INPUT ARTICLE: Article: The shocks and springs in the suspension of your car were designed and built with your comfort in mind. In order to maximize comfort, the suspension allows the wheels to move up and down to limit how much the body of the car is affected by bumps. Replacing these components with stiffer shocks and springs will compromise some of your ride comfort, but the added stiffness will keep the tires in contact with the road better, thus improving traction when accelerating, braking, or turning. Coil-Overs are adjustable shocks and springs that allow you to lower the vehicle and stiffen the ride based on your preference and driving style. Many stiffer suspensions also lower the vehicle, which lowers its center of gravity and also serves to improve handling. Anti-roll bars cross the undercarriage of your car at the front and rear to connect the sides of the body and increase the structural rigidity of your car. Swapping out the stock anti-roll bars with larger diameter replacements will increase the rigidity of your car's body even further. This increased stiffness helps to ensure the tires remain as flat as possible on the ground to maintain good traction. When buying anti-roll bars, it's best to purchase them in pairs so the front and back offer the same level of torsional strength and don't permit your car to twist under the torque of hard launches or sharp turns. Anti-roll bars are also referred to as sway bars, anti-sway bars, stabilizer bars or roll bars. High strength tubular steel is often a better alternative to solid bars, which can be extremely heavy. Your suspension has a number of bushings separating moving metal parts, reducing vibrations and helping to maintain your car's weight distribution. Unfortunately, the rubber these bushings are made of tends to break down over time. Polyurethane replacement bushings are much stiffer than their rubber counterparts and won't wear down the way stock ones will. Polyurethane bushings will make loud squeaking noises if not properly greased when installed. Bushings can be replaced one by one or kits can be purchased to replace all of your bushings at once. Some bushings may require the use of a press to remove from their housings. Strut tower bars connect the right and left side of your car in much the same way anti-roll bars do, but they are installed on the top of the car under the hood and trunk lid. These bars directly connect the driver's and passenger's side struts, increasing the structural rigidity of the car and aiding in efforts to keep the tires as flat on the pavement as possible during aggressive driving. These bars make an excellent addition to after-market anti-roll bars to reduce the amount your car leans and twists while turning. You may not be able to access the rear strut towers to install a bar in the back of some cars. Strut tower bars may need to be removed when working on the engine of your car in the future. One could argue that being able to stop is the most important part of any car's performance. The better quality your brakes, the longer you can wait to engage them before a turn, which means maintaining a higher rate of speed longer than your competitors. You have lots of options when it comes to upgrading your brakes, from purchasing better brake pads to replacing the entire system with larger, heavier duty components. Aftermarket brake pads are designed to improve your car's ability to stop. They use the stock brake components and are a great option for most street applications. Different brake pad compounds are designed for different uses. Ask your local auto parts store about the options available for your specific car. Kits can be purchased to replace your car's brake calipers and rotors with larger ones, increasing the friction surface of the brake pad and improving your ability to stop. It's important to ensure your wheels are large enough to clear big brake upgrades.

SUMMARY: Replace your shocks and springs with higher performance alternatives. Install larger anti-roll bars. Swap rubber bushings with polyurethane. Install a strut tower bar. Upgrade your brakes.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: If the wood is unfinished, which means it is its original color, then you'll simply prepare the wood and add stain. If it is already stained you have a decision to make -- either stain over the old color or remove the stain and start over. If there is a finish on the furniture (a clear coat that protects the wood), you must remove this before starting. If you're adding a darker stain to a lighter piece, you can generally add this new stain over the old one without having to remove the original color. Stain can change the color of metal handles, knobs, and hinges permanently. They are best removed before beginning. If the metal cannot be removed then use painter's tape to carefully cover it all up. Plastic, glass, or rubber should be similarly removed to prevent accidental discoloration. To get the most even and total coverage you should stain each part of the furniture individually. This prevents missing areas around joints or corners as well as stain pooling up along edges or in cracks. While not strictly necessary, this step will ensure the most professional finish. Work in the direction of the grains to avoid making scratches. This means that you sand parallel to the lines in the wood, not against them. If the piece is large you can use an orbital sander with 120 grit paper to work more quickly. If the furniture is very worn, go at it with a coarser sandpaper (80 grit or so) until you have it nice and smooth. You can then move to the medium-grit paper. The lower the number on the sandpaper, the coarser (rougher) the grit. Simply wipe off the wood dust as you work, making your sanding easier and more effective. A tack cloth is the best material, as it attracts the wood dust. Sanding opens up microscopic pores in the wood. The stain can then soak into these holes, changing its color permanently. For very delicate pieces, work up to 220 grit slowly. Go from 150 to 180, then 200, then 220 or higher for a perfect surface. If the furniture is already stained and the color is still there after sanding, you will either need to continue sanding with a coarse-grit paper or use a chemical stripping agent to remove the old color This will bring out the wood's natural color, which will give you a better and richer color once the stain is applied. Simply use a clean rag or sponge to wipe the whole thing with the spirits, then wipe them off with another clean rag. Even the easiest to stain wood -- oak -- could use a little wood conditioner for a better coat. Wood conditioner, which is easily applied with a paintbrush or clean sponge, should be left to dry for 10-15 minutes. It is essential for furniture made from: Alder Aspen Birch Maple Pine Fraser Ceder Right before you start staining, give everything a quick wipe to prevent any dust or dirt from being accidentally stained over. If the piece is already stained dark black, for example, and you want a honey color, you'll likely be sanding all day just to get started. The alternative is a chemical stripper which, though messy, will remove the majority of coloring. To use one, purchase a stripper labeled "wash away" or "no cleanup," then move your furniture to a well-ventilated area: Put on gloves and eye protection. Apply a thick coat of chemical stripper on the entirety of the wood. Let the stripper sit according to the manufacturer's instructions. Use a putty knife to scrape away the stripper, working in the direction of the wood grain. Scrub away any last stripper with steel wool. Sand the furniture with a fine-grit paper (200 or higher) once it is dry.

SUMMARY:
Decide if you want to stain over the current color or start from scratch. Remove or cover up any non-wood hardware on the furniture. Breakdown larger furniture into smaller pieces if possible. Sand the whole piece with medium-grit (100-120) sandpaper. Use a clean cloth to wipe off the dust between sandings. Use a finer-grit sandpaper, around 220 grit, to smooth and polish the surface. Clean the wood with mineral spirits. Apply a wood conditioner for softer or difficult-to-stain woods. Wipe the entire piece clean to remove any last dust or wood conditioner. Consider a chemical stripper of you want to drastically change the furniture's color.