Here I am with two of my favorite NASCAR drivers, Terry Labonte (Kelloggs, left), and Steve Park (Pennzoil).

Every month I'll have more invaluable automotive "Tech Tips" to help you have a safer, more comfortable ride. So bookmark this page and come back often!

Usually, original equipment manufacturers design light trucks such as 1/2 ton, 3/4 ton and 1 ton to provide a relatively smooth ride when the truck bed is at capacity. However, when these vehicles are driven empty or with only a partial load, which is almost 80% of the time for most truck owners, the results are excessive vibration, hopping, skipping and jumping. To compensate, some truck owners have placed dead weight in the beds, such as sandbags.

NAPA now offers a relatively simple and cost- effective solution to the problem, Velvet- Ride^® Spring Shackles, to replace the original equipment. They even make spring shackles for certain models of vans and sport utility vehicles. In tests, the Velvet- Ride^® Spring Shackles have been shown to reduce vibration a full 20% at 30 mph, while providing improved cornering on rough roads. They also reduce rear end vibration when towing a light duty trailer, fifth wheel, or small camper.

We hope you find our Tech Tips valuable. Please feel free to call or stop by Howarton's Automotive for more information.