Did you know that you can get a recycled spare part for virtually any car part that you need for your vehicle repair or restoration job? Vehicle recycling is a source of cheap but quality used car parts. While you might be aware that buying used car parts is a fantastic way to save money on the purchase of car replacement parts, you may not know what the vehicle recycling process entails. 

Car recycling is a job that requires proper handling to do safely and correctly. Below are the basic steps involved in the salvaging of parts from used cars:

1. Removal of Motor Fluids

Cars rely on a wide range of fluids to keep running properly. These fluids include the engine oil, brake fluid transmission fluid, battery acid, air conditioning coolant, power steering fluid, radiator fluid and many more.

Before the recycling process commences, these motor fluids are removed and disposed of the right way.

2. Dismantling of Parts 

Once motor fluids have been removed from the vehicle, the stripping of parts begins. A visual inspection of each stripped part is carried out to identify the 'good' and 'bad' parts. The 'good' parts are kept separate from those that are visibly worn or damaged. 

3. Cleaning and Inspection of Parts

The seemingly 'good' parts are cleaned to remove the dirt and grime that builds up on them over time. This can be a difficult job because the build-up may have had time to fuse to the various parts of your vehicle.

With the right cleaning techniques and a little patience, it is possible to remove any crud build-up.

4. Testing Parts for Performance 

A visual inspection alone isn't enough to determine if a used part is still in good working shape. Each salvaged part must be subjected to a thorough testing process to determine its performance. This may involve conducting material tests, such as tensile, bending, hardness and compression tests to determine the strength of a car part.

Only parts that meet the required performance standards are offered for sale.

Now that you have familiarised yourself with the car recycling process, you should have a greater appreciation of the hassle that car recyclers go through to offer you used spares for your car. If you'd like to support the work that car recyclers do while saving money on your car replacement parts purchase, get used parts for your car! Look for shops that provide your vehicle's brand like a used Toyota car parts supplier.