Shock absorbers and struts are about more than just a comfortable ride. They protect virtually all other elements of your vehicle by preventing it from shaking apart while traveling over rough surfaces and help you in maintaining control under a wide range of conditions. Worn shocks and struts can present a real safety hazard, which is why we recommend KYB shocks and struts. This company specializes in hydraulic equipment for a wide range of applications ranging from automotive suspension components to major civil engineering projects and heavy industrial equipment. KYB suspension products consistently meet or exceed OEM specifications and include:

• GR-2® / Excel-G®
For restoring optimal performance to most personal and family vehicles used for routine purposes

• Gas-a-Just®
An upgrade for OEM monotube shocks

• MonoMax®
A heavy-duty monotube shock for larger trucks, towing vehicles and SUVs

• AGX®
Easily adjustable, these allow drivers to tune performance to their own preferences without having to get under the vehicle

• Strut-PlusTM
An all-in-one solution for older vehicles with worn springs and strut assemblies.

KYB also offers a selection of self-leveling shocks that automatically adjust to different driving conditions.

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Bentley Repair Manuals

If you do your own automotive repairs an maintenance, Bentley Repair Manuals are something you absolutely cannot be without. These come recommended from many sources, including Road & Track magazine, which says, “Bentley books are worth having, even for the car owner who never intends to perform major repairs...anyone can learn from them.”

Bentley Publishers (no connection with the British auto manufacture that was acquired by the Volkswagen Group in 1998) is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts (home of the famous Tappet Brothers, Bob and Ray Magliozzi of Car Talk), and specializes in books on a wide range of transportation topics. In addition to their extensive library of repair manuals, they offer:

• Owner's Bibles
These books contain step-by-step guides to the repair, maintenance and restoration of a wide range of vehicles.

• Enthusiast's Companions and References
If you have an interest in a specific make and model, particularly a classic, you will find these references indispensable.

• Performance Driving Library
This series will help you in gaining greater understanding of the specific operational characteristics of your vehicle and how to get the most from it.

• Bosch GmbH Technical Library
A series prepared by one of the leading manufacturers of aftermarket components, it contains a wealth of valuable information applicable to all aspects of automotive engineering.

These are just a sample of what is available from Bentley Publishers.

Denso Oxygen Sensors

If your vehicle was built after 1980, it has an oxygen, or O2 sensor. This device is not only necessary for monitoring automotive exhaust and helping to reduce emissions and make for a cleaner atmosphere; it is also necessary in order to optimize fuel use by regulating the air/fuel mixture (something to think about these days of $2.50+ per gallon gasoline!) Without a working oxygen sensor, your vehicle may run too rich, wasting fuel and emitting excess pollutants, or too lean, robbing your engine of power and performance and causing possible damage.

Your car's oxygen sensor should be replaced periodically whenever it is taken in for a regular tune-up. Denso Oxygen Sensors are among the finest ones on the market today and for the relatively low cost, is one of the best investments you can make in your vehicle's performance.

Bosch Ignition Coils

It begins with fire. What arguably led humans from dragging their knuckles on the earth to setting foot on the moon is the heart and soul of your automobile; the very word ignition is derived from the Latin term ignis, meaning “flame.” It therefore follows that you should install the very best ignition coil in your vehicle, and that means Bosch Ignition Coils.

The ignition coil in your car is essentially an amplifier; it magnifies the battery's 12 volts a thousandfold, which is what it takes to operate your spark plugs and ignite the fuel mixture.

In the earliest days of motoring, vehicles used a device called a magneto, which was a type of generator that provided energy without the need for a battery (still used in many prop-driven aircraft). This was fine for simpler vehicles of that time, but as automobiles became more complex and more accessories (such as electric lights and horns and in-dash radios) were added, an alternative power source was needed. Bosch introduced the first automotive induction coil in 1925, and since that time has remained at the forefront of automotive electronic technology.

Today, Bosch offers different types of induction coils, including the traditional oil-filled type as well as transformer and electronic coils.

Akebono Brake Pads

Few would argue that while your car's ability to go from 0 to 60 in a few seconds is certainly desirable, even more vital is its ability to go from 60 to 0 – particularly when avoiding an accident. Akebono Brake Pads are considered to be among the best aftermarket friction products on the market today. With a 40% share of the Japanese auto market, Akebono also provides OEM brakes for General Motors, Daimler-Chrysler and Ford as well as Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi and Honda. Founded in 1929, Akebono also manufactures friction products for railroads and other heavy industrial applications as well.

The greatest enemy of brake pads – and an unavoidable consequence of the braking process – is heat. Many materials have been used over the years, including leather, asbestos and even porcelain. Akebono has developed brake pads that use a proprietary blend of several different materials, resulting in brake pads that function reliably at temperatures as low as forty below to well over 1100 degrees (-40 to 600 C). The manufacturing process also plays a major part in how they react and adapt to different environmental conditions, meaning that Akebono brake pads are one of the best investments you can make in your automobile's safety.

This article was written by Parts Geek LLC. They are a leading online seller of new OEM quality discount auto parts and accessories. They offer a unique online catalog with over 1 million part applications for cars, trucks and SUV’s.