DICTIONARY OF AUTOMOTIVE TERMS - "Sk"

Skate
The action of sliding across an icy road. Usually caused by excessive speed and locking the wheels. If you apply the brakes on an icy road, you have no ability to steer or control the vehicle--instead you will skate in the direction your vehicle was moving.
Skate board
Trucker slang for a flatboard trailer
Skeg
A deep, vertical, fin-like projection on the bottom of a vessel near the stern
Skeleton construction
A modern construction layout of the unitary type, using a skeleton-like assembly as the main structural member, thus relieving stress from the body sheet metal.
Skew
The arrangement of laminations on a rotor or armature to provide a slight diagonal pattern of their slots with respect to the shaft axis. This pattern helps to eliminate low-speed Cogging effects in an armature and minimize induced vibration in a rotor.
Skewer
A pin with a loop at one end for insertion and removal.
Skid
  1. A sideways slip or slide of a wheel through failure to grip the ground.
  2. To slide sideways (often out of control).
  3. To slide in a straight line (as after sudden braking with, maybe, locked brakes).
  4. A short-distance moving of logs or felled trees from the stump to a point of loading.
Skid braking system
Skid control system
A system designed to respond to a locking wheel by relieving hydraulic pressure to the locking brake.
Skid depth
Skid lid
A helmet.
Skid mark
The mark left on the road surface by the tires, as a result of emergency braking
Skid pad
A large area of smooth, flat pavement used for various handling tests. Roadholding is measured by defining a large-diameter circle (Car and Driver magazine uses 300 feet) on the skidpad and measuring the fastest Speed at which the car can negotiate the circle without sliding off.
Skidpad
A large area of smooth, flat pavement used for various handling tests. Roadholding is measured by defining a large-diameter circle (Car and Driver magazine uses 300 feet) on the skidpad and measuring the fastest Speed at which the car can negotiate the circle without sliding off.
Skidpan
British term for Skidpad.
Skid plate
A steel, aluminum, or plastic shield attached to the underside of the chassis to protect vulnerable components (oil pan, transmission, differentials, and transfer cases) from off-road obstacles. Also called Sump guard
Skid trail
A temporary, nonstructural pathway over forest soil used to drag felled trees or logs to the landing.
Ski flap
A flap in the rear bulkhead (behind the rear seat), for long, thin loads (like skis)
Skin
The outer surface or body panel.
Skin condenser
Condenser using the outer surface of the cabinet as the heat radiating medium.
Skinner
The length of wire that protrudes from a cable form or housing and extends to the soldered connector
Skinning
  1. The formation of a film on a thick paint layer before the solvents in the layer under it have evaporated
  2. When adhesives and sealers contain fast drying solvents, there is a tendency for the applied film to dry rapidly at the surface which slows down the evaporation of the solvent that remains in the film. This condition can lead to blistering, checking or cracking, particularly if the film is exposed to temps near or above the boiling point of the solvent.
  3. Many coatings, particularly oxidizing types, have a tendency to skin over when left exposed to the air in an open vessel or in a partially filled container. Later when the material is forced through a spray gun, the air breaks the skin into a number of particles which appear on the work as specks. This condition can be overcome by straining the coating and by taking care to store it in completely filled containers.
Skins
  1. Colloquial term for tires.
  2. A covering (usually plastic) for skis on a snowmobile.
Skipping
A popping feeling in a bicycle drivetrain when you pedal hard; it occurs when a cog is worn out and when you install a new chain on worn cogs
Skirt
  1. Skirt

    Skirt

    The portion of the Piston below the rings and Bosses. It absorbs the thrust caused by the Crankshaft as it makes contact with the Cylinder wall.
  2. A cover for the rear fender cutout.

Skirt expander
Skirt expanding
Skirt piston
Skive
The action of cutting into something or cutting away rubber from an injury in preparation for a section repair.
Skyhawk
Skyhawk

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Buick Skyhawk

A model of automobile manufactured by the Buick division of General Motors from 1975-1980, 1982-1989
Skylark
Skylark

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Buick Skylark

A model of automobile manufactured by the Buick division of General Motors from 1953-1954, 1961-1972, 1975-1998
Skylight
A glass covered framework fitted over a dock opening for admitting light and air into the compartment below. A pop-up window in the roof of a trailer