Our customer asked us for a quote, in which we sent one with different options for brake pads and rotors. While we could order "Genuine OEM" parts (Original Equipment Manufacturer), our quotes generally consist of parts from parts companies that make the OEM parts for these Genuine OEM brands and some OE equivalents. The customer opted for Textar brake pad, rotors, and sensors, all of which are OEM parts for Audi just without the Audi branding. The front brake pads we quoted were $135 versus Audi's $274 MSRP (found on Audi parts website).
We rarely quote OEM parts as they have big markups from the vehicle manufacturers. Another example compared to the above, a F3X 3 series (2014-2019) front brake pads from BMW retails ~$300 before taxes. Our quote (at the time of this post) for a pair of Textar's (OEM parts manufacturer) would be $220 before taxes which is about ~35% cheaper than genuine OEM.
Some companies that come to mind would be Akebono, Beru, Denso, Hengst, Mahle, Mann, and Textar. These companies produce OEM consumables such as:
Nowadays, all vehicle brands outsource their parts as it lowers their costs, and results in a market for different brands to sell parts standalone cheaper for the general consumer. A "Genuine Audi" oil filter is in reality rebranded from potential manufacturers such as Mahle, Mann, or Hengst.
Another note is some vehicle manufacturers like BMW claim that their transmission fluid in their ZF8 and DCT's are lifetime fluids, but effectively that means up until the transmission fails (which could be caused by not changing out the fluids). Some of the vehicles we've done these flushes show some small metal shavings in the pan.
If you are looking to get some regular maintenance work done on your vehicle (whether it's for oil changes, air filters, brake services, or more) don't hesitate to use our Mechanical Service Request Form and save yourself a decent amount of money versus going back to dealerships and paying those hefty markups.
To add to this post, we've had customers bring us quotes from dealerships, see examples below:
- 2014 VW Jetta was quoted by the dealership for ignition coil + spark plugs a total of over $1100 and we ended up doing the job with Denso and BERU parts (OEM manufacturer for some VW parts) for roughly half the amount. The dealership said the car was not safe to drive even though it was mainly just the spark plugs misfiring and billed the customer for towing fees
- Multiple Tesla owners have told us that Tesla quotes them a minimum of $300 for 4 wheel alignments, while we start our alignment services for $150 before taxes with the renowned Hunter Hawkeye Elite alignment machine
]]>Also installed was a set of Thinkware U1000 2CH dash camera, offering 4K resolution in the front cam and 2K on the rear. It's sleek design makes it so the dash cam isn't obvious when installed and is out of the driver's field of view.
Contact us for your winter wheel and tire recommendations! We have vast knowledge and expertise when it comes to wheel and tire fitments for most vehicles, whether Japanese, domestic, or European makes.
A battery pack is also--as usual--recommended as EV's and hybrids to mitigate interference between the dash cam and the factory electronics. Our customer also had a Thinkware iVolt external battery installed as a result. The battery pack fits under and behind the passenger seat, which is one of the usual spots we install external batteries for easier access.
]]>The Viofo T130 is really bang for buck for those chasing after decent video resolution yet not wanting to compromise certain features such as:
A Thinkware iVolt battery pack was also installed for this Grand Highlander as is recommended for any hybrid or fully electric vehicles. Modern dash cams switch in and out of parking mode based on the voltages read from the vehicle's battery, and sometimes the vehicle's hybrid or full battery does not enter the parking mode's voltage cutoff.
Contact us today and get your car protected!
]]>The Cayenne was still tricky to work with but being an SUV there was a bit more interior room to work with during the installation. This customer's main request was CarPlay but the module also allows for USB video in motion and is able to retain the factory backup camera. Overall this module installation is an awesome way to keep the vehicle still feeling modern.
]]>We looked no further to recommend Girodisc as replacements (part number A2-149) as they offer a lighter (unsprung weight shaved), better ventilated, and more durable setup. To top things off, Girodisc rotors can be serviced by reusing the hats and only replacing the rotor rings when they are due. All of these features and the cost was only about $1350 CAD for the pair, making this option the best for RS5 owners in both performance and price aspects.
]]>The wheels and tires chosen are Braelin BR10's (20x9 +35) mounted on Michelin X-Ice Snows (255/55-20). Braelins have been a popular choice among BMW owners here in Vancouver, and Michelin's X-Ice Snows are superb winter tires. Specs are below and the price at the time of purchase was sub $4000 before taxes, including TPMS!
We have a winter package set up just for the G8X M3 and M4. Sporting a stylish 19x9.5 +20 wheel, it can be mounted to either Kumho Wintercraft WP72 or Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 in 275/35-19. Both options have proven to be great for the outgoing F8X (PA4). The customer's G80 was rear wheel drive but this setup also fits xDrive G8X and installed goes for under $4000. Running +20 offset does recommend spacers as it does look more sunken in.
Check out our winter package page and contact us today to prep your Tesla and other vehicles for the winter!
The full installation and alignment took us about 7-8 hours of labour. This is done with a full hoist and alignment setup, and if DIY will take longer.
]]>The VS-5RS from Apex has given us really good experiences on and off track, with the forged wheel shaving off a good portion of unsprung mass with its forged production yet withstanding hard track use. It also provides ample clearance for any big brake kits you may want to install down the road. This spec VS-5RS has offsets low enough to clear the stock front struts as well.
While the Supra already has decent brake heat dissipation from the factory, our customer wanted more, so we also installed Verus's brake cooling kit (we deal direct with Verus!). Installed also was the Verus rear diffuser, which is engineered in-house to reduce drag and lift and provides an aggressive look to the rear end.
To finish the current setup, KW V3 Clubsport's were installed. 2-way rebound and compression damping adjustability and built-in camber plates offers the user fine-tuning when setting up for track use. Overall, this car has a good rotatable track setup with everything that's been installed on it!
The U3000, being brand new at the time of posting, comes with a built-in radar for even longer parking mode. The radar isn't for GPS or tracking, but for working with the Sony Starvis sensors to detect motion within a certain vicinity to trigger parking recording. Less recordings with the same image means more room for more meaningful recordings (incident recordings). Contact us for more information for these cameras and more!
]]>*The Thinkware Q800 Pro is now discontinued, but check out the F200 Pro, U1000 or the brand new U3000 here!
]]>Valve retainer/cotter/springs on AP1 engines are known to fail, whether or not driven hard. The issue lies in over-revving of the engine, e.g. mis-shifting or constantly hitting or exceeding the rev-limiter (over 9000RPM). When the engine is running over 9000RPM, the valves float and a result the valve springs close at full force. The keepers and valve are the only things stopping the retainers, and with such force the retainers crack or split. So with AP1's that see the race track, there is higher potential to crack the valve retainers since VTEC only happens when RPM's are higher. On the date of this post, AP1's are now 2 decades old. Most AP1's would have seen multiple owners, so it's difficult to know if the valve retainers are still healthy unless you crack open the valve cover and do the inspection yourself.
We replaced the valve retainers in this with AP2 valve retainers as the owner wanted peace of mind after purchasing the car secondhand. It's still not a good idea to over-rev the engine, but with the AP2 valve retainers inside it prevents the sudden need for a new motor.
]]>There has been major discussion regarding oil cooling, oil pressure, and how hot the FA20 (as high as 270F/132C) gets on the Gen 1 86/BRZ (ZN6/ZC6). Even now on the FA24 Gen 2 GR86/BRZ (ZN8/ZD8) it's been known that the engine temps get concerningly hot on track. It's genuinely a bit surprising that Toyota and Subaru continue to market the 86/BRZ as track ready sports cars but haven't done much to tackle the oil temp issues. Oil temps on both the FA20 and FA24 are known shoot up fast on track. When temp limits are pushed, engine oil can degrade or break down and oil pressure drops significantly. These increase the risk of blowing the engine.
Jackson Racing has been mentioned throughout forums and track enthusiasts alike and for good reason: their oil coolers for the 86/BRZ are proven to work. Our shop GR86 has been fitted with Jackson Racing's Track Engine Oil Cooler as it sees a lot of track days. The oil cooler was designed in-house at Jackson Racing and was race developed, in addition to using Setrab 9-series core.
The oil cooler is a must for those who frequent the track with their 86/BRZ as this keeps the temps cool and prevents oil temp issues.
]]>The Traxda lift kit offers a 2" front and rear lift, includes adjustable camber front mounts and extended end links. Traxda also mentions that this lift kit will allow the Ridgeline to clear 30.5" tires, but we suspect it could actually fit larger tires.
]]>