In to this quandary steps Bridgestone, and their new PRAXIS air suspension system. Aimed squarely at the performance-driving enthusiast, the PRAXIS setup allows for a single suspension system to work optimally in any conditions–and to be entirely adjustable from the driver’s seat. Ride height, spring rate, and suspension stiffness are adjustable to any of three predetermined settings: Touring, which is comparable to the OEM suspension in height and softness; Sport, which lowers the car 25mm and ups the responsiveness of the springs and dampers considerably, for a spirited drive on public roads; and Track, the firmest setting, in which the car is lowered a full 50mm, spring rates are doubled, and responsiveness and road feel are optimal for racing situations. Bridgestone claims the settings for the Track mode are tuned and set at the famed Nurburgring.

How it works is this: essentially, your car’s entire suspension (front struts, rear dampers, and coil springs) are replaced with a sophisticated air-spring setup and adjustable dampers. The system is controlled by a PRAXIS-specific ECU unit, which is constantly reading information from an accelerometer and four height sensors. This processor adjusts air flow to individual corners of the car, to adjust for various cornering loads instantly. An on-board compressor provides pressure to meet the various need of the springs, as determined by the computer. All wiring and tubing is of course provided, and a user interface, installed in the cockpit, provides the driver instant control over the suspension settings. The control unit mounts anywhere the driver wishes, and allows instantaneous switching between suspension settings with the simple turn of a knob.

Currently, the PRAXIS system is available for two of the most popularly tuned performance cars on our streets today–the BMW 3-Series (1999-2004 E-46 models, including the M3, coupe, convertible, sedan and wagon, with any engine) and Subaru Impreza, WRX and STi (2002-2004). The system is individually designed for these applications, so installation does not require any evil cutting or welding, and can be accomplished by a person with moderate mechanical skills. Bridgestone promises more PRAXIS applications will be available soon.

We tested the system at the Poconos International Raceway on both vehicles, and found it to be nothing short of amazing. All three settings are distinctly different, as promised. The Touring mode really does feel like the factory setup in the BMW; in the WRX STi we tested, we’d say it was even more responsive, although more than comfortable enough for street use. The Sport mode is what we would likely use as a default; the lower ride height is sexy, and the increased road feel is impressive. In Track mode, the cars felt like entirely different machines–very stiff, but certainly appropriate for real racing use. We came away impressed (and hoping Bridgestone would send us a test kit for one of our personal rides…).

Bridgestone says PRAXIS is the first aftermarket suspension system that combines all tunable aspects of a vehicle’s suspension. While your average tuner can buy components from any of several suppliers and mix-and-match a custom system, it’s not easy to integrate a tuned suspension when you springs come from a different source than your shocks, which are in turn made by different people than the engineers who designed your anti-sway bar, etc. PRAXIS not only eliminates all that guesswork, but it eliminates the need for compromise in an aftermarket suspension between drivability in day-to-day conditions and perfect track handling. Since it’s all engineered from the factory to work in concert, and has three distinct settings, the PRAXIS system is essentially the only suspension investment–beyond wheels and tires–that a tuner should ever need.

At a cost of $3,995 for the entire system (for the BMW), plus approximately 8-10 hours of labor, PRAXIS is not for the average driver–but it’s a real boon if you vary your driving conditions considerably–and certainly a lot cheaper (and easier!) than buying three separate suspension systems for your car. Having driven the system in it’s natural environment, we can say it works just as they say it does–although we’d not turn down a long-term test of the product!

For additional details, a list of authorized distributors, and to check on upcoming applications, visit the www.praxissystems.com website.

But, despite the urge to try any new product, I’m quite stubborn when it comes time to introduce a new product to my detailing arsenal. I demand high quality products that perform consistently. I insist that the products perform as advertised, and to my expectations. Such products are usually few and far between, so imagine my excitement when I learned that a very famous wax company was about to release several lines of new products. Mothers® Waxes, Polishes and Cleaners has been making premium car care products for decades, and their new Reflections® line, FX line and Power Products line definitely piqued my curiosity.

I received a large package from Mothers® earlier this month and could hardly wait for the bad weather to break. My chance came this weekend when we had a freakishly warm weekend – the temperatures were in the low seventies, the sun was out, and I was ready to tackle my messy Tahoe.

Prior to cutting loose on the Tahoe, I took a few days to study the Mothers® press releases, read the instructions for each of the new products and practice a bit on test panels that I keep in my basement. Mothers® claims that its Reflections® line was designed for the most discriminating of enthusiasts – sounds like it’s exactly what I’m looking for. The chemists at Mothers® developed Reflections® specifically for the complex high-tech finishes found on today’s cars. They utilized advanced synthetics to provide unsurpassed ease of use, deep gloss, high shine and long lasting durability.

There are five products in the Reflections® line: Reflections® Car Wax, Reflections® Top Coat, Reflections® Spray Wax, Reflections® Tire Care and Reflections® Leather Care. The waxes are designed for use by either hand or machine, feature a light cologne scent and come packaged in some of the nicest bottles I’ve ever used – their bright red color reminded me of a fire extinguisher. The new products will be available for sale at most automotive parts stores by the time you read this.

Mothers® also released a line called Power Products, the first-ever line of products specifically engineered for use with power buffers (random orbital, dual-action, and rotary). The products were designed from the start to be used with power buffers, unlike traditional products that were designed for hand use and then later approved for use with machine.

The new Power Products include: PowerPolish, PowerWax, PowerMetal and the revolutionary new PowerBall. The PowerBall is a closed-cell foam ball that attaches to a power drill and can be used to polish anything and everything from wheels to diamondplate to plastic lenses to bathtubs and kitchen sinks. There’s nothing I like more than a good multi-tasker…

And finally, Mothers® released a line of FX products, designed for the “next generation car enthusiast.” The FX products were specifically designed to provide maximum shine and protection. The all new FX line includes: FX SynWax, FX Spray Wax, FX Wheel Cleaner, and FX Tire Shine. The high-tech products are packaged in slick new bottles that remind me of high-end German car care products. Mothers® definitely didn’t skimp on the packaging for their new products.

So how do all of these slick new products, complete with advanced polymer-technology, months of R&D and top notch packaging perform? Let’s find out.

The first order of business was to tackle the wheels. After 4 months of spinning their way through a wintery mix of sand, salt, snow and slush, they were in dire need of cleaning. I sprayed a liberal amount of FX Wheel Cleaner on a wheel, agitated it lightly with an old wash mitt and rinsed it clean. Much to my delight, the wheel was nice and clean. I repeated this on the remaining three wheels and then set about cleaning the wheel wells of the Tahoe with a mild, all purpose cleaner and another old wash mitt. The Mothers® FX Wheel Cleaner worked like a charm – the spray pattern was well controlled, the spray pump delivered plenty of foamy cleaner, and the FX Wheel Cleaner safely and effectively cleaned my wheels. Score 1 for Mothers.

With the wheels and wheel wells clean, I gave the body of the Tahoe a well deserved (and needed) bath. I worked top to bottom, using plenty of water to flood the panels before washing. I rinsed my mitt often to help flush away any grit and grime. With the truck washed, I clayed the surface with my Mothers® clay bar. For those not familiar with clay, let me just say that you’ve never experienced “clean” until you’ve clayed. Clay works like an exfoliant for your paint’s “skin” – it lifts embedded debris from the surface and leaves your paint silky smooth. Clay won’t remove defects like swirls or spiderwebs, but it will safely deep clean the paint. I often liken clay to a tweezers – it lifts the debris from your paint much like a tweezers removes splinters from your finger. Just remember to use plenty of lubricant when you’re claying – I prefer to use a quality quick detailer spray because of the added lubricity that it provides.

Alright. The Tahoe was washed and clayed, and ready for the next step. I broke out my trusty Porter Cable random orbital buffer, a yellow foam cutting pad and my new bottle of Mothers® PowerPolish Stage 1. I applied a modest amount of the dark grey liquid to my buffing pad, set the buffer against my paint, worked it around manually for a few seconds, then turned on the power. I was impressed because unlike so many other products I’ve used, there was no “sling.” The product spread quickly and evenly, and I went about working it into the surface.

I chose to work on a 2′x2′ section of my hood, while focusing on a set of scuff marks that had been annoying me for most of the winter. I worked the buffer and PowerPolish at a speed setting of about 4.5 for approximately 2-3 minutes. When I buffed away the residue with a clean microfiber towel, I was immediately struck by how easy the residue wiped away. I was accustomed to having to fight with dusty, messy residues, but the Mothers® product wiped away clean and easy. My scuffs were gone, and the paint was really starting to look good – the metal flake popped and the surface was glass smooth. I used the PowerPolish on the rest of the truck and was equally impressed. I had a few deep scratches in the rear tailgate that required a stronger product, but the Mothers® PowerPolish didn’t disappoint me. I’d place its strength at just a tad stronger than a traditional swirl mark remover product – perfect for most typical paint cleaning situations.

After cleaning my paint, I’d normally break out a glaze and take another pass at the vehicle, but the Mothers® Reflections® Car Wax claims it will increase gloss and depth while providing a layer of tough protection, so I decided to skip the glaze and go straight to the Reflections® Car Wax. I was already a few hours into my project, so saving an extra step was definitely welcome. I decided to apply the wax with my Porter Cable random orbital buffer, so I reached for a foam polishing pad, applied some of the Reflections® Car Wax and went to work.

The product spread quickly and evenly, and after working a 2′x2′ section for a minute or so, I stood back and let the Reflections® Car Wax haze. A quick wipe with a microfiber towel later and my dark blue metallic paint was literally alive. I was so excited, I applied Reflections® Car Wax to the rest of the hood and anxiously buffed away the residue. The final look is hard to describe – the paint had a glow to it, almost as if the metallic particles were “floating” in the blue paint.

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I decided to finish the job with the Mothers® Reflections® Top Coat product. Mothers® says that Top Coat is a true, last step protectant, meaning that it doesn’t contain any cleaners – it’s meant to serve only as a protectant. I applied it by hand, as I wanted to ensure a nice, thin, uniform layer of product. Applying the product by hand took just a few minutes, and by the time I was done applying the product, it was ready to be buffed clean.

Once again, like all of the other products, Mothers® Reflections® Top Coat almost “fell off” by itself. I’m used to microfiber towels and am familiar with how easily they remove products, but this was ridiculous – there was zero effort expended during removal. I often use slickness as a measure of a protectants quality, and I found the Reflections® Top Coat to be extremely slick – so slick, in fact, that any towel placed on the surface of my hood simply slid off. The optics were fantastic – much deeper than a traditional synthetic, but warmer. The Reflections® Top Coat seemed to add additional gloss, along with a touch more shine. The pictures don’t do the paint justice – it was literally shimmering.

With the paint detailed and looking better than new, I hit the tires with the Reflections® Tire Shine. It sprayed on evenly and was absorbed quickly. I wiped off the excess product and stood back for a good look. The look was extremely professional – a deep, matte black, with just a hint of sheen. None of that candy-like “ghetto gloss” that I see all too often at car shows. Those wanting additional gloss may be interested in the Mothers® FX Tire Shine.

I had one last detail to tend to with the wheels – I recently had some new Yokohama tires installed, and there was some marring on the rims from the old wheel weights. I had used clay with little success, so I wasn’t sure what to try next. I spoke with the guys at Mothers®, and they suggested I try the PowerBall on a drill, along with a little of their Clear Coat Wheel Polish. The PowerBall seems large, but it’s amazing to witness how much it can compress during use. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the PowerBall work its way through some extremely tight areas. The PowerBall made short work of my wheel marring, and I was pleasantly surprised at how easily it cleaned-up afterward. A good rinse with some mild soap and a lot of water, and it looked like brand new.

The outside of the Tahoe was looking better than the day it rolled off the showroom floor (some three years ago), so it was time to tackle the interior. My wife and I do a lot of volunteer work for the Great Dane Rescue, so I’ll leave the condition of the interior to your imagination. I wiped down the dash and all vinyl surfaces with a little interior cleaner, and then turned my attention to the leather seats.

I’m used to having to spend a lot of time caring for my leather seats. In the past, I’ve cleaned the leather, buffed it dry, and then massaged a conditioner into the seats. Mothers® Reflections® Leather Care is a one-step cleaner and conditioner, so I sprayed it over the seats, allowed it to penetrate for a minute or two, and then buffed the seats clean. I was extremely impressed with the scent – the interior didn’t smell like a herd of 150-pound dogs any more, but rather fresh glove leather. The one-step nature of the product was not only a time-saver but effective – stains disappeared and the natural luster of my leather came back. And unlike so many other leather products, the Mothers® Reflections® Leather Care left my seats feeling supple and soft – not slick and greasy.

I realize Mothers® is a Roadfly sponsor, and that you might think I’m heaping praise on them just for that reason, but that’s absolutely not the case. I don’t believe in giving praise to products that don’t deserve it, plain and simple. Mothers® products have always done well in our Guru Reports tests, and many folks have been using their products for many years with great success. Their new product lines: Reflections®, Power Products and FX perform as expected, without the excess hype or exaggerated claims that some other companies rely on to “sell” their products. If the Mothers® products hadn’t thoroughly impressed me, you wouldn’t be reading about them here.

So, if you’re looking for some high quality products for your car, be it a high-end European car, a hot new import car, or a run-of-the-mill domestic, look no further than Mothers®. My initial impression of the products was extremely positive, and I’ll follow-up on them in the Roadfly detailing forum in the weeks to come. When the bad weather finally breaks in your area, get yourself down to the parts store and check out the new line of Mothers® products – you won’t be disappointed. In fact, I think you’ll be extremely satisfied with the performance – I sure was.

If you had to think for more than a second before answering any of those questions, you’re probably in dire need of some brake work. Other than your tires, no other single component is as critical to your vehicle’s performance than your brakes are.

Many the car owner has spent thousands of dollars building a high horsepower, monster motor and then crashed because his brakes weren’t up to the task of slowing all of that new found power. Quite simply stated, brakes can make or break your day.

Everyone from Formula One to the Major League Baseball Association has been experimenting with a metal-treating process called “cryogenics”. In case you’re wondering where you’ve heard that word before, think of the late Ted Williams and his nutty son, who claims that the former baseball great wished to be cryogenically (aka “frozen”) preserved.

Cryogenics is the process of slowly deep freezing an object and then slowly returning it to normal temperature. A “good” cryogenics shop will also heat temper the object after it has been frozen.

Roadfly was fortunate enough to wrangle a few moments of Mark Link’s time to discuss the cryogenic process and its benefits. Mark Link is the Vice President of Operations at Diversified Cryogenics; Diversified Cryogenics is located in Burnsville, Minnesota and can be reached by telephone at 1-888-323-8456, or via the web at www.frozenrotors.com.

Mark began by sharing some pretty convincing test data with us. “We’ve shown that cryogenically treated rotors will last 130% longer than untreated rotors and that drivers can expect longer brake pad life with improved braking system performance.”

That’s pretty impressive data, and Mark went to great lengths to explain how cryogenics makes this possible. According to Link, the cryogenic treating process is a one-time, homogenous process that permanently improves the performance of practically any metal item by refining the grain structure of the metal at an atomic level.

The freezing process literally aligns the carbon molecules of a metal object, resulting in an improved “lattice structure” of the carbon particles that is much stronger and more resistant to abrasion than untreated metal.

The process can be used on everything from aluminum baseball bats to spark plugs and is compatible with coatings like Teflon.

Mr. Link commented that the biggest benefactor of the cryogenic process has been the machining industry. Tool bits, cutting dies, and blades can be cryogenically treated to produce a much longer lasting tool that requires less maintenance. He further indicated that ball bearings and other high abrasion devices benefit equally well from the cryogenic process.

We asked Mark for more info about Diversified Cryogenics (commonly referred to as “Frozen Rotors”) cryogenic process and services, and he was more than happy to share information about their products and processes.

Frozen Rotors employs a handful of highly trained staff that is dedicated to providing top-notch products and service. They utilize a state-of-the-art computer controlled cryogenic processor that slowly, consistently and accurately lowers the temperature of an object to approximately -300F.

The computer accurately monitors the freezing process to within 1F – an amazing accomplishment by any standards. The object is then slowly returned to normal temperature and once at normal temperature is heat-tempered. Heat tempering ensures that the metal obtains the highest possible resistance to abrasion and is a perfect application for brake rotors.

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According to Link, cryogenic treatment benefits everyone who has brakes on their vehicles. The immediate benefits are improved and more consistent rotor life – Frozen Rotors has discovered that their cryogenically treated rotors outlast normal rotors by two-to-four times when tested side-by-side under identical conditions.

Further benefits include better braking performance and increased pad life due to less distortion of the contact area between the pad and the rotor. Distortion not only decreases the effective braking surface between the pad and rotor, but also results in cracking of the rotor, which many often refer to as “heat or stress cracking”. All of these problems go away once you have your rotors cryogenically treated.

The most common misconception that people have about cryogenically treating brake components is that it only benefits the racing industry. While it’s true that race teams do reap benefits from cryogenics, the general population can take advantage of the cryogenic process as well – think about how much money you’d save by doubling or quadrupling the life of your rotors.

Link explained that one of Frozen Rotors most common street applications is the Jeep Cherokee – apparently, the stock rotors are easily overwhelmed by the vehicle’s size. Frozen Rotors studies have shown a 100% improvement in brake life on most Jeep Cherokees when the vehicles have been outfitted with Frozen Rotors.

The bad news is that used rotors cannot be cryogenically treated – there’s simply too much risk that the rotor has already suffered from stress and cracking (perhaps on a micro-level). Frozen Rotors has a wide selection of new, cryogenically treated rotors – all you have to do is give them a call, and they’ll send you a set.

We finished by asking Mark a few basic questions including, “Do brake pads require or benefit from the cryogenic process?” Mark responded that cryogenically treated rotors do not require special brake pads, and that pads do not benefit from being frozen.

When asked about customers who wish supply existing rotors to Frozen Rotors, Mark indicated that Frozen Rotors can treat brand new rotors at a cost of approximately $55 per rotor (for most cars). He indicated that shipping charges are approximately $10 per rotor (each direction), and that the turn around time for treatment is approximately one week. Diversified Cryogenics can also machine your rotors for an additional charge (cross drilling, etc).

It was a true pleasure and an eye-opening experience to chat with Mark Link. Diversified Cryogenics definitely has an incredible service, and we would highly suggest that you consider having your rotors “frozen” – the service life expectancy is reason enough to have the work done, and when you factor in the increased performance, it’s a no brainer.

Call or visit Diversified Cryogenics today at 1-888-323-8456 or at http://www.frozenrotors.com. Your car, conscience, wallet and nerves will thank you – knowing that you have plenty of reliable stopping power is peace of mind that’s worth every penny.

Porsche enthusiasts have known for some time that when they need quality parts and even better service, they need to call on Electrodyne, Inc. Electrodyne is located in Alexandria, Virginia and is owned and operated by Chester Vincentz, or “Chet” as his friends call him.

We sat down with Chet a few months ago and chatted with him, covering everything from racing to the retail parts industry. Chet is a true car enthusiast and was extremely accommodating during our interview. We started by asking Chet for a little history on Electrodyne.

“We got our start in 1968 in the aerospace industry, manufacturing complex electrical and electromechanical simulation equipment. However, after the US successfully placed a man on the moon, the purchase of that type of equipment slowed drastically. A group of us, who were all sports car enthusiasts, had been traveling the world [with their jobs related to the aerospace industry] and we found ourselves in Europe quite often.

“Somewhere in the early 70′s, I joined the Porsche club, and with the help of another friend, he and I ran the Porsche store for about a year or so. After our year was up, we decided to keep the store going, and kept buying parts as we traveled across Europe. By 1972, we were doing quite a business (as parts retailers), and by 1975, we sold off the electronics division and concentrated 100% on the Porsche parts business.”

At this point, Chet tells us that Electrodyne was able to become the exclusive importer for some really great European parts including Momo, Nardi, Recaro, Carello Lighting, and a few others. This was quite an accomplishment and launched them into the accessories business.

Soon afterward, Electrodyne became involved with IMSA racing, by serving as team management for Gianpiero Moretti. They ran the entire operation from Electrodyne’s Alexandria shop, and it wasn’t long before Gianpiero had Chet buying himself a race car. Moretti knew of a Porsche 930 in Italy that he felt would work well for Chet, so Chet bought the car and started racing as well.

Electrodyne ran a two car team for a number of years; Gianpiero ran GTS, Chet ran GTO, and throughout the 80′s, Electrodyne raced Porsches on the weekends and sold Porsche parts and accessories during the week. By the mid-to-late 1980′s Electrodyne was racing a few different Porsche models but in 1988, when Porsche’s motorsports director died in a plane crash, Porsche pulled the 944 and GTO programs. That tradegy would mark the end of Electrodyne’s professional racing involvement.

Along with a weakening US dollar came a decrease in new Porsche sales, and Electrodyne decided they needed to find new business opportunities. “A friend of mine had started a company called Racing Dynamics, and he was ready to move back to Italy, so we bought his company and brought on the Racing Dynamics name.”

“Fortunately for us, Porsche’s decline in the late 80′s coincided with BMW’s rise – if you’ll recall, BMW’s were starting to become more prominent in the late 80′s and early 90′s,” says Chet, “this worked out well because we really needed to bring on a new car marque for our accessories line.”

The cards continued to fall in Electrodyne’s favor, because at about the same time as the Racing Dynamics purchase, Kamei GmbH of Germany was looking to close its US operations. Chet saw this as an opportunity, and purchased their US factory. He and his staff moved the entire Kamei manufacturing facility from Connecticut to Alexandria – it would become the basis of the “Freedom Design” line of body accessories for Electrodyne.

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We chatted at length about the body accessory business, and eventually asked him the question that everyone’s dying to ask – where do you get the cars for your “test” vehicles? Do you buy them, get them from the factory, or what?

“That’s where Roadfly really became an asset to us. Not only were we generating sales from advertising with Roadfly, we were also able to post to the forums, asking members to let us borrow their cars so we could make new accessories without having to buy a car for everything we wanted to build,” says Chet. “Through their enthusiastic membership, we’d get all sorts of people who were willing to let us test fit parts and pieces, and it worked out great for everyone. This has been a huge value to us – in fact, we have a MINI in the shop right now that belongs to a helpful Roadfly member.”

“The internet has really helped us do things that wouldn’t have been possible years ago,” he says matter-of-factly.

Electrodyne has approximately 30 employees at its 35,000 square foot facility which is located on Eisenhower Avenue in Alexandria, Virginia. They have their own R&D department, complete with their own model shop – this is something that’s unique to Electrodyne – very few shops have the abilities to manufacture their own molds and mock-ups in house.

Chet states, “We have a guy here who is a genious at crafting wooden mock-ups. He can design something in wood, test it and we can build it from there. It might sound odd, but the wood models are really helpful for the mock-up process.”

By keeping the majority of the production equipment and machinery in house, Electrodyne is able to keep a close eye on quality, and can quickly develop a new part or accessory if and when the market demands it. “It really gives us an upper hand in the business,” as Chet points out. “We create things that people normally copy.”

Electrodyne also campaigns show cars, and has been featured in various magazines. They’ve built everything from Volkswagen Golf’s to BMW 5-series, and they’ve built ‘em well. They use the vehicles to showcase new products and to help give consumers some ideas of what’s available for their own vehicles.

From Audi to Volkswagen, BMW to PT Cruiser, Electrodyne has a product or replacement part that’s sure to suit your needs. They’re constantly developing new parts and don’t seem to be content to rest on their laurels. Their business philosophy is simple – stock what you sell, know what you’re selling and try to build everything better than everyone else.

Chet and the gang at Electrodyne are top notch people, and we’re proud to have been able to chat with them. Visit them on the web at http://www.electrodyne.cc/, or call them at 1-800-296-8850 and be sure to tell them that Roadfly sent you.