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Yeah, especially on heavy SUV's, full size sedans and even light duty trucks. My SS Silverado has 100lbs. wheels with carcass mounted. Very rough to do "wiggle test" on your back or elevated above your shoulders on a lift. So like you, I find something to stuff up and pry under the wheel to see...

[EDIT:] Ball joint wear can be hard to muscle by hand to test for too. I find in many cases, that can be discovered with a slightly different technique in the driveway: Tires on, Jack and stabilize the suspect side only about 2" off the ground. Wedging the tip of a crowbar under the tire...

I use a small 6gal Craftsman wet/dry. Same motor and filter cartridge of the big 20+ gallon. Only hassle is running an extension cord. But I attach a 20' hose and for the really tough crevices, a crevice tip. (Go figure) If I belly her up to the nose of most cars and trucks, the 20' hose is more...

It's a gamble, depends on how good your tech is on doing it right the first time. If you spin a wheel, tire up and it grinds? Also a sign of a rough bearing. Just be positive it's not the normal, light contact your brakes make with drums/rotors. Since the OP states it's only a side-2-side...

People tend to get a little over- confident in AWD equipped vehicles. Back when I had my '95 Legacy wagon...I put Goodyear all season Z-rated radials on it right away. At the time, living in a state with 4 seasons, ice storms were the norm along with black ice. On those days that my job was...

Couch-mechanic me is thinking heavily on having a steering link or some sort of idle steering link joint or even just the steering box being worn. Someone has to waggle that wheel side to side & watch for what's going click-a-click or knocking back and forth. Seriously, a bad hub makes an...

Bearings tend to moan and groan and change pitch and rumble tone with road speed. If the wheel deflects and knocks around on the lift, but otherwise is silent when at cruise? Suspect steering, joint/link, knuckle & suspension component wear first. If you're needing to save cash and didn't...

Truth said: You're going to find deposits in the PCV side of the block to be much heavier and crusty. A few rapid short changes of organic or synthetic will clean things up quick, so follow severe duty oil and filter change schedules. No harm in synthetic but it can reveal leaks and failed...

I have to one-up this. My '84 Olds Delta 88 307 after a rebuild absolutely sh*t out an oil pump after 300 MI. It was weak as hello-kitty from the start but the aftermarket was total bull-s*ite. No chemical treatment killed it. It was garbage from the start with a leg in the dump from the...

I agree, the differences are going to be almost negligible. HM oils tend to be thicker and protect better and blast crud out; yet sacrifice fuel efficiency. (Is really negligible to non-existant honestly) Regular formulations tend to foster fuel efficiency over all else with decent cleaning...

I wish to know: Would you attribute longevity to the heavier oil if he/she drives it like it's hot... Or sticking a little closer to specification and changing it regular and early. Maybe a bit of both? I hammer my personal whip on the regular to keep her free breathing and clear on a just...

Tossing my casual and useless opinion into the fray? I can't fear Mobil-1 ESP if it meets specs and your "Do-point" moment that cracks your wallet. Take it as you will. I just realized I have consistently recommended Mobil full synthetics on this board after years of using all sorts, including...

My $0.02 tax adjusted? It's a Tonka tough oil in full synthetic. No more trusted however in 25-50 Hrs in lawn mowers or 5k Mi in cars. Not the absolute best, but you can do worse. The worst is simply not changing early in any case. Keep it fresh, keep it full and drive it like it's stolen with...

I hate it, but a "me too" added to the hat. I have had great success with Valvoline High Milage synthetic stoppering up leaks. But it would only slow and not stop them completely if it's an egregious loss of seal material. Only a creepy-crawl up under a vehicle would find and fix the leak. IMO...

I have to plug in a scanner to see intake/ oil/ coolant/ trans temps. The SS has a pretty dead on Trans and coolant gage cluster. (No block oil temp) But a block over-temp above 260°f on rad coolant immediately zeroes out the OLM and it limps with DIC message of "CHANGE OIL NOW". Mum's '13...

A 5W-30 would be an all around great formulation to use no matter the brand in a "full synthetic". Tonka tough enough. Driving normal enough. If you cannot keep your Welly out of it? Go up to a synthetic weight of nearly any low to medium SAPs 0W-40 or even 15W-40 full synthetic in the...

Years of reading to my mind and opinion read that they are very dry, if not "stringent" oils. Their only harm is if you run them far too long or in a classic engine that's got a ton of goop and cork seals that hold them together. Esters are most excellent and durable under rage-hot racing...

IK,R? I'm excited to see a loved Subaru. 😍 Hopefully seating the half shafts and just a little TLC got it running right again. The world wants to see! 👀

OMG. I almost never, never, *ever* fall in love with any vehicle. But that K-kart is the bomb-shizzle, bro! I'd snatched one up in a second if I knew how to find one. She a gorgeous and likely a very venerable machine. If I had her, I'd feed her straight up premium xW-30, to a 0W-40 Euro ...

Aye, that was my experience too. Despite the heavier wagon body, she was a spirited and long legged machine that could eventually scare you at 120+ mph in the dry and solid. She was unbeatable in ice and snow. She could dig in and find passing power when all the heavier 4x4 and various AWD's...