don't know if Tonka uses UV stabilizers, but I know there are some kids plastic playhouses that seem to last for many years outside.
Likewise I recall any number of metal toys that were assembled by bending sheet metal tabs over. You could do this once and possibly twice if you need to repair something, but try it a third time and the tabs would be in your hand. There have always been cheap toys.
Cars didn't get better until the Japanese showed the US consumer there was a choice. Detroit and Wolfsburg, etc only learned after the Japanese started eating their lunches.
You can adjust it with the tie-rod on the bench if you want to and are smart enough to figure out how many turns it takes. Only the measurement requires the suspension to be loaded.
Thanks for answering as I know that the measurement is what takes loading of the suspension.
I guess, at home, time isn't the issue, but it is a pain to load, measure, unload, adjust, load, measure (repeat).
Then again, it doesn't really matter if it takes a week to do the alignment as it's not a critical issue if it's close enough and not driven for long.
Of course, it has to be checked again after doing the camber and caster.
I forget the proper order from high school mechanics class. I think it's either caster, then camber, then toe? Or it might (offhand) be the other way around?
If toe is last, then unloading, adjusting, reloading makes more sense.
More quality in the manufacture along with the fact that a lot of the things that used to fail were replaced by computers that do a far better job that Mr Venturi. . When was the last time you replaced the old "points plugs and condenser" That used to be a once or twice a year thing.
You need a viscosity meter and the willingness to pay attention to it. You also can't spray an arc, you have to keep the spray perpendicular to the surface. And you have to move at the right speed. Lacquer is way more forgiving than enamel. We painted a school bus with white enamel, but it didn't look all that nice, although it was OK from a distance. A guy passing by saw it and traded his 58 Chevy pickup for it. A good bargain for us, anyway. We hauled our motorcycles in it for a lot of years and my son drove it back and forth to Berkeley for a year.
The Clymer manuals were better than the others, although the Ducati manual was kind of weird. It had a full-page labeled blowup of a spark plug and a full-page labeled blowup of the entire engine. I could have done without the sparkplug illustration. It also said that if I lost the key I should replace it with a piece of metal of similar size. Given that the key was made of 1/8" square stock, this was not unreasonable. I replaced it with three canopy switches which had to be positioned properly to let it start. You also had to prime the carb very carefully with 3 full-throttle kicks and then three no-throttle kicks. I'm sorry I gave it away.
No, but I think I replaced one, along with some wheel cylinders.
You mean like the woman in heels and pearls on the label of the snow-chain box? No.
Thread helps!
I cut my hands to ribbons on the first water pump -- the fan (which had to be removed) was attached with at least 4 bolts which could only move
1/4 turn without repositioning the 12-point box wrench, the only thing that would fit. I swore I'd never do that again no matter how much it cost -- until I found out how much it DID cost. Some of us are too cheap for our own good.
The old one wouldn't come out. I spent a lot of time with my fingers in an excellent position to be removed if the jack holding up the engine failed. I ended up just slapping the new one on top of the old one.
The ones I did were simple. The hard part was remembering how the damn springs on the drums went. I couldn't believe how easy pads were; it took me longer to find the C-clamp than to do the work :-(
That's true. Knowledge is good, but it comes at a price which I'm no longer willing to pay.
Hints from those who have done it are useful, of course.
I just hit the 3/4 century mark. I'm going for 1-1/4 :-)
Daughter did the Angel's Rest (?) thing in Zion. She's fortunate she didn't inherit my lack of endurance. I need to rest 3 times per 1-mile downhill ski run :-(
I suspect that better computer simulation, especially thermal modeling, has the most to do with it. There are manufacturing breakthroughs also, like bearing seals that actually seal the bearings, and better materials. Better anti-corrosion chemistry. Stuff like that.
My neighbor still has a "Step 2" picnic table and teeter totter we bought for our grand kids 15 years ago. His grand daughter is outgrowing it now but they are still holding up.
No, it's because of advances in metalurgy, lubrication, manufacturing, and to a VERY large extent, advances in engine controls.
Lead free gasoline has a LARGE effect on the improvement of engine life, as along with the lead, phosphorous was also virtually eliminated in the fuel. This means a lot less acids in the oil, exhaust, etc. With the replacement of carb and chike with EFI, there is less fuel dilution - and electronic ignition and timing advance just adds to the improvements. In 1959, the auto was still an adolescent - it has matured over the ensuing decades in SO many ways.
Rust and corrosion control has come SO far, even since the eighties that there is really no reason a car body should rust today - and the bodies, although MUCH lighter, do last 2, 3, even 5 times as long.
Car finishes as well - was not uncommon for a 3 or 4 year old car to require a repaint in the old days - now MOST go to the scrapyard wearing their original coat of paint - - - - even with water based paints!!!!
Often TWICE a year - spring and fall tuneups were common.
Even spark plugs go 100,000 km plus - - -
Better design, engine controls, lubricants, and no more leaded gas.
Most did - but there were (natable) exceptions. Also, how long have you been driving? What is the oldest car you have owned??
I just had the control board on my 26? year old range rebuilt by a company ib Montral for something like $150 -- compare that to replacement of a high end range -$950 to $1200
It has an elecro-luminescent display that had gotten so dim it could not be read any more.
It'd the suspense that kills you. My Harley has a belt drive and the belt failed at around 45000. No sign of damage or deterioration just a clean break. I rode to work in the morning, came out, started the engine, let the clutch out and didn't go anyplace.
Replacement is fairly easy on a Sportster but Harley is very proud of their belts, around $150 iirc. All things considered that's cheaper than chains if you put significant miles on a bike.
The bike I have that has tube tires is a DR650, dual spot, enduro, whatever you want to call it. I'm not sure if you ever tell if the tire was balanced with knobbies. Dunlop 606s are really rough but the Kendas I have on now aren't a Cadillac smooth ride.
You get good at changing them because those style of tires are good for about 6000 miles at the outside.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.