2015 Top Tech Articles

Editor’s Note: In 2015, we looked back at the best aftermarket parts of all time, commemorated 60 years of small block Chevy performance, and went Back to the Future to celebrate the iconic movie’s anniversary. We said goodbye to Roscoe P. Coltrane and hello to a whole new generation of Camaros. Jeff Gordon retired. Volkswagen cheated. And BIGFOOT had a midlife crisis. Yep, there was plenty to write home about–or at least write about. Here are our most-popular, most-read stories of 2015…starting with our top tech articles of the year:

Figure Four: A Guide to Tuning Your Four-Link Suspension

“You can tune your four-link. There’s absolutely no voodoo or black magic involved.”

Those were the parting words of author Wayne Scraba following his in-depth look at how to tune a four-link suspension. The detailed article included an overview of ladder bars, basics on chassis instant center, and how to set instant center length and height. When all was said and done, this was our most-read technical piece written in 2015.

12 Common Car Detailing Mistakes–and Why You Should Avoid Them at All Costs!

Who can’t relate to detailing their car?

Whether you’re a regular at car shows or just want the best-looking ride in the company carpool, proper detailing can make all the difference. And the 12 detailing no-nos in this article can easily keep your vehicle from looking its best. Avoid them. Avoid them at all costs. Because our headline (the folks at Mothers and Meguiar’s) says so.

Quick Tech: Crossplane vs. Flat Plane Crankshafts Explained

When Ford introduced its newest Shelby GT350 and GT350Rs, the automotive masses said “ooooh” and “ahhhh.” And then roughly half of those masses said, “What the heck is a flat plane crankshaft?”

That’s because the new Shelby headturners are powered by a 5.2L flatplane crankshaft engine. Many enthusiasts were familiar with this concept, but many others were not. So we put together a quick guide that covered the differences between standard crossplane cranks and flat plane crankshafts.

The Straight Scoop: The Inside Story on Drag Race Wheel Alignments

Wheel alignments are mundane and don’t really help performance. Or do they?

We explored the topic of drag race wheel alignments back in January, covering the basics of caster, camber, and toe. More importantly, we talked about what all these things mean to the performance of your drag race vehicle.

Alt Text: 5 Things You Should Know Before Using a High-Output Alternator

Thinking about swapping out your stock alternator for a high-output unit?

We’d suggest you either read or re-read our post on using a high-amperage alternator. There are few things you need to know first–five of them to be exact. What wire gauge do you need? What is pulley ratio? And do I really need a high-output alternator in the first place? Answers to these questions and more here.