DEAR CUSTOMERS: IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE IT EASY FOR ALL TO ENTER THE BUSINESS COMPLEX, PLEASE DO NOT PARK IN THE ENTRANCE DRIVEWAY THAT IS ADJACENT TO ROSWELL RD.  CUSTOMERS OF OTHER BUSINESSES USE THE ENTRANCEWAY AND WILL HAVE DIFFICULTY ENTERING IF YOU PARK THERE.   PLEASE PULL DIRECTLY INTO OUR PARKING LOT AND WE WILL ASSIST YOU.  THANK YOU (404) 252-3014 Ext 232

8155 ROSWELL ROAD
SANDY SPRINGS, GA 30350

Mon-Fri: 7AM – 6PM
Saturday & Sunday: Closed

A Tribute to Roderick L. “Rod” McCullough
Founder of McCullough Auto Care & Tire

With heavy hearts, we announce that the McCullough Auto Care family has lost our father, founder, and mentor. Roderick “Rod” L. McCullough passed away peacefully on February 1, 2025, at the age of 86. A man of integrity, quiet strength, and entrepreneurial spirit, Rod built a lasting legacy in both business and community, leaving behind a life marked by dedication, service, and love for his family.

Roderick moved to the Atlanta area from his native home in Anderson, South Carolina, in the 1960s, focused on starting his family business. He became a successful businessman during the 1970s, owning and operating several Shell service stations throughout the area. In 1969, he founded McCullough Auto Care in Sandy Springs, Georgia, with just $1,200 and a clear vision. Over the decades, Rod grew the business into a trusted name, known for its honest service and family-oriented values.

Rod found joy in life’s simple pleasures. He loved long bike rides, peaceful walks along his favorite beach, and cheering on his beloved Clemson Tigers. Above all, he was most proud of his family. He celebrated their accomplishments with pride and never missed an opportunity to remind others that “family is the most important thing in life.”

Rod’s legacy lives on through his children and grandchildren, many of whom have followed in his footsteps and contributed to the family business.  Through every customer served, every child mentored, and every value passed down, Rod McCullough’s legacy endures — a testament to a life well-lived and a family business built on trust, hard work, and heart.

Since the front-wheel drive is so common these days, the differential is taken care of during a routine transmission service, so most people don’t even ever have to think about it. And also, most rear-wheel drive differentials don’t have to be serviced for several miles, so, understandably, this is not a service that is on the top of your mind. So if you are one of the many people that either didn’t know you had a differential or didn’t know it needed to be serviced, you are not alone!

To better understand what a differential does, think about a high school track. There are lanes marked on the track to keep runners in their lane. For the longer-distance races, the lines are staggered. The starting lines for the outside lanes are ahead of the inside lanes. This is to compensate for the longer length of the outside lanes, due to the circumference. Staggering the lines allows for each runner to have the same distance to run.

The differential compensates for the difference in speeds on the drive wheels between the inside wheel and the outside wheel in a turn. They have to travel together, but they are traveling slightly different distances.

Differentials do a large amount of work and require very heavy-duty parts. And those parts must be protected. The differential fluid lubricates the gears and keeps them cool. But eventually, the fluid gets dirty and requires replacing. Some kinds of differentials require special additives that break down over time. That’s why manufacturers recommend replacing this fluid.

So what will happen at your NAPA AutoCare Center? Your technician will drain the used fluid and check to see if there are any metal bits. If there are, this could be a sign of excessive wear on the gears. He will then replace the additives, if necessary.

Four-wheel drive vehicles will need special attention because they have differentials on both the front and rear axles that work at different times and sometimes under heavy loads, so they need to be serviced at different intervals.

Check your owner’s manual for the recommended maintenance on your car’s differential today!