Steering and Suspension Repair Safety

Steering and suspension systems are designed to operate at high tension and support heavy loads. The components often contain large amounts of stored energy, referred to as elastic potential energy. These systems also require precise alignment before leaving the repair shop. Misalignment increases the likelihood of an accident for future drivers and passengers.

Be wary of coil springs

Always use extreme caution when working with coil springs. According to General Spring, you should use a proper coil spring compressor tool at all times. This is because if the pressure is released suddenly, severe physical injury can occur.

The vehicle must be securely supported when working on or around suspension components, especially springs.

Protect the boots

When working on or around CV-joints, care must be taken to avoid puncturing or tearing the CV-joint boots. The rubber material in shaft boots isn't compatible with oil, gasoline, or petroleum based cleaning solvents, so don't expose the boots to any of these fluids. Use only soap and water to clean the rubber boots. After cleaning, the boots must be thoroughly rinsed and dried.

Ensure precise torque, position, and alignment

To maintain the integrity of the steering and suspension system, each mounting bolt and nut must be torqued to the correct factory specification. These specifications can be found in the vehicle's repair manual.

Before replacing tie rods or tie rod ends, measure and mark the relative positions of the old parts so the new parts can be installed in the same positions. This maintains the approximate alignment settings for temporary use prior to performing an alignment.

Here's a video demonstrating this practice:

According to I-CAR, after replacing any steering or suspension component, the wheel alignment must be checked and reset to the correct orientation. This can't be done to any degree of accuracy without using a professional alignment machine. "Eyeballing it" will result in premature damage or wear to the replacement parts and to the vehicle's tires. It's also a safety risk for a vehicle to be driven while out of alignment by as little as five degrees.