I go to google first. The only time I use the search bar in any forum is when doing an advanced search (perhaps posts made by a certain person or for a chronological list of posts within a certain subforum). Maybe we should have a "how to search" FAQ? While plenty of people can turn a wrench, this seems to be a skill that many are lacking.
e.g.
(1) Go to google.com
(2) Type in detailed keywords related to your query
(3) After the keywords, type in "site:hybridz.org", quotes and italics unnecessary in actual use. You can use the "site:" command to search any site.
(4) If you don't get good hits, start making your keywords less detailed or try different keywords
(5) Another strategy when you don't get good hits, if you see a lot of other words coming up not related to your search use the "-" (minus) command. This excludes keywords you don't want from the search results.
Example: you want to search for "diff swap" on HybridZ but don't care about R230 swaps. Type in "diff swap -R230 site:hybridz.org". This will eliminate any hit with the word "R230" in it.
Appendix A If you encounter a term or word you don't know, use google or dictionary.com.
If it's an acronym you're not familiar with, e.g. "ITB", you will likely find the meaning by google searching "itb car". This is an automotive site and most of the acronyms are very likely to be related to cars.
If it's a word you don't know, e.g. "trunnion", then copy/paste it into dictionary.com.
Appendix B Google has it's own search tips, located HERE. Use them.
Tip: In the midst of a search, even tangential results and discussions for your query may lead to some interesting results and help you learn something new or something you've been curious about. Happens all the time!