Technical Rear suspension - Tool question

Currently reading:
Technical Rear suspension - Tool question

Thanks for your reply mate, I did try to Google but I was not sure of the name of the tool , there were a few which I identified like I know torx E16 , E14 etc but those two in 1min6sec, do they have a name for that socket...or just shock absorber socket? Hence I posted the question.
 
I was wondering if anyone can please advise me what's the name of the two tools used in this video at 1min 7sec..they show it as 6mm and 16mm. I have not seen such tool before. Experts please advise, your help will be greatly appreciated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8M6ucX4lHY

I hate watching stuff on my phone..as the ads block the good stuff :(

Ok

The stills show a 16mm hex socket :)

The 6mm.. thats an odd one

It appears in the graphic to be a SOLID socket body with a Slot cut in..

If I could see the video I could tell what it fits.. ;)
 
This post contains affiliate links which may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Don't you just love helpful forum people?


Anyway reachbesal

This is the sort of set you are after.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Shock-Ab...194743&hash=item288cac6887:g:ef8AAOSwQFpeJyxc

It can get quite expensive buying sets like this if you are only working on your own car and it may be better to look for a tool that only fits the size you will need.


So what is its profile..?? A slot..?

BTW: am I going to need this kind of weird stuff to replace front suspension on a GP..?

Ive got the torx sockets.. but would have to machine that socket detail.. :eek:
 
This post contains affiliate links which may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
The problem I've always found with removing shocker top mounts is that the retaining nut is usually very tight and often corroded. It's easy to get a socket on the nut but then how do you stop the damper rod rotating?

Nitrox suggests my favourite solution, just "hit" it hard with an impact gun. But, not surprisingly, most of us probably don't have one. So, if you are junking the old shocker - ie not going to reuse it - just get a pair of vice grips firmly locked onto the damper rod on the other side of the mount to stop it rotating (some emery cloth wrapped round the rod helps it grip) then you can undo the nut. This is very likely to mark the finish on the damper rod so don't do it if you are going to refit the damper. A good "skoosh" of Plus Gas - other products are available - helps a lot too.

Lots of dampers have a female hex in the end of the rod (I see the one in the video has a male square) The problem with trying to use this hex and an allen key to hold the rod from rotating is how to get something on the nut with the hex allen key sticking out the top of the rod. Of course you can buy "Go Through" socket sets but that's more money. Sometimes you can do it with an offset ring key (spanner) but often the mount itself restricts access too much. A nice cheap solution is to take a socket (which fits the nut) and grind (too hard to file) flats on either side of it on the square drive end so you can use an open ended spanner on it then the allen key can go through the square drive hole. This doesn't ruin the socket, you can still subsequently use it in the normal way. Getting something to hold the square will be more difficult and I don't have an immediate answer to that except to say that often the nut is so tight/corroded that the allen key (where that fitting is used) can't hold the rod (either rounds off or bends the allen key) and you end up with a vice grip of some sort on the damper rod anyway. Have to say it's very rare that it resists a "rattle" gun.

Hope that helps?
Jock
 
An impact gun is the way to go, it can be used in many situations. A worth while investment if you are handy with the spanners, even if you just dabble. As said rust is the sticking point literally. I have a cordless Draper 20 v jobby purchased years ago and still going strong. Saved me time and less swearing over the years....:D
 
Electtric impact drivers can get pretty costly, air tools are cheep but then you do need the compressor. If you're only planning on tackling a job once during the ownership of a car, and something like this is usually a one time job, then a few pounds on the right spanner is going to be much more cost effective. yes the job may be a little harder but there is always going to be a trade off.
 
Your right...sometimes its cheaper,and easier to pay someone else to do the job. TBH I make an assumption that if people post on forums,asking for help etc then I assume they are willing to attempt/do the job themselves..
If I'd have known about impact drivers back in the day Id have saved myself a lot of time,skin and money over the years.
I have a saying I tell my kids....buy the best you can...and yes I appreciate a £10 set of ring spanners may well be the best,at that time..
 
Your right...sometimes its cheaper,and easier to pay someone else to do the job. TBH I make an assumption that if people post on forums,asking for help etc then I assume they are willing to attempt/do the job themselves..
If I'd have known about impact drivers back in the day Id have saved myself a lot of time,skin and money over the years.
I have a saying I tell my kids....buy the best you can...and yes I appreciate a £10 set of ring spanners may well be the best,at that time..
I like doing my own jobs (and not just on the "family fleet" but also plumbing and joinery. Electrical worries me a bit though so I tend to call in a tradesman if it's complicated) because I've had so many jobs done to a poor standard with nuts and bolts missing and things just obviously not right - My new Ibiza came back from it's second main dealer service with a dirty great deep scratch across the top of it's air filter casing. Complaining got me absolutely nowhere. It's one of the things that annoys me now as my aging body is no longer up to the more physical tasks. For instance I recently watched two chaps, with a smart newish signwritten van saying they were garden maintenance people, demolish a neighbour's fence and erect a new one. I've done a fair bit of fencing in my time so have some idea what I'm talking about and they didn't dig the post holes anything like deep enough but also made them far to big in diameter. They then poured in far more concrete than needed and cut off the top of the posts because they stuck up too far! It will be very interesting to see if the concrete "counter weights" are massive enough to resist the forces next time we have a strong wind - I'm dubious.

I agree with what you say about impact drivers but the problem has always been needing a "meaty" compressor to drive them. Electric, especially battery, driven ones which have any real "guts" have only really been affordably available in recent years.

Your statement about buying the best I completely endorse. I've fallen into the trap of buying cheap bargain tools over the years and now realize there's a reason why you so often see the two words "cheap" and "nasty" linked together.
 
Your right...sometimes its cheaper,and easier to pay someone else to do the job. TBH I make an assumption that if people post on forums,asking for help etc then I assume they are willing to attempt/do the job themselves..
If I'd have known about impact drivers back in the day Id have saved myself a lot of time,skin and money over the years.
I have a saying I tell my kids....buy the best you can...and yes I appreciate a £10 set of ring spanners may well be the best,at that time..

Corded impact wrenches are far cheaper, OK bit more of a fanny about, but workable.
 
'Morning Jim, hope you are keeping well?
There's a young chap who lives in the flats across the road from us who's very keen to work on his car and scooter but lacking in experience. The only place were he can work is at the road side so I have allowed him to use my driveway a couple of times when he's tacking a more difficult job. Last year he replaced a rear shock absorber and I allowed him to use my air impact gun to pull the long bottom bolt. He thought it was a wonderful tool.
So just about a week ago he proudly showed me this which he'd just bought:
https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/cla...l-peZGLpom_ehnfl2ybp_zIy5WuAZePBoCGMUQAvD_BwE
I've seen them in MM and liked the look of them. We tried it on his car's wheel nuts (Mazda 2) and it zipped them off in moments. Most impressive and a bit quieter than my air gun. The one drawback I see with it is it's an "on or off" device. There is no progressive trigger action, so great for taking off stuff like wheel nuts and maybe even axle nuts. Think it might snap something like a 6mm bolt and I would not be happy using it to tighten things due to this lack of fine control. That said though, used appropriately, I think it could be a useful and powerful tool.
 
Aye Jock, pretty Damn decent of you to help the young fella. I have seen corded wrenches very cheap indeed, sub fifty quid, even if you got a few big jobs out of a cheap jobby it would have paid it’s way.
 
even if you got a few big jobs out of a cheap jobby it would have paid it’s way.


Im leaning that way.. ;)

Been 'hands on' for 40 years..

Got relatively pricey stuff Ive used ONCE and cheap sets Ive only ever used half of.

I tend to buy 'inexpensive' ( no bling and no poorly finished stuff..)

My philosophy is : if you use it enough to find its limitations.. it has justified spending top dollar on its replacement :)

At my age Ive inherited as much stuff as I've bought..

( but the younger generation dont know which end of the spanner to hold.. :eek:

That maybe isnt always bad.. ;) )
 
Last edited:
Back
Top