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Suspension Repair Tools: Understanding Which Auto Tools Are Required
Suspension repair is a specialized area of auto work. That means it requires some specialized tools for the jobs. You’ll still need wrenches, sockets and screwdrivers, but there are other things that it may be necessary to buy to complete the work.
Spring Compressor
One part of suspension repair is replacing coil springs. To do this, you’ll need to buy a spring compressor. It’s a small tool that’s a little like a clamp. When screwed down, it compresses the spring for removal and to allow a new spring to be inserted.
Hydraulic Puller
If you need to remove wheel bearings as part of your suspension repair, you’re going to need a hydraulic puller. You can buy it as a kit which includes other parts you’d otherwise need to buy separately. You can also buy non-hydraulic bearing pullers if you prefer. These will do exactly the same job and they cost less, but will require more effort when you have to remove the wheel bearing.
CV Boot Tool
When you need to renew the CV boot on a wheel, you don’t want to have to dismantle the CV joint in order to do it. By using a CV boot tool, you can do the replacement without taking the entire CV joint apart. That makes the job a great deal faster and far less frustrating.
Torque Wrench
When you replace coil springs, you’ll need to bolt on the control arm. This needs to be at a specific pressure so you’ll need to use a torque wrench in order to put the bolt back on properly. If you’re doing any serious work on a car, you should have a torque wrench in your tool box.
Ball Joint Separator
Ball joints need to be replaced, although their lives can run between 70,000 and 150,000 miles. To do this, you’ll need a ball joint separator. Depending on the type of suspension, your vehicle could have up to four ball joints.
Although some ball joints have indicators showing when they need to be changed, they still need to be separated. There are different types of ball joint separators; some have forks and others have thrust bolts. You’ll need to check your service manual to see which you need for each ball joint.
Strut Nuts
When you take out a shock absorber, you’ll need to replace it and hold it in place. For this, you’ll require strut nuts to remove and install the retaining nuts of some types of car. You can use them with a socket wrench or a normal wrench. Don’t reuse the old nuts; it’s much safer to use new.
Tie Rod Puller
The tie rod puller, or the tie rod end puller as it’s fully known, is necessary when you’re replacing the tie rod as part of your suspension repair. You can install it on the steering knuckle then simply tighten it until the tie rod is freed. It’s a relatively small piece of equipment, but one that’s vital whenever you do need to change the tie rods on your vehicle.
