The Forge Garage

The Forge Garage – July News

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1 July, 2026

Forge Garage – at Your Service!

I asked Simon for a topic to cover this month and he said suspension, so here goes.

Most of us don’t give our car’s suspension much thought – until the ride starts feeling a little bumpier than usual! Your suspension is what helps smooth out potholes, speed bumps and uneven roads, while also keeping your tyres in good contact with the road. It’s made up of several parts that all work together to keep your vehicle comfortable, stable and safe.

The main components include:

  • Springs – absorb the impact of bumps in the road.
  • Shock absorbers – control the movement of the springs and help prevent excessive bouncing.
  • Struts – provide support and help maintain vehicle stability.
  • Anti-roll bars – reduce body roll when cornering.
  • Anti-roll bar links – help the suspension work evenly from side to side.
  • Bottom suspension arms – connect the wheels to the vehicle and allow them to move smoothly over uneven surfaces.
  • Top strut mounts – help reduce vibration and road noise while securing the suspension in place.

Like any hardworking part of your vehicle, suspension components gradually wear out over time. Depending on the roads you drive on and your annual mileage, they can last anywhere between 50,000 and 100,000 miles. Shock absorbers are often ready for replacement at around 50,000 miles, or every five years.

One of the first signs of suspension wear is simply that the car doesn’t feel quite right. You may notice a rougher ride, vibrations through the steering wheel, or that the vehicle seems less settled when cornering or braking. In some cases, stopping distances can also increase.

If you’ve noticed your car feeling a little less comfortable than it used to, it’s worth having the suspension checked to keep your vehicle driving as safely and comfortably as possible.

Safe Driving, Katie & Simon

The Forge Garage – June News

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1 June, 2026

Forge Garage – at Your Service!

As I write, Carole on the front desk has been sneezing a bit the last few days but tells me she doesn’t have a cold so we suspect hay fever; Crackers, our apprentice also suffers from this and according to a new report, published in the journal Lancet Public Health, climate change is extending the flowering season of some plants.

Many of you will have guessed the automotive topic this leads on to – air conditioning in your vehicle. It’s also relevant now because most of us are hoping for those warmer temperatures when we might need to turn it on to keep cool.

If your car AC stops working, common causes include low refrigerant, clogged filters, failing compressors, electrical issues, or damaged controls. To help avoid issues, run your AC regularly, replace the cabin (pollen)filter on schedule and watch for warning signs like weak airflow. If you do need some help from a garage, your options are a re-gas or a service and in either case if the system has no gas in at all, a pressure test is needed to check there are no leaks in the system.

Katie and Simon and the Team at the Forge

Brailes Show – 8th August – Save the Date!

The schedule for this year’s show is out and hopefully you’ve managed to grab your copy by now. Please do have a look and enter some of the classes – it would be great to have the tent full of produce and handiwork from Brailes. We are still looking for someone to run a children’s tombola and possibly a sweet stall so please do get in touch if you can help on 07794339867.

Football in Brailes, and Play Area

The play area and pavilion group are exploring the options to install new football goals on the playing field for everyone to use; there is also a possibility of a local team bringing some football to the village on a regular basis which would be a great addition to the village activities.

The ladies on the play area group have done an awesome job over the last few years of co ordinating activities to upgrade the play area next to the school. They’ve all run out of steam a bit so we are looking for some new folk to join the sub-committee to help maintain the play area going forward. This involves co-ordinating some activities to raise money (this can be via grants applications or events) and ensuring required repairs are carried out by relevant contractors.

If you’d like to be involved in either of these projects please give Katie and call on 07794339867

The Forge Garage – May News

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1 May, 2026

Forge Garage – at Your Service!

We’ve seen a few vehicles in the last year that have needed a new turbocharger and I heard Simon explaining what it does and why it had gone so I thought I’d share his knowledge.

What does it do?
A turbocharger uses the exhaust gases created by combustion to spin a turbine. This turbine compresses the air entering the engine, increasing the amount of oxygen available for more combustion. The result is more power from a smaller engine, improved fuel economy and cleaner performance.

Why might a turbo fail?
Most failures are caused by one of three things: oil starvation, oil contamination and foreign object damage. Neglecting oil changes can lead to oil contamination, clogged oil passages and accelerated bearing wear, ultimately resulting in turbocharger failure. A clogged or dirty air filter also restricts airflow, leading to decreased turbocharger performance and potential damage.

How to protect the turbo?
Proactive maintenance and regular vehicle servicing are the best way to protect your turbo and avoid a costly repair and potentially further issues.

If there is a topic you’d like to know about next month please do let me know,
See you next month,

Katie at the Forge, powered by Simon’s knowledge (luckily!)

Forge Garage Brailes Ltd

01608 685247

Opening Hours:
8am-5.30pm Monday to Friday
8am-12.30pm Saturday

The Forge Garage – April News

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1 April, 2026

Forge Garage – at Your Service!

This month I’ve decided to let you know about the “Right to Choose Campaign,”  an initiative by UK independent parts suppliers, parts distributors and repairers which aims to create greater public awareness of motorists’ rights when servicing and repairing their vehicles.

Many motorists that own vehicles which are under the manufacturers’ warranty are under the impression that any servicing, maintenance or repairs must be carried out by the authorised dealer otherwise their warranty is invalidated.

Since June 2010, European competition rules which cover agreements between vehicle manufacturers and their authorised dealers, repairers and spare parts distributors, have confirmed important rights which help the motorist. Under the rules, car manufacturers cannot make the warranty conditional on having the car serviced, or even simple things like oil changes, done in the dealers’ workshops.

The introduction of these rules means that motorists can shop around for the most competitive price and convenient location for servicing their cars. Servicing and maintenance are calculated to represent around 40% of vehicle running costs over the whole life of the car, therefore having this freedom to shop around can make a vast difference to how much money stays in the motorists pocket.

Wishing you a lovely Easter, remember the garage will be closed over the Bank Holiday weekend to give our team a well earned break.

Katie and Simon and the Team at the Forge

Brailes Show – 8th August – Save the Date!

Brailes Show is on 8th August this year and is shaping up nicely.  We have a brand new rural section this year which is being co-ordinated by Alison Sutherland and should feature hedge laying, sheep shearing, a black smith, hounds and beagles and hopefully more.  We welcome back Urban Bikes with a cool bike and parkour show and have also booked a circus workshop and show. 

The Forge Garage – March News

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1 March, 2026

Forge Garage – at Your Service!

This month, as financial pressures continue to squeeze household budgets, causing some driver to reduce or defer vehicle maintenance according to published research, I’ve decided to tackle the topic of your MOT and your service, and the key difference between the two.

For vehicles over three years old (with certain classic car exemptions), annual MOT testing isn’t optional – it’s required by law. Driving without a valid certificate risks a £1,000 fine, rising to £2,500 plus licence points if your vehicle is found in dangerous condition, and, if you are out of MOT, your insurance company are unlikely to pay out if you are involved in an accident. You can only drive a vehicle without a valid MOT in the following limited situations:

  • Driving it to a pre-booked MOT test at an authorised test centre.
  • Driving it to a garage for repairs to fix defects that caused it to fail a previous MOT test.

In both cases, you must have proof of the appointment (such as an email or text confirmation) and take the most direct route possible. The vehicle must also not have any defects classified as “dangerous”; if it does, you cannot drive it on public roads and must arrange for it to be transported.

A MOT is a snapshot of your vehicle’s basic roadworthiness at one moment in time. It checks fundamental safety aspects like brakes, tyres, and steering against minimum government standards. However, it can’t predict how these components will perform next week, next month, or during your next emergency stop.

Here’s a few things that the MOT test doesn’t fully check:

  • Timing belt condition – not included in MOT checks, yet failure often means catastrophic engine damage
  • Brake fluid condition – testers can only view fluid level and obvious contamination through transparent reservoirs. They can’t remove caps or test fluid quality.
  • Internal drum brake components – proper inspection requires disassembly, which isn’t part of MOT testing
  • Battery performance – the test only verifies secure mounting, not whether your battery will start reliably in winter
  • Spark plug operation – essential for engine performance but only assessed during servicing

Vehicle servicing goes beyond the legal minimum and considers the longer term health of your vehicle to keep you safe.

As an example, take tyre tread depth – while 1.6mm is legally acceptable, manufacturers typically recommend replacement at 3mm. Testing at the Motor Industry Research Association’s wet track revealed that at 70mph, a car with 1.6mm tread was still moving at 50mph when an identical vehicle with 3mm tread had completely stopped. That extra 1.4mm could literally save lives.

There are different levels of servicing, ranging from a simple oil and oil filter change to a major service where your brakes are fully examined, and the most appropriate service for your vehicle, and your budget, can be discussed with your garage. The key thing is that your vehicle is safe for you to drive on the roads.

Whether the condition of the roads aids that safety is another question…..maybe I’ll look at the impact of pot holes on your vehicle next month.

See you in April, Katie & Simon