Common Maintenance & Repair Terminology

AC Condenser: An apparatus that condenses vapor for the AC, it is located behind the reinforcement bar.
Other names: AC Panel

Brake Calipers: The assembly that holds your brake pads and provides the mechanism to press your pads to the rotor.

Brake Shoes: Internal long curved blocks that press against the inside drum of drum brakes.

Brake Pads: Thin blocks that grip the disk on disc brakes. Held on by calipers.

Bumper Absorber: The front or back impact pad that goes between the bumper cover, and the reinforcement bar.
Other names: Front or Rear Absorber.

Bumper Cover: The very front or very rear painted cover that goes over the reinforcement bar and bumper absorber. Sometimes these covers come in many pieces; lower, upper, sides.
Other names: Front or Rear Fascia.

Bumper Deflector: The very bottom trim piece under the bumper cover.

Calipers: The assembly that holds brake pads, and presses them together on disc brakes.

Deck Lid: The truck lift lid.
Other names: Truck Lid.

Door Skin: The outer panel of a door that can be replaced without replacing the interior workings or glass of an entire door.
Other names: Door Panel, Skin.

Drum Brakes:

Fender:
The body panel above and behind the front wheel wells on each side.

Fog Lamp: The lower smaller pair of lights on the front of the vehicle.

Moldings: Any type of add-on decorative or protective pieces that go on the exterior of the body or its assembly.

Quarter Panel: The rear body panel above and around the rear wheel wells on each side.

Radiator Shroud: The fan mounting assembly that mounts on the radiator to assist in the cooling of the fluids.
Other names: Shroud.

Radiator: An engine cooling device that is made of thin tubes that circulates and cools fluid with the surrounding air.

Reinforcement Bar: The steel or aluminum impact bar that mounts to the front or rear of the frame of the vehicle, behind the absorber, and cover.
Other names: Rebar, Front or Rear Bumper, or Bar.

Rocker Panel: The lower panel that runs the length of the doors at the bottom of the vehicle on both sides to and from each wheel well.

Roof Moldings: Rubber seals that go where your roof is attached to the upper body frame on the top of the vehicle.
Other names: Drip moldings

Rotors: The disc that the brake pads squeeze on to slow down the vehicle.

Scalp Moldings: Rubber moldings that line the top and adjacent area of the window and door panels.

Shroud Fan: The fan that goes inside the shroud assembly used for assisting the radiator to cool the engine.

Shroud Panel: One of the many panels that can be associated with the proper installation and support of the radiator shroud.

Spark Plugs: The plugs inserted into the block of the engine that provides a spark to ignite fuel in an internal combustion engine. 1 spark plug per cylinder.

Tie Rods: A rod that acts as a tie in a structure of a vehicle, most commonly the steering structure.

Wheel Flares: Any type of molding that attaches to the fender or quarter panels and runs the border of the wheel wells.

Wheel Skirt: The Lining that attaches to the upper wheel. It helps protect the inner compartments from wheel well debris.
Other names: Wheel Liner, Lining, Fender Liner.