For all the owners of Toyota Tundra trucks, it would be advisable to make a periodic check of your chassis. Reports have it that some owners have been complaining about severe frame rust which may eventually lead to broken brake lines and loosening spare tires. The year models affected are 2000 and 2001 and covers about 218,000 vehicles. There have already been reports of underbody-mounted spare tire separations from the rear crossmember and broken brake lines. Fortunately, no accidents have been reported yet so take the initiative and check or observe these parts from time to time.

If investigations reveal that these are indeed Toyota’s fault once again, it may become the second recall after the celebrated floormat design unintended acceleration defect. Worse, it can really dampen the brand image of Toyota, something it doesn’t need right now with their floundering sales due to the recession.

(Source) Press

Tags: acceleration, Accidents, brand image, chassis, floormat, initiative, investigations, models, rear crossmember, recession, rust proofing, separations, spare tire, spare tires, Toyota, toyota tundra, trucks

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The City of Santa Monica becomes the first region to purchase and make use of the first US built electric trucks called the ZeroTruck. This purchase of the ZeroTruck signals the start of the eco-friendly drive of the City of Santa Monica as far as their Sustainability Plan to reduce carbon emissions and the incremental reduction of fuel use.

This truck meets the needs of our Water Division and the goals of our Sustainable City Plan to reduce emissions and reduce our use of petroleum. A zero emission medium-duty truck is something that has never been available to us until now.”

The ZeroTruck is a medium duty truck that is based on the Isuzu N series chassis, the only US built electric vehicle offered in the United States. It boasts of a low cab forward design, automatic transmission and can go up to 100 miles. It likewise comes with advanced lithium batteries, an onboard battery charger, regenerative braking, and powered by a UQM PowerPhase 100 advanced electric motor.

(Source) Press

Tags: automatic transmission, carbon emissions, chassis, electric trucks, electric vehicle, Isuzu, lithium, lithium batteries, medium duty truck, onboard battery charger, petroleum, united states, zero emission

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Going small is the solution that many deem to resolve the whole fuel efficiency issue but how small is small? Well for this native British guy, it measures an absurd 39 inches tall, 26 inches wide and 51 inches long! 47 year old Terry Watkins has built one of the possibly smallest cars we have seen today which makes use of a motor that is similar to the home-based lawn mowers.

The chassis started out as a children’s toy car, and after Watkins bolted on working headlights and tail lights, windshield wipers, turn signals and a horn, he was allowed to tack on a license plate and make it fully street legal. Now, you might see him scooting around the streets of Staffordshire in this little crazy car at speeds of up to 40mph.

Crazy as the idea may seem, it is something that can possibly kick off. Cute but certainly something that may not be fitted for the roads along with the other hybrids and still existent modern day cars we see.

(Source) DVice

Tags: Cars, chassis, crazy car, fuel efficiency, headlights, hybrids, lawn mowers, license plate, signals, staffordshire, street legal, tail lights, terry watkins, toy car, windshield

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Much of the attention for the last couple of days was on the impending cut on dealerships by Chrysler and General Motors. Now it is time for the auto suppliers and support companies to feel the crunch. And one of the companies that have announced their cost-cutting measures is a familiar brand in Bosch, maker of Chassis Systems.

The whole car industry debacle is following a domino effect. The fall of the top tile means that others relying on it will follow. And Bosch is a big supplier that can certainly tilt the whole automotive scenario for the worse as it announces job cuts of about 50 workers.

The eliminated positions are in the company’s facilities at Bosch Chassis Systems and Full Brake in South Bend and Automotive Proving Grounds in New Carlisle. The cuts are expected to be effective today.

Though declared to be only 20% in the reduction of employees, don’t expect it to be the last. Unless the economy picks up, expect more drastic measures by companies like Bosch to be applied.

(Source) Fox 28

Tags: Auto Suppliers, bosch, car industry, chassis, chassis systems, Chrysler, couple of days, crunch, debacle, domino effect, drastic measures, economy, General Motors, job cuts, new carlisle, proving grounds, south bend, tile

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Truck collisions and accidents have their share of issues, particularly when it is time to make claims. This time however, a Claims InSite has been opened, aiming to strike down the long wait and complement its North America truck collision repair centers.

Claims InSite is a unique solution designed to facilitate management of the entire accident process in real time, from incident reporting to ensuring vehicles are repaired in a quick, efficient and cost-effective manner. The solution also identifies the right collision repair centers and finds the best locations for chassis, body and trailer repairs, complete vehicle refinishing, and frame and alignment work for commercial trucks and vehicles via a national network.

When an accident occurs, Penske customers can call the 24-hour, seven-day per week Claims InSite national call center for assistance. Claims specialists gather claim information, including incident details from the driver, vehicle photos and police reports, and upload it to a Web-based management system. As details regarding repairs and insurance claims are processed, customers can track progress in real-time through the password-protected site, located at MyFleetAtPenske.com.

(Source) Press

Tags: Accidents, alignment work, chassis, collision repair, commercial trucks, Insurance, insurance claims, management system, national call center, north america, police reports, real time, trailer repairs, truck collision, truck collisions, truck leasing, unique solution, vehicle photos, web based management

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New Automotive Tech Centers were opened by Continental AG over at the Jiading Industrial Zone, Shanghai. Two Divisions of the Continental Automotive Group, Chassis & Safety and Powertrain, have invested in Jiading to conduct vehicle application development and system test of our new technology and products customized for the Chinese OEM market. The engineering activities cover electronic brake systems, hydraulic brake systems, and engine management and system control.

The new Tech Center occupies about 26 “Mu” (1 “Mu” is equal to 667 square meters approximately), and currently has approximately 10,000 square meters of construction space completed. The entire site is made up of three main buildings and other accessory facilities for engineering offices, product test laboratories, vehicle work garages, and facility equipment.

The front office building is a stand alone four-floor building with a total area of about 3900 square meters and the other two lab test buildings are respectively for brake system and powertrain system tests. According to the plan, about 200 engineers will work at this location by 2011.

(Source) Press

Tags: application development, automotive group, chassis, continental ag, electronic brake systems, engine management, garages, hydraulic brake systems, industrial zone, lab test, oem market, powertrain system, shanghai china, square meters, system tests, test laboratories, vehicle application

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Toyota will be having its own vehicle for the foreign market that is expected to upstage the Bugatti Veyron Cenenaire Edition. The vehicle is the Toyota Verso MPV which will make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show.

Aside from being more boring than damp dirt, the Verso is a seven passenger mini-minivan based on the Corolla chassis and powered by a 1.6 and 1.8 liter gasoline engines or 2.0 and 2.4 liter diesels, all mated to a six-speed automatic gauranteed to strangle any pretense of driver involvement.

All dimensions have been increased and fold flat seats have been engineered to make storing large cargo easier. May God have mercy on your soul if you’re actually interested in this vehicle.

(Source) Channel 4

Tags: bugatti veyron, chassis, corolla, diesels, gasoline engines, geneva motor, god have mercy, Minivan, Toyota, toyota verso mpv

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Dodge introduced a new class of ram chassis line for its 2010 Dodge Ram enhancing its commercial vehicle presence. Led by an all-new crew cab, the new 2010 Dodge Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs are built on a proven frame and chassis and engineered for maximum uptime, optimum performance and enhanced commercial capability.

The Dodge Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs compete within the Class 3-5 segments with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 10,001 to 19,500 lbs. and are targeted at small-business tradesmen, fleet customers and traditional chassis cab users.

Towing and hauling capacity is what these trucks are all about, and they offer substantial capabilities in that regard: the 3500 HD offers 18,500lbs towing and 5,110lbs payload.

(Source) Press

Tags: chassis, chassis cab, chassis cabs, crew cab, Dodge, dodge ram 3500, small business

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German based manufacturer BMW is pushing through with its M-badged BMW series and it looks like BMW lovers are in for a treat. The 2010 BMW X6 M and X5 M feature an all-wheel drive and a V8 engine paired with an automatic transmission as well. Add an optimized chassis/suspension setup and a stronger rear-wheel bias to the all-wheel-drive system for greater agility and the new model seems to be a dream machine to have.

With the force-fed V-8 and active rear differential of its sportier sibling, the X5 M should experience a greater performance improvement over the regular model compared with the X6 M. However, given the X6’s lower center of gravity and more-aggressive demeanor, expect the hatchback-coupe on stilts to be more playful when the road begins to twist and turn.

A vehicle that is surely being awaited for release, the BMW M models are bound to be a good choice for car addicts investing heavily in luxury vehicles. There is no specific date on when the X5 M and X6 M will be released although 2010 seems to be the feasible year to wait for them. They are expected to be valued at $100K once made available in the car market.

Via Car and Driver

Tags: automatic transmission, bmw series, bmw x6, car market, chassis, differential, performance improvement, suspension setup, v8 engine, wheel drive system, x5

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These days, not all people have the cash to buy a new car for their private transportation needs. Rather than buy a brand new vehicle, one can always turn to the classified ads and check out cars being offered for sale at manageable prices.

Here are some tips when checking out a potential second hand car for purchase:

1. Check the chassis. Have it lifted and check for oil leaks or chassis cracks. If possible have it the chassis washed so you can see possible areas for repair, if any.
2. Have a mechanic check the engine. Evaluate the running condition of the engine. Get a reliable mechanic to assess the engine so you can be aware if overhauls or some mechanical parts replacements may be needed.
3. Tap on the car body. If you hear a sound that seems to be padded, chances are this car has been repainted due to accidents. See how many areas are like that to see how many times the car may have been retouched.
4. Check the interiors. See if anything inside like the car seats, door sidings or the dashboard may need repairs.
5. Test Drive the car. This is the best part in making a decision. Drive the car without any noise on bumpy terrains. Observe for weird sounds like clunking and how the car overall stability. From here you can see if the car has good suspensions which may be expensive if you need to have them repaired.

There is nothing wrong with buying a second hand car. Just be aware of defects and do an extensive check on it to see if it is indeed worth the money you will be shelling out.

Tags: buying a second hand car, buying a used car, car body, car buyers, car seats, chassis, Dashboard, mechanic, oil leaks, private transportation, second hand cars, suspensions, test drive

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