The braking system on your car is one of the most important safety features on your vehicle and needs to be closely monitored. Properly maintaining your brakes will help keep your vehicle handling safely and can help prevent unexpected and escalating repair expense. It is important to realize that Hawaii’s driving, conditions are extremely hard on brakes. The traffic, hills, humidity, and the way you drive, all play a role on how long your brakes will last. Have your brakes checked each time you rotate your tires, It is recommended that you do this in 6-8000 mile intervals. The tires will be off the vehicle so it’s the perfect time to check for brake wear. Doing so will keep you aware of the condition of your brakes and allow you to work any upcoming, brake repairs into your budget. It can also prevent worn brakes from going “metal-to-metal” which would likely add additional cost when it comes time to perform the brake repairs. As well as inspecting your brake ... read more

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As winter approaches, those (on the mainland) who expect harmless little white flakes to fall from the sky, rush to winterize their cars. Those harmless little white flakes quickly gang up and wreak havoc on unprepared motorists! The roads become extremely slick and dangerous, snow and ice can even engulf their entire vehicle when they slide off the road! Snow chains, anti-freeze, ice picks, car heaters, snow tires and shovels become a few of the new automotive products they need to purchase. Thank goodness we don’t have to fight with Jack Frost! We are even happy we don’t see Frosty! Don’t visit us… we’ll visit you Mr. Frosty! But! We do have our own little Hawaiian Snow, RAIN! We love the water in Hawaii. We surf it, sail on it, swim in it, drink it…heck, we just like to sit and watch it sometimes. Hawaii drivers are legendary when it pertains to how well we deal with wet roads. Our driver’s like to react in extremes when it rains. We eit ... read more

Most motorist are practically unaware what shocks and struts do, or are unaware that they even have them on their vehicle. The fact is that without shocks and/or struts, our vehicles would be dangerous and almost impossible to drive. The shocks and/or struts on your vehicle are very vital toward your vehicles performance, comfort, and safety. The primary duties of the shock or strut is to dampen the spring movement in your suspension and keep your tires in contact with the surface of the road. If you took all the shocks off a vehicle (on a vehicle with 4 shocks) your car would ride as if you were on a waterbed. After each bump, you vehicle would bounce until gravity stopped the movement. Vehicles equipped with struts would not be capable of moving if the struts were removed. Your struts and shocks are that important. Worn shocks and struts affect handling, ride, stopping distance while braking, and tire wear. How long do struts and shocks last and when should I change them? Since s ... read more

by Jerrette Kamaka MidWeek Freelance Writer With rollercoaster gas prices setting record highs, many drivers today are looking for ways to get the most out of every gallon of gas. Simple monitoring and tire maintenance can make a huge difference on how many miles to the gallon you get and as well as prolong the life of your tires. Although today's tires are designed and constructed to last for tens of thousands of miles (some tires reaching 80,000 miles), many won't see half their life because of poor maintenance. In order to stretch your fuel mileage and get the most out of your tires, they must be maintained properly and it all begins with proper tire pressure. "It's like pushing a loaded wheel barrel," says Scott Williams, General Manager of Lex Brodie's Tire Company. "If the tire on the wheel barrel is low on air, it will be much harder to push requiring more energy to move. But if the tire is properly inflated it will be easier to push, and ... read more

If you have an All Wheel Drive (AWD), part time Four Wheel Drive (4WD) or a Full Time 4WD (FT-4WD) vehicle, you may find yourself saying this when you want to buy less then four tires. Let’s just say it… if you have an AWD or FT-4WD vehicle, replacing one tire is almost never an option. If you drive a part-time 4WD vehicle it is recommended that you replace your tires in pairs. On AWD and FT-FWD vehicle, you may need to change all four tires (even if only one tire has gone bad). With AWD and FT-4WD vehicles, replacing less than 4 tires can be harmful to your vehicle’s drive-train. This is why many AWD/FT-4WD vehicle manufacturers state that all 4 tires need to be replaced at the same time. Let’s discuss this. When you bought your AWD/4WD vehicle, you bought a vehicle that is engineered with some of the latest safety and technological features. These features help you keep control of your vehicle even when one or more of your tires lose traction. Your vehicle ... read more

Aloha! At Lex Brodie’s Tire, Brake & Service Company, we invite your questions. We love talking about cars, car repair, brake repair and tires!! One question we received recently was from Parker: “Why do my brakes squeak?” Dear Parker – There are several reasons brakes can squeak. One minor reason that happens often is wet brakes, or a small amount of rust or dirt on the brakes. Usually this kind of squeak stops after the car dries off, or has been driving for a while. However, the problem can be serious. If the squeaking continues or if it turns into a more serious sound like a grinding or a squeal, you’re going to want to get that checked. It may be that something important needs immediate attention and you don’t want to take a chance with such an important part of your car! And remember too, the longer you wait to get your car to a mechanic, the worse the damage can get. There’s good news! With an appointment, we perform free brake ... read more

Question: How do I know when I need a wheel alignment?Awesome Car Care Videos @ Lexbrodies.com Answer: When Honolulu drivers' wheels are properly aligned they all point in the same direction. When they are out of alignment, most HI drivers notice a couple of things. First the vehicle pulls to one side when driving. It could be slight or pretty severe. If your wheels have been out of alignment for a while, you'll also start to see uneven tire wear – the shoulder on either the outside or inside of the tire is worn down more than the other. A whole bunch of steering and suspension components are joined together. Everyday Honolulu driving can cause Honolulu drivers' wheels to go out of alignment over time just from the joints loosening up. That's why most recommend an alignment check every couple of years. Depending on where you live in HI or the conditions you drive in (off-road driving, harsh Honolulu winter conditions, poor pavement, etc.) ... read more