Do it Yourself Suspension Repair: 6 Important Safety Precautions
Suspension repair on your car has a lot of benefits and will make your ride more enjoyable and comfortable. A car’s suspension has parts such as shock absorbers, struts, linkages and springs that would connect the frame of the vehicle to the tires. Keep in mind that there are 2 main functions for a car’s suspension system. One is that it helps the vehicle’s tires to have a fixed contact on the road to provide traction and two, it help the car have a smooth ride so that the bumps cannot be felt that much and noise and vibrations can be kept at bay providing driver and passengers a comfortable ride. You will know if your car suspension is damaged when you feel every little bump on the word, a lot of noises while you are travelling on the highway and when driving off road, you can almost feel pain on your seat. The suspension can also be damaged due to driving your car off road when it is not meant for that purpose. Driving it up a parking island can damage your car’s suspension wherein the cement scratches severely under your vehicle.
Always Wear Protective Eye Gear
Small parts such as nuts, bolts and even car debris can fall on your head causing injuries and fluid from the car itself can fall into your eye causing blindness so always protect your eyes when working on the suspension.
Measure the Distance of the Ground to the Car’s Ground Clearance
This is important to know prior to working on suspension so that you know if the proper adjustments are made. Always measure from all the four corners.
Loosen the Lug Nuts of the Tires
Loosen the lug nuts of the tires prior to lifting the vehicle off the ground. This will make removing the tires easier when the weight is off the tires and will help your arm from straining when trying to remove the bolts at a much higher position.
Ask for Assistance
Always get assistance when you are unsure how to properly position your car on a jack because improper placement of car on a jack can cause fatal accidents. Do not jack the car too high, just high enough for you to access the strut-tower bolts.
Star with the Front Strut
Begin working with the front strut by removing the first bolt which is the one that secures the lower part of strut to the factory suspension piece. Follow it up by removing the two bolts supporting the top of the factory strut. Have an assistant hold the strut before totally removing it so it will not fall into the ground the moment it is released.
Properly Handle the Auto Lift
When using an auto lift, make sure you know how to properly handle or control it or better yet, have someone control it while you are working on your car’s suspension just in case a malfunction of the bay happens. They can always call for help if something goes wrong.
