Not everyone is a car buff

What is a car differential? We attempt to explain 10 car-related terms

Image: VANDER FILMS

As long as you aren’t directly involved in it, not being savvy with a certain profession’s lingo is usually not a problem. But alas, exceptions exist, and these situations can create confusion and anxiety for the uninformed party in a conversation. Just like a patient who struggles to understand the complex terms a doctor uses to explain their condition, many people feel unsure when a mechanic explains a problem with their car. Listed below are 10 words and phrases that car buffs and mechanics use frequently. How many of these do you know?

Image: Tim Mossholder

In the context of cars, the term "banger" refers to traditional combustion engines. While many people are familiar with engine cylinders, not everyone knows how the term "banger" relates to them.

For example, some refer to four-cylinder engines as "four-bangers" because of the distinct "banging" sound they produce.

Image: Alexandr Bormotin

When talking about pillars in a car context, we are referring to the structural divisions between the windows. The A-pillar typically denotes the section on each side of the windshield, the B-pillars are located between the driver and passenger windows, and the C-pillar is positioned toward the rear of the vehicle.

Image: Silvio Linz

A limited-slip differential reduces wheel slip with the least traction, by shifting a portion of the torque to the wheel with the most traction, therefore, improving the performance of a car. This results in better overall traction.

Image: Toby Hall

Brake bias refers to how braking power is distributed between the front and rear wheels. Brake bias can either reference the front of the car or the rear, depending on where it’s dispersed. Brake bias is often expressed as a percentage of braking power sent to the front brakes (e.g., 52%).

Image: Luca Nicoletti

The camber is an adjustable element of the car’s wheels that sets the tilt angle. Depending on the direction of the tilt, camber is classified as either negative or positive. Each car’s camber setting is adjustable and varies based on the driver’s preference.

How a driver sets their camber affects how quickly the tires wear over time. When in doubt, always check with a specialist.

Image: serjan midili

Another expression relating to the brakes is the action of "bedding the brake pads." All brake pads require a bedding process to enhance performance, which involves creating a thin transfer film between the pads and the rotor.

Image: Chad Kirchoff

A diagnostic check takes place when a mechanic connects a laptop or specialized equipment to a car to detect documented faults. Each fault is assigned a unique code, and by accessing the car's electronic control unit (ECU), the specific number will identify what the problem is.

Most modern mechanics use computers that can connect to a car’s electronic system and read the error log for problems.

Image: Myron Mott

In the automotive world, suspension bushings are small rubber components attached to suspension parts that help absorb shocks and vibrations from the road. Since they are made of rubber, they can deteriorate and wear out over time, requiring periodic replacement.

Image: Hoyoun Lee

The third and final brake-related term on this list, "spongy brakes," is an expression used to describe an instance where the brake pedal offers little resistance when pressed down. This typically indicates a lack of brake fluid, which is fairly cheap to buy and add.

Image: Sincerely Media

A car differential is a set of gears that splits engine torque, allowing the wheels to rotate at different speeds. This is especially important when turning, as the outer wheels must rotate faster than the inner wheels to cover more ground in the same amount of time.

The front differential is located between the two front wheels and distributes the engine’s power to the front wheels. In the same manner, the rear differential is located between the two rear wheels and distributes the engine’s power to the rear wheels.

GAME ON!

10 Intriguing Backstories Behind Your Favorite Board Games

Image: Christopher Paul High

Board games have been entertaining families and friends for centuries - perhaps even millennia - but behind every game lies a fascinating story.

From the strategic depths of chess to the whimsical world of Candy Land, join us to learn how each of these 10 timeless games was made.

Image: Joshua Hoehne

Surprisingly, Monopoly was originally known as "The Landlord's Game," and was invented by American anti-monopolist Elizabeth Magie in 1903 to easily illustrate the negative aspects of land concentration and private monopolies. It aimed to promote the ideas of Georgism, an economic philosophy advocating for the taxation of land to counteract social injustice.

Image: Carlos Esteves

Dating back to the 7th century, chess originated in India as "chatrang," and soon became popular in the region. In fact, the word "checkmate" originated from the Persian shāh māt, meaning "the king is dead." As the game spread throughout the world, it evolved into the strategic masterpiece we know today.

Image: Alexander Lyashkov

Also known as Cluedo, this murder mystery game was created by Anthony E. Pratt during World War II. Pratt, a solicitor's clerk, designed the game as a form of entertainment during air raid blackouts. Its original setting was a country house, but the successive versions of the game have introduced new locations, characters, and weapons.

Image: Freysteinn G. Jonsson

Alfred Butts, an unemployed architect during the Great Depression, developed Scrabble in 1938. Originally named "Lexiko" and later "Criss-Cross Words," Butts combined the concept of anagrams and crossword puzzles to create a game that tested vocabulary and strategy. Soon, Scrabble became so popular that many TV networks began to make their own game shows based on the game’s rules, and today there is even a Scrabble World Championship.

Image: omid roshan

Risk, conceived by French filmmaker Albert Lamorisse, emerged from the early 1950s. The gameplay simulates global domination through strategic conquests of different regions of the six continents. Originally titled "The Conquest of the World", the game reflected the geopolitical tensions of the Cold War era, and its mixture of simple rules and complex decision-making made it immensely popular among both adults and children at the time.

Image: Alexander Grey

Candy Land is sometimes dismissed as an overly simple game, but that’s exactly the point. Eleanor Abbott, a polio patient in the 1940s, invented Candy Land as a distraction for children recovering from the harsh illness. The vibrant board and simple gameplay provided a colorful journey through a world of sweets, offering joy and imagination during difficult times. She partnered with American board game mogul Milton Bradley to manufacture it, and it soon became the most popular game among children in the whole country.

Image: Aksel Fristrup

Designed by Klaus Teuber in 1995, Settlers of Catan revolutionized the world of board gaming. Teuber, a dental technician from Germany, created the game to provide an engaging activity for his family, inspired by the history of Viking settlers in Iceland and Norway. Its innovative mechanics and strategic depth propelled it to international acclaim, and it became a staple for board game enthusiasts worldwide.

Image: JIP, CC BY-SA 4.0

Scott Abbott and Chris Haney, two Canadian journalists, conceived Trivial Pursuit in 1979 after becoming frustrated while failing to find all the pieces for their Scrabble game. Aiming to recreate the experience of a pub quiz, the duo combined trivia from various categories into a competitive board game where players raced each other to the finish line.

Image: U.S. Navy, Public Domain

Thought to have been inspired by the French wargame "L'Attaque," Battleship began as a simple pencil and paper game, eventually being manufactured with plastic boards and pegs by Milton Bradley in 1967. Countless adaptations of the game have been made, introducing slightly different rules, but retaining the core concept of tactical warfare on the open seas.

Image: Jono Winn from San Diego, USA, CC BY 2.0

While Twister is not exactly a traditional board game and more of a physical skill one, where players have to place their hands and feet in specific colored spots on a plastic mat, it deserves a spot among the classics. The popular game was created by board game designers Charles Foley and Neil Rabens in 1966, who wanted to make a game that tested players’ physical agility and balance. They eventually presented the idea to the Milton Bradley Company, who enthusiastically embraced the concept, propelling it into worldwide popularity.