Rod & Custom

than the Buick drum offers. Because
most of the Buick-style drum
covers maintain the same external
dimensions they too suffer the same
problem as I discovered on my own
car. If the wheel doesn’t seat properly
it possibly won’t roll true. There’s a
fix for that, though.
• Reduces carbon buildup in
cylinder heads, fuel injectors,
and oxygen sensors
• Extends the life of
ANY engine – gas,
diesel, even hybrids
• Stops hesitation
and hard starts
Scan the QR code
for more information.
(Right) Early Ford 5½-inch-pattern disc wheels
mount over an 8-inch diameter. The Buick drums
and their reproduction counterparts offer only 7
inches of mounting diameter. Unable to mount
properly, the wheel can wobble. The correction is
simple: the plates that Buffalo Enterprises makes
extend the surface-mounting pad to 8 inches. At
3
⁄16-inch thick they won’t deflect where unsupported
by a small hub, drum, or rotor cover. Fingers point
to where the edge of the mounting pads on Ford
wheels dug in without them.
• The perfect
pre-treatment
before emissions
tests
• Just add a bottle
when you fill up
four times a year
• Easy to use –
pop it open,
pour it in,
and go!
Pour In Performance!
The fastest, easiest, most inexpensive power you can buy.
CataClean Fuel & Exhaust System Cleaner from Mr. Gasket doesn’t just reduce
hydrocarbon emissions by as much as 50 percent* – it ADDS POWER!
Don’t spend thousands on cylinder heads and a high-performance exhaust
just to get carbon buildup in your engine. CataClean lets your engine
clean itself – just drive and let it do all the work.
Pour a bottle in your tank once every three months for better
fuel efficiency, less hesitation, a smoother idle, and, most important,
BETTER PERFORMANCE.
* Performance results are dependent on driver habits and vehicle conditions.
MADE IN USA
8
ALIGNMENT
Sometimes an elusive shimmy or
vibration stems from an improper
wheel alignment. The two main
culprits are toe and caster.
TOE
Toe describes the longitudinal
relationship between two wheels on
an axle. Toe-in: wheels point toward
each other in the direction of travel;
toe-out: wheels point away from each
other in the direction of travel.
The front wheels on most reardrive
road cars benefit from a touch
of toe-in. It compensates for the
road force that can induce a toe-out
condition. Toe-in also eliminates lash
in the various components, which
enhances straight-line stability.
Excessive toe-in can induce a bear
of a shake. It causes the tires to fight
each other for traction and the rapid
release/traction cycle can cause a
shake. It also wears tires unevenly,
which causes its own problems.
Toe settings vary by suspension
design so start with the specs
that the original manufacturer
determined for the suspension
under your car. But don’t treat
these specs as if they’re set in stone.
Your vehicle’s dimensions may
differ considerably from what the
manufacturer intended so you may
have to slightly alter toe settings.
Remember that bias-ply tires neither
need nor tolerate as much toe as
radial tires do.
CASTER
Caster in a roundabout way
generates tracking stability. It refers
to the Steering Axis Inclination
(SAI)—the line plotted through the
kingpin or through both ball-joint
centerlines—as viewed from the
wheel face.