There are several key reasons why this merger is a good fit for our business.

First, both Midwest and S&S hold similar values and philosophies on doing business. We both share a passion for customer service, an emphasis on honesty and integrity, and stress the importance of supporting an inclusive culture in the workplace.

Second, both organizations are close to one another in the greater Chicago region.  We will be better able to support one another from our mutual headquarters in Schaumburg, Illinois and Crown Point, Indiana.

Finally, this is a combination of two highly compatible organizations that will provide a wider array of services and more breadth across products. We will use our combined strength to continue to grow and, in a challenging global supply chain environment, help provide you the best pricing and service possible.

In total, our union offers a compelling, highly complementary combination that will be best suited to meet your needs in the years ahead.

It is important to us that this transaction does not disrupt your business activities in any way.  Please address all future payments to Midwest Truck and Auto Parts, LLC.  This is our new legal name as of August 1.  As other process changes occur, we will proactively communicate to you.

If you have any questions or concerns, you’d like to address personally about the merger, you can always reach out to your sales representative who can provide more information.  

We are excited about Midwest’s future with S&S, and we look forward to speaking with you about our combined offering.  We thank you as always for your support as we continue to serve you with the quality and respect that you’re accustomed to!

Sincerely,

Mark and Michael Chudacoff

Diesel Differential

Diesel pickup truck owners and the shops that support them asked, and we delivered! Motive Gear and PowerTrax differential products in one easy to use brochure. Quickly find the right ring & pinion gear sets, installation kits, axles, limited slip differentials and lockers for Chrysler^®, Dana^®, Ford^®, GM^®. The detailed sections offer one-stop-shopping by truck and engine combination for everything related to a vehicle’s differential in one spot across the Motive Gear and PowerTrax product lines.

Click to get your own copy of this new brochure: Download Here.

Traction is also important for outdoor enjoyment and recreation. Whether you want your muscle car to lay two stripes when coming off the line, are trying to get your family to their favorite skiing spot, or are getting ready for a weekend of recreational off-roading, hunting, or fishing, you need traction.

Open Differentials

Very poor traction on low-friction surfaces is a characteristic of conventional “open” differentials that are common today as standard equipment on most rear wheel drive vehicles. This century-old technology delivers virtually all the engine power to the wheel that begins to slip first. Because the wheel that begins to slip has the lowest amount of traction and because all the power is delivered to that slipping wheel, there is insufficient power applied to the non-slipping wheel to adequately propel the vehicle. Although open differentials work adequately on ideal driving surfaces, they perform poorly under adverse traction conditions.

Electronic Stability or Traction Control

Electronic stability or traction control detects wheel spin and activates when one wheel loses traction. It applies braking action to a spinning wheel and holds back the throttle, all in an attempt to propel the vehicle forward using the traction remaining in the other wheel. Electronic stability or traction control is usually designed to work in conjunction with the vehicle’s anti-lock braking system (ABS), and is adapted primarily to passenger cars rather than heavier duty vehicles. Even with light duty applications, performance results are inconsistent. Car owners with electronic traction control often learn that their traction improvement is so limited they can’t even climb their driveways after a light snowfall. Therefore, on/off switches are used with almost all electronic traction control systems. Because of their idiosyncrasies, some drivers opt to leave them turned off, providing no traction benefit whatsoever.

4 Wheel Drive

The increasing demand for more traction has made 4×4’s so popular that they continue to be produced in record numbers year after year. But four-wheel drive is a misnomer that misleads consumers into believing that they have the ultimate traction vehicle. Many four -wheel drive vehicle owners get stuck in situations they believed their vehicles could easily handle. As surprising as it seems, most 4×4’s are equipped with the same open differentials with the same shortcomings as are found in two-wheel drive vehicles.

A small percentage of 4×4 owners understand all of the ramifications of 4-wheel drive operation and how to fully utilize the potential of their vehicle. It’s an unfortunate reality that vehicle performance sometimes is poor even in brand new 4-wheel drive vehicles. Thankfully 4×4’s can be upgraded with the Powertrax line of EXTREME TRACTION SYSTEMS to achieve the extreme traction performance that experienced drivers’ demand of their 4-wheel drive vehicles.

Limited Slip/Posi Differentials

Limited-slips are an ideal solution for increased traction and performance. Upgrading to a posi-traction differential when purchasing a vehicle, or adding an aftermarket limited slip differential will immediately provide demanding drivers with a vehicle that transfers more engine power to the wheels that matter.

Limited-slip differentials behave similarly to open differentials when all wheels have equal traction. Limited-slips and posi units utilize a variety of friction mechanisms to smoothly and quietly transfer power to the non-slipping wheel as needed. Some limited slip/posi units utilize friction plates to achieve this while other types feature spiral gearing to achieve similar results. The best limited-slip differentials are able to vary the amount of torque sent to each wheel, based on engine RPMs and wheel slip. Overall, limited slip/posi units are a quiet, affordable and durable option in lieu of the traction limitations imposed by conventional open differentials.

For more information on the Powertrax line of limited slip/posi units see: GRIP LS and GRIP PRO.

Locking Differentials

Another example of Powertrax EXTREME TRACTION SYSTEM’S traction enhancing technology, locking differentials, will lock the two drive wheels together when the vehicle is driving in a straight line. They deliver straight line driving performance similar to racing “spools” that solidly connect the axles together. When powering straight ahead, engine power is equally delivered to both drive wheels. However spools, when turning, will not allow both wheels to differentiate – resulting in a dangerous condition called “wheel hop” which can result in loss of control of the vehicle. Spools should only be used in dedicated use performance vehicles that are trailered to events. Locking differentials actively and automatically work to prevent wheel hop, allowing full wheel differentiation when cornering and returning to a locked state when the vehicle is going straight again.

Designed for maximum traction and performance that is easy to install – without requiring differential gearing to be reset, “drop in” locking differentials are popular with home mechanics. While most drop in lockers are nearly as strong as a solid racing spool, some models produce a ratcheting noise while cornering. Some performance oriented drivers are reassured by the sound, knowing that their wheels are now “locked”. Drivers who prefer more quiet performance should spend a little more to purchase lockers that will lock their axles together using a quieter synchronized mechanism.

For more information on the Powertrax line of lockers see: GRIP LOK, Lock-Right, and No-Slip.

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With good equipment, a good team and a favorable day, it was an exhilarating experience for Rob McCachren as well. “What a day! I’ve been racing 30-plus years. Participating & finishing today’s King of the Hammers is one of the top most exciting things I’ve done.  Words don’t describe it enough!” Perhaps the most memorable finish was provided by the Campbell family (siblings Bailey and Wayland and their father, Shannon). Shannon, a 2-time KOH winner, preceded his 19-year-old daughter, Bailey across the finish line by a scant 19 minutes. Bailey’s 5th place finish makes her the first woman to have earned a podium finish in the King of the Hammers. Bailey’s older brother, Wayland came in 15th, a remarkable finish considering his progress was halted by a broken driveshaft on the final leg of the event. Since crews may not repair Ultra-4 rigs between pit areas, Wayland was on his own. With his immobile vehicle partially blocking a rocky trail, he took time to help competitors navigate around his car, pulling winches and spotting. A fellow driver repaid the gentleman racer’s kindness with the donation of a spare driveshaft, which Wayland promptly installed and headed for the finish.

The outcome of every race is largely contingent upon the culmination of a variety of factors. The winningest teams are always as prepared as possible, checking everything with the vehicle, tools and equipment then checking it all again. Eliminating problems before they emerge is a priority and one of the ways Jason Scherer, the Campbells and Rob McCrachren do this is by partnering with manufacturers dedicated to supplying products strong enough to survive King of the Hammers competition. All three teams have enjoyed a good relationship with tire, shock and gear manufacturers like Motive Gear. “Rock racing is an excellent test bed for the development of new and better products. We learn what works and what doesn’t in live time.” says Motive Gear employee and desert racing enthusiast Eric Filar. Motive Gear has been very involved in offroad racing for decades, and employees like Eric demonstrate their support beyond supplying quality parts through personal effort. “We’ve worked in the pits with crews, brought parts, tools, whatever they need.”

In the event a failure occurs, having support that close helps avoid a repeat of the problem at a future event. Broken gears or shafts are sent to Motive Gear’s Quality Control lab in Chicago where a complete stress and metallurgical analysis is done to identify any weak areas that may be present. Engineers then find ways to strengthen the component, and those processes then find their way into other products in Motive Gear’s extensive line of products. Ten Factory axle shafts are an excellent example. To avoid breaking, engineers specify 4340 or 4140 chrome moly steel capable of twisting 190 degrees and springing back without breaking – over 40% more than comparable stock axle shafts. In case someone does manage to break one, Ten Factory axle shafts are covered by a no questions asked 10 year warranty. Motive Gear is serious about their reputation, racers’ success and customers’ satisfaction with their products!

King of the Hammers 2016

Terry quickly gained a reputation as a skilled mechanic, and the money he earned working on others’ cars helped finance his fledgling racing effort. Drag racing is very much a family sport, and many racers are more than willing to share parts and even crew members with competitors in a time of need. Maybe it was the fact that Terry met the right individuals who recognized his drive and ambition or that fact that he never gave up despite setbacks that got him where he is today, but he is very involved in the education and mentoring of young racers. Terry credits his father’s guidance and support for instilling a strong sense of community within him. Terry’s son grew up at dragstrips with his dad and his 11-year-old granddaughter, Adeline has won 5 of her first 7 races driving her own Junior Dragster. Terry beams when talking about his family participating in racing with him. “I’m in a blessed position to be able to race and mentor the next generation.”

Turning a wrench on his own car from such a young age taught Terry the value of spending money on quality parts the first time as opposed to buying cheap components and suffering consequences come race day. Now that he’s racing Top Fuel, this is more important than ever. Terry’s Amalie Motor Oil InstiGator Top Fuel dragster is an 8,000 horsepower machine capable of catapulting Terry down the quarter in less than four seconds at 320 MPH. Such violent and brutal acceleration subjects Terry to more than 4g’s of force, a considerable amount for the human body, but nowhere near the amount of punishment endured by the dragster’s driveline. Considering the fact that the nitro-methane which powers Top Fuel dragsters was once used as rocket fuel, it should come as no surprise that in the course of a single pass, a dragster’s engine actually consumes critical engine parts like spark plugs, valves and bearings. A $4,600 crankshaft is reduced to scrap after four passes. Each time Terry advances to the next round of competition, his crew has less than one hour to completely rebuild the $60,000 engine, pressure-test hydraulic lines, refinish all of the clutches and replace all of the dragsters fluids. One component that isn’t routinely changed, however, is the Motive Gear ring and pinion in the dragster’s differential.

When Terry first started running Top Fuel, the ring and pinions he was using lasted a maximum of 20 runs before they were scrapped. “The old gears would start cracking after three or four runs.”, Terry recalls.  Motive Gear engineers partnered with Terry’s team to evaluate and analyze gearsets for structural damage and wear. This led to improved racing gearsets used by Terry and other racers for their dragsters. Through this collaborative effort, Terry now gets many more passes out of each gearset. “The Motive Gear engineers check each ring and pinion in their lab after 70 runs.” says Terry. “They’ve told me we could probably get 100 passes.” Anytime Terry or his fellow racers can save money while improving safety and consistency, it makes the choice on which parts to run pretty easy.

Terry McMillen embodies the spirit of persistence and drive that makes drag racing special. He races on a much tighter budget than many of his competitors do, but the support of his family, friends, fans and his sponsors make him among the richest guys at the dragstrip. Motive Gear is proud to be a part of Terry’s team.

Top Fuel drag racer Terry McMillen embodies the credo, “Persistence will outweigh resistance”

We’re bouncing around Baja so updates are difficult at times, but here’s a sneak at one of our Pre-runners (other is a Jeep JK!). Race truck photos to follow from Contingency.

We pull out a win on Thursday but just miss the overall!

Our goal in the 114 mile EMC race on Thursday was to take the class win in Legends but not destroy the truck chasing the overall win, however, short course aggresion runs in my veins and we passed 39 trucks in the first 46 miles. Only one remained as we entered the unending rock trails. We pushed hard treating it like a sprint race and took the lead (based on time) but still needed to physically pass John Currie. We reeled him in and were less than 100 yards from his bumper when I rolled.

I still can’t believe I rolled the truck but I did. A flat tire + a broken sway bar + a missed shift = a roll. Our hopes were dashed and Roger jumped out to work on recovery. He discovered the flat and also noticed the front axle was cracked and bleeding gear oil. I was feeling pretty desperate as I engaged the Warn and raked the truck across the rocks hoping the sidewalls would bite. The BFGs did their job and the truck was on it’s wheels but wounded. Roger jumped in and we hit ramming speed up Wrecking Ball still chasing Currie.

Unfortunately, that only resulted in another flat but we weren’t stopping until we had help at Pit 2. BFG makes the strongest tire on the market but class mandated DOT tires will cut at some point. Sitting in the truck, watching a flurry of action in the pit I began to contemplate the finer points of logistics, preparedness, and how they effect race results. Why you may wonder? In all the planning and prep work, we somehow never checked fitment of a spare wheel. That wheel now held our only good spare. I grimaced as the crew did the only thing they could and put a flat tire back on the truck.

Now it was a race to simply finish and our Legends class lead was in jeopardy. Just how long will a flat tire hold before it disintegrates? The answer depends on speed, weight, and terrain. For our tire that moment came at race mile 101. The bad news was that our only spare was the 2nd flat from Wrecking Ball. The worse news was that we left the impact wrench and socket at the pit!

With the clock ticking we began to improvise. We hammered our only wrench enough so that it would fit in the wheel and I almost popped a vein in my forehead pulling on that thing to loosen the lug nuts. Luck was with us and we were soon limping again on our “less” flat tire. We had to drive so slow it was killing us but needed to save the tire for the rough terrain before the finish.

Well the outcome is already known, we pulled off the class win by the skin of our teeth with a narrowly intact tire but missed the overall by 12 minutes. It was a great success and further proof that endurance races are won before they start. The celebration soon turned to business as we began to prep for another 194 miles of torture the following day.

12th out of 150+ ain’t that bad

The big day was here. Roger qualified our team for KOH and it was now my turn to navigate. With gallons of adrenaline spent the day before, we calmly started the epic race and watched truck after truck wail by us in the desert. Endurance racing is an excruciating game of patience, we took no chances in the dust and made sure to run at a pace that the truck could do all day. Before we hit a single rock trail, the rate of competitors passing us slowed and attrition became apparent.

The rock washes, trails, and climbs bunched the field up and time after time we were forced to wait in long lines at pinch points. Trucks were flogged, rocks were punished, yet Roger patient and consistent progress through the course. Our only unscheduled stop came when the transmission temperature was running well over 300 degrees. It seems the horn had vacated the chassis and took the transmission cooler fan wiring with it. A quick repair and we were on our way.

Around race mile 125 we pulled into BFG pit and were in the top 30. Our pace was paying off and the truck was uninjured. With clearer air we chased down several positions in the desert at that the same speed that seemed so slow earlier. The rock trails were littered with broken equipment and rollovers. We pushed through finding the line in the madness. As the sun got low visibility was terrible and we drove by brail. At times I lost track of where the path was at all.

Nearly 8 hours into the race and we had decided to switch seats to avoid fatigue. The course was getting extremely chewed up. Everything felt rougher and every hole was bigger. Finally we topped the last rock trail and set our sights on tail lights about a mile away in the desert. The dust was blinding and we were exhausted. It was hard to stay focussed but that is why its called endurance racing. We were able to pick up a couple more positions before seeing the lights of Hammertown. We finished the 2014 King of the Hammers in 12th place. Only 20% of those that started finished. We’re always looking for the #1 spot, but just finishing KOH makes it a good day.

I’m really proud of our team for basically racing King of the Hammers twice in two days – 308 miles. Everyone on the team worked themselves to exhaustion to make it happen – thank you. The camaraderie of all rock racers can’t be beat and we are grateful to competing teams, Ultra 4 volunteers, and all rock fanatics on the lakebed for their support. Thank you to our dedicated sponsors for sticking with us through thick and thin. Lastly, thanks to our families for supporting us in the most rewarding and testing endeavor anyone can pursue.

About Lovell Racing:
Lovell Racing is dedicated to winning off-road races at the highest levels of competition. The team is owned by brothers Brad & Roger Lovell. Together they compete in nearly every 4-wheel off-road venue including TORC short course races, desert races, rock races, and hill climbs. In 10 years the brothers have earned 9 championships and two Baja 1000 class wins. In 2014, the team will race for the TORC Pro-Light Championship and compete in a variety of other races including King of the Hammers.

Follow the team at: Facebook/44BradLovell

Lovell Racing Team Partners:
AMSOIL, Torchmate, BFGoodrich Tires, Spidertrax Off-Road, Kawasaki Team Green, Lincoln Welders, Method Race Wheels, WARN, Rigid LED Lighting, 4 Wheel Parts, Aeroquip, Fox Racing Shox, Magnaflow, FK Rod Ends, Howe, Motive Gear, Robinson Construction, Nissan, Ron Davis Racing Products, Eibach, Powertank, Kaeser Compressors

Powertrax Grip-Lok, Lock-Right Lockers and No-Slip Traction Systems automatically provide 100% traction on-demand, under the toughest circumstances.

The POWERTRAX® GRIP-Pro and GRIP-LS performance limited slips offer smooth dependable torque transfer and traction for the best of both worlds!

• Forged Steel
• Fully Machined
• Black Chromed
• 6 Pinion Design Top/Bottom Vs. 4 (Competitor) Allowing For A Smoother And Quieter Torque Transfer
• Torque input variable limited-slip builds progressive traction on-demand
• Ford 8" and 9" (9" 28 31 & 35 spline)

• Fully Machined
• Black Chrome
• Carbon Fiber Clutches
• “S” Spring design
• Designed for street and strip
• GM 10 Bolt 8.5"/8.6" 28 & 30 spline
• GM 12 bolt car - coming soon
• Ford 8.8 31 spline - coming soon

• Fully Machined
• Black Chrome
• Full Case Strength
• Heavy-Duty Ratcheting Lock
• Designed for street, strip & circle track

Inconvenienced by some “minor” burns Shannon had doctor’s orders to stay out of the car until the wounds healed to avoid infection. The plan was to put Wayland in the car hoping to maintain the national points lead. In order to do this, Shannon would have to qualify and start the race. Ripping out a 45 second qualifying lap time, 5 seconds faster than the next competitor, would put the #5az on the pole where it needed to be.

Taking the green flag with aggression, Shannon drove the first ¼ mile to the pits to make the driver change. Wayland took the wheel losing only 3 positions. Heading into his second lap he got hung up in the first rock section and struggled for close to 10 minutes before finally breaking free. Dropping back to 22nd place, Wayland quickly worked his way back to the front of the pack. Keeping it smooth, dodging water holes over 4 feet deep, sliding through the mud and the trees Wayland closed the gap on 1st & 2nd with 2 laps left. He made the pass on Erik Miller and Derek West who both had mechanical issues, then made a clean run up the hill that had claimed the fate of many cars throughout the day.

The last lap was a hair raiser, walking away with the lead, the brakes had faded to nothing, no radio communications, and the mud & water were taking a toll on the Monster machine. The last two climbs were blocked by lap traffic and with no time to waste Wayland tried an alternate line getting stuck, luckily competitor Nick Nelson who had suffered a broken A-Arm assisted him and sent him to the checkered flag for his first ever Ultra4 win. The smiles on Wayland, Shannon and Nick’s faces were priceless!