Author: dev

What is a CV Axle and What Does it Do?

Your vehicle is made up of a large number of components that all work together to get you safely to your destination.    Many of these parts you may be familiar with like your brakes and tires, others may be not as clear.  In this article we are going to talk about CV axles, what they are, what they do and how to know if you may have an issue that needs attention.  Hopefully after reading this article, you will have an increased understanding of your vehicle’s components and what it means when you are told “You have a bad CV axle.” 

What is a CV Axle?

A CV axle, or Constant Velocity axle, serves as a critical link in your vehicle’s drivetrain system. This component transfers power from your transmission (or differential) to your wheels while accommodating the up-and-down motion of your suspension and the turning of your wheels.

The typical CV axle consists of three main components:

1. An inner joint that connects to the transmission or differential
2. A solid shaft running between the joints
3. An outer joint that connects to the wheel hub

CV axles are most commonly found in front-wheel-drive vehicles, where they must not only transfer power, but also allow for steering. However, they’re also used in many all-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive vehicles with independent suspension systems.

What makes CV axles different from older universal joints is their ability to maintain a constant velocity transfer even at extreme angles. Traditional universal joints slow down and speed up slightly as they rotate at an angle, causing vibration and wear. CV joints eliminate this problem, providing smoother operation and greater durability.

How CV Axles Work

The CV axle’s unique ability is to perform multiple functions simultaneously. Its primary function is to transfer the rotational power from your engine and transmitting the power to your wheels from its connection to a transmission or differential. 

However, unlike a simple straight axle, CV axles must accommodate complex movements. When you turn your steering wheel, your front wheels pivot on an angle. A CV axle maintains constant rotational speed even as these angles change, ensuring smooth power delivery without binding or jerking.

Additionally, as your vehicle travels over bumps and dips in the road, your suspension system moves up and down. The CV axle must allow for this vertical movement while continuing to transfer power efficiently. This is particularly important during acceleration, when significant torque is being applied through the axle.

Think of the CV axle as a flexible connection that can bend and adjust while still maintaining its primary function of transferring rotational energy. This flexibility comes from the unique design of the constant velocity joints, which use ball bearings in special tracks to maintain consistent motion regardless of the operating angle.

Signs of a Failing CV Axle

Recognizing the symptoms of a failing CV axle early can save you from more expensive repairs down the road. Here are the most common warning signs to watch for:

• Clicking noises when turning: This is perhaps the most telltale sign of a CV axle problem. If you hear a clicking or popping sound that gets louder when making sharp turns (particularly when accelerating through a turn), it likely indicates a problem with the outer CV joint.
• Grease leakage around wheel area: CV joints are protected by rubber boots filled with grease. If these boots crack or tear, you may notice dark grease splattered on the inside edge of your tire or on nearby suspension components. This is a serious warning sign, as once the joint loses its lubrication, failure will follow quickly.
• Vibrations while driving: A damaged CV axle can cause vibrations that you will feel through the floor or steering wheel, especially during acceleration. These vibrations may increase with vehicle speed and can sometimes be mistaken for tire balance issues.

Consequences of Driving with a Bad CV Axle

Continuing to drive with a failing CV axle can lead to several serious consequences:

• Reduced vehicle control: A severely worn or damaged CV axle can affect your ability to control your vehicle, particularly during acceleration or when navigating turns.
• Potential for complete drivetrain failure: If a CV joint fails completely while driving, it can cause the axle to break. This will immediately disable your vehicle, potentially leaving you stranded in an inconvenient or dangerous location.
• Damage to related components: A failing CV axle doesn’t exist in isolation. The vibration and irregular movement it creates can damage your transmission, differential, wheel bearings, and other drivetrain components, compounding your repair costs.
• Safety concerns: Any component failure that affects your ability to control your vehicle presents a safety risk to you, your passengers, and others on the road.

Your vehicle’s CV axles may not be as well-known as the engine or transmission, but they perform an equally essential role in your car’s operation. Understanding what they do and recognizing the signs of failure can help you address problems early, saving money and preventing potential roadside breakdowns.

Axle & Drivetrain Service at Matson Point S in Riverton, Utah

At Matson Point S Tire & Service in the Salt Lake Valley, we specialize in comprehensive drivetrain services, including CV axle inspection and replacement. Our experienced technicians use quality parts and proper installation techniques to ensure your vehicle performs safely and reliably.

Call our Riverton location or schedule your appointment online today to ensure your vehicle’s drivetrain is in proper operating condition.

Choosing the right tire is critical for your vehicle’s performance, safety, and overall driving experience.  At Matson Point S Tire & Auto, we understand that tire selection can be confusing.  We will try to help you understand the key differences between all-season and all-weather tires and what is best for you.

All-Season Tires

All-season tires are engineered to provide balanced performance across multiple driving conditions.  They are the most common tire type for passenger vehicles and are designed to handle dry road conditions, wet roads, and light snow with moderate temperature ranges.

• Tread Composition: Harder rubber compounds that provide longer tread life

• Tread Pattern: Moderate groove design for water evacuation and quiet operation

• Temperature Range: Optimal performance above 40 degrees

• Typical Tread Life: 50,000-70,000 miles

• Performance Rating: Good in dry and wet conditions, limited winter capability

All-Weather Tires

All-weather tires represent a more specialized tire category, bridging the gap between all-season and winter tires.

• Tread Composition: Harder rubber compounds that provide longer tread life

• Tread Pattern: More complex, multi-directional sipes for improved water evacuation and snow/ice traction

• Temperature Range: Effective from -20 degrees and above

• Typical Tread Life: 40,000-60,000 miles

• Performance Rating: Excellent performance in wet and snowy conditions; certified for severe winter conditions (marked with mountain snowflake symbol legal for driving up the canyons when the traction law is in effect)

Comparative Performance: All-Season vs All-Weather Tires

Choosing the Right Tire for Your Needs

When choosing the right tires, you need to consider several factors to understand the trade-offs between all-season and all-weather tires.

Climate Considerations

• Mild climates (Southern Nevada/Arizona): All-season tires
• Areas with significant winter precipitation: All-weather tires
• Regions with extreme temperature variations: Consider all-weather tires

Driving Habits to Consider

• Frequent mountain or rural driving
• Regular commutes in snowy conditions
• Performance driving expectations
• Budget constraints

Cost and Value Perspective

While all-weather tires typically cost 10-20% more than standard all-season tires, they offer:

• Enhanced safety in challenging conditions
• Potential reduction in tire change frequency
• Improved year-round performance

Tire Services at Matson Point S

There are multiple things to consider when deciding between all-season and all-weather tires.  There is not a one-size-fits-all tire for everyone.  At Matson Point S Tire & Auto we’re committed to helping you find the perfect tire solution that balances performance, safety, and value.  Give us a call at (801) 302-7175 or schedule an appointment online and we can discuss your specific needs and find the right solution that is best for you.

Maintaining proper air pressure in your tires is vital to keeping your vehicle performing as it should, as inadequate PSI in just one tire can cause significant losses in efficiency and handling performance, increased braking distance, and increased wear that could leave you needing a replacement earlier than expected. 

If you notice an active tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) warning on your dashboard, it likely means at least one of your tires is low on air. But that may leave you wondering, how do I actually add more air to my tires?

In this article, we’ll cover why proper tire pressure is so important and how you can add air to your vehicle’s tires when needed.

Why is Tire Pressure Important to My Vehicle?

While a slightly deflated tire may seem like something you can push down the line and continue driving on, there are a few critical reasons why this is not the best idea.

For one, deflated tires can reduce your vehicle’s MPG by a significant amount. According to the United States Department of Energy, a vehicle running 75% of the recommended tire pressure in all four tires may see efficiency drops as large as 2%-3% across all driving speeds. At 50% capacity, this effect worsens even further, with losses of up to 10% recorded at normal surface-street speeds (40 MPH). 

Beyond just efficiency, low tire pressure also affects the performance and handling of the vehicle. The low PSI allows for the tire to “flex” more than it should around corners, reducing the vehicle’s ability to stay planted during turns.

The most important reason to avoid driving on low-pressure tires is simple: safety. Low PSI causes the vehicle’s stopping distance to increase and control to decrease, potentially landing you in some dangerous circumstances. Driving on a deflated tire for an excessive amount of time can prove even worse, as the increased rate of wear could cause the tire to fail prematurely. 

How Do I Add Air to My Tires?

Now that you know the importance of keeping your tires filled up, how do you actually go about doing that? Luckily, this process is generally very simple and can be completed in a matter of minutes.

Step 1 – Find a Compressor to Use

Your first order of business is locating an air pump you can use to top off your tires. The vast majority of gas stations will have tire filling stations you can pay a few bucks to use, but at-home air compressors will also work just fine for this as well. Pull your vehicle into a spot where the hose can reach all four tires (or at least the ones you intend to fill).

Step 2 – Find Your Recommended PSI

Not all tires are created equal, and some may require a higher or lower PSI than others. The best way to find the proper pressure is to look at the sticker placed on the driver’s side door jam, which is the portion of the door that is covered when closed. Alternatively, you can likely find it by taking a look at the owner’s manual or the PSI number listed on the sidewalls of some tires. 

Step 3 – Remove the Tire Valve Caps

The valve stems, or the threaded metal stems on the wheels used to let pass through, will be covered by a valve cap which should be removed. Place the caps in your pocket or within the vehicle so you can be sure not to lose them. 

Step 4 – Place Compressor Fitting Over Valve Stem

After activating the compressor and finding your optimal PSI, you’ll want to place the compressor’s fitting on the valve stem of the tire you want to fill. This will begin to fill the tire with air. 

Step 5 – Fill To Proper PSI

Now that you have air going into the tire, it’s time to fill it to the proper level. Keep an eye on the pressure gauge located on the compressor as the pressure builds, and remove the compressor’s fitting when adequate PSI has been reached. If you’ve accidentally overfilled your tire, you can press the metal pin located in the center of the valve stem to let air escape. 

Step 6 – Replace Valve Caps

Now your tire is all filled up! All you need to do now is put those valve stem caps back on. These caps are important for preventing valve stem damage from road debris and help to keep the air inside the tire. 

Tire Services at Matson Point S

If you’re experiencing issues with your tires, trust the experts at Matson Pont S in Riverton for tire services and replacements! Our technicians have extensive experience serving the tires of all makes and models, and have the expertise and equipment to properly care for your vehicle! Give us a call or schedule online today.

Picking out a new set of tires for your vehicle can be a daunting decision. With so many varying measurements, product lines, and tread types, this process can be overwhelming for even the most seasoned hobbyists.

In this article, we’ll cover the differences between the most common types of tires on the market, why these differences matter, and how to choose the right option for both you and your vehicle!

Types of Tires

When searching for a set of tires for your vehicle, you may encounter various “categories” of tire product lines such as all-season, summer/performance, winter, and all-terrain. Each of these descriptors denotes a tire with a certain use case with a significant impact on performance, durability, and inclement-weather traction. 

All-Season Tires

One of the most popular categories of tires for the average consumer is all-season tires. These tires strike a middle ground between the warm-weather performance of a summer tire and the wet-weather safety and control of a winter tire. While all-seasons will do neither of these as well as the tires specifically developed for those conditions, the versatility of an all-season means you may not have to have your tires switched out for the winter and summer seasons. 

All-season tires generally have a directional tread pattern, which is where the sipes (channels within the tread) create a V-shaped pattern. This siping allows for water to make its way through these channels and out the side of the tire, preventing water from accumulating under the tire’s contact patch and creating a slippery barrier between your tires and the road surface. 

There’s a reason all-season tires are so popular. This versatility and durability makes them perfect choices for commuter vehicles used on a regular basis. 

Summer/Performance Tires

As the name implies, summer tires are produced with the intention of warm-weather driving, which allows the manufacturer to focus much more on dry road performance. Summer tires also generally use a softer rubber, giving you superior grip in the right conditions. Oftentimes these are sold as “performance” tires, as they provide the most amount of traction for spirited driving. 

While unmatched in warm weather, summer tires are not produced with inclement weather in mind, and the softer tread along with non-directional siping means traction will be hard to come by in conditions like rain, ice, or snow. 

For this reason, summer/performance tires are best used on vehicles that only see use during the sunny months, such as a weekend sports car or convertible. It may be possible to run summer tires year-round in areas where rainfall is few and far between even in the winter, although the rate of wear will be much faster than that of an all-season option. 

Grand Touring Tires

Grand touring tires are designed to strike a middle ground between the year-round traction of an all-season and the responsive handling of a summer tire. This makes them perfectly suited for luxury or performance vehicles used for daily driving or long trips. 

While on the higher end price-wise, grand touring tires provide a balance between comfort, performance, and rainy weather capability that you won’t find in any other segment of the market.

All-Terrain Tires

All-terrain tires are designed to handle both the road and the low-traction and highly uneven surfaces of off-road trails. Aggressive tread design and wide siping allow for the tires to sink into loose road surfaces such as sand, dirt, and gravel. 

Though this tread allows for the tires to provide traction on various terrains, it can also cause some issues for road driving. The deep siping and aggressive tread pattern allow for more air to pass through, making these tires much louder on the street. This problem is worsened on the highway and can make for an annoying background drone on a long trip. 

Not only does noise become an issue on the streets, so does wear and tear. The soft rubber compound used for all-terrain tires degrades quickly over asphalt and could leave you in need of new tires quicker than traditional tire options. 

This isn’t to say that all-terrain tires can’t handle a little highway driving. They’re still great options for those who use their trucks or SUVs for occasional off-road trails or outdoor activities that require a more capable tire. 

Mud-Terrain Tires

Mud-terrain tires take all-terrain tread to the extreme with deep siping and large tread blocks, allowing them to find traction in even the worst of conditions. A reinforced casing and durable sidewalls protect the tire from sharp rock and debris damage while on the trails, allowing mud-terrain tires to take on situations that other tires may fail in.

While they suffer from the same road noise issue as all-terrain tires, mud-terrain options provide a superior level of off-road performance while still being viable on the highway when needed. Mud-terrain tires are not intended for regular road use though, and will wear rapidly compared to traditional road tires. Weather is another limiting factor of these tires, as the low number of sipes means they can’t disperse water as quickly as an all-season tire and could become dangerous in heavy rain.

If you’re a serious off-road fanatic, mud-terrain tires provide you with the ultimate level of traction over many different surfaces. For other use cases though, they really aren’t that practical.

Competition/Track Tires

If practicality and low prices aren’t your thing, competition tires offer the ultimate level of consumer tire performance for those who are looking for a truly track-focused tire option. The soft rubber and minimal siping give the tire the most surface area to produce traction, allowing the vehicle to stay grounded around corners at high speed.

While superior in every area of performance, this increased dry-weather traction comes at a tradeoff. Competition tires lack the proper siping to be used on wet roads or other low-traction surfaces, making them dangerous anywhere but perfectly dry asphalt. The soft rubber compound also means that these tires will degrade much quicker than more durable tires, which could leave you in need of a replacement much sooner than you were hoping. Replacements aren’t cheap either, as track tires will generally run a much higher price than all-seasons or even regular performance tires. 

Because of these factors, track tires are best used in, well… track cars. If you can justify the price tag, competition tires provide the ultimate level of performance for those days when you need the absolute most from your vehicle.

Tires at Matson Point S

No matter what you use your vehicle for, the tire experts at Matson Point S in Riverton can help you pick the perfect option for you (and your wallet). Give us a call today to speak with our friendly team or schedule your appointment online!

For many, boating is the activity of the summer. Owning a boat opens a whole world of outdoor recreation including fishing, water sports, swimming, and more. Not to mention, spending a day out on the water is a great way to relax, disconnect from the busyness of day-to-day life, and spend time in nature. 

While having fun on the water, it’s important to stay safe. Operating a boat is very different from other vehicles, and with it comes specific terminology that can be confusing to a novice boater. The terms “port” and “starboard” are thrown around a lot if you’ve spent any time on the water. You‘ve also probably heard these terms in movies. But what do they mean? In this article, we are going to explain what port and starboard mean, their history, and why it’s important to know them when you are out on the water. 

History and Meaning of the Term Port

Port side refers to the left-hand side of a boat when you are looking toward the bow (front). 

Since boats at the time had their steering ore on the starboard side, the left side was typically where people and goods were unloaded and loaded. Originally, the term used for the left side was larboard, which is a derivative of the word ladeboard. Lade is a middle english word which means “load”. Larboard and starboard sounded very similar, so the term port was eventually adopted, first by the Royal Navy in 1844, then the US navy in 1846 to avoid confusion. 

History and Meaning of the Term Starboard

Starboard is the right-hand side of the boat when looking toward the bow. Starboard is an evolution of old English words steor and bord combined to steorbord, which means steering side. Boats from this time period were steered by an oar which was situated on the right side of the boat. Overtime, these phrases morphed into starboard, and even when boat steering systems changed, they still referred to the right-hand side.

Why Not Use “Left” and “Right”?

You might be wondering, why don’t mariners just use right and left when referring to the sides of their boat? There’s a logical explanation for this. Left and right are subjective depending on where you are standing or looking. By using specific terms for each side of the vessel, it’s always clear what someone is referring to regardless of the boat’s orientation on the water or the direction someone is facing. 

Conclusion

Remembering your portside from your starboard side is easy once you know what they mean. Next time you get out on the water, you’ll never forget the meaning of port and starboard. You’ll also have a bit of nautical history to share with your passengers. 

Marine Services at Matson Point S in Riverton

Having trouble with your boat? Matson Point S Auto and Marine is Riverton’s premiere marine service center. Our experienced marine techs can handle everything from seasonal maintenance and winterization to in-depth mechanical repairs and diagnostics. Give us a call or schedule an appointment online today!