Tools for Suspension Work

[moparfreak]

I have a '05 Mazda3 Hatch that is in serious need of some attention at the corners and after getting a rather large quote from a local shop I'm ready to take this on.

Plan is to do wheel hubs, shocks / strut assemblies, sway bar links and brakes all front and rear. I'm considering also doing outer tie rod ends as well. The car has almost 100K on it, and I wonder if I should also look at ball joints.

Question I have is, what specialized tools are really game changer when it comes to this kind of work? I have a well equipped shop, so a lot of the regular stuff is available to me, as well as some specialized. I have the HF 12 ton shop press, pickle fork, air tools (air hammer, impacts, etc.). Also have a few various pullers but none that are specialized for suspension work. I've read that the pitman arm pullers can be very handy. I also have the ball joint kit from HF that I've used for U-joints on driveshafts before.

As I work to pull all the parts together, any advice is much appreciated!

 

[RXtacy]

A bfh

 

[Carbonblk46]

A slide hammer makes quick work of the hubs for bearing changes. You will need something to compress the springs for the shock replacement. A good penetrant for the shock removal as well those Mazdas are a little tricky when sliding the shock out of the spindle. Best way I found is lightly tapping the spindle while pulling upward on the shock to slide it out.


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[Milton Shaw]

Pittman arm pullers are for non rack and pinion steering. Older cars and trucks in most cases so that would not be a tool you would use on a mazda. An air hammer and set of chisels would be handy so would a ball joint press kit. A couple of pickle forks would separate most joints you are running into. As another said a BFH would be the most used tool along with a lot of rust buster. But you need to look and check frame etc for salt damage as it already may be too late for a WI car/truck. You cannot replace everything that will rust out for what you could replace with newer car.

 

[Coach James]

Before you start, make sure you get this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0762435755/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Coach

 

[uglyjacko]

It's all gravy work

 

[66354dream]

A hydraulic press has saved my *** MANY times, a ball joint press set with as many adapters as you can afford, a mapp torch or oxy acetylene if you have one ( I see you're in WI so I'm assuming rust is gonna be an issue), slide hammer and some creativity to make it all work together will get you out of most situations. As far as compressing struts I would either let a shop do it or buy a good quality spring compressor if you care about your body parts.

 

[uglyjacko]

You will need this

 

[bwitt]

This stuff isn't entirely essential, but for a few hundred bucks, you can make the job A LOT easier and add some nice tools to your collection.

ATD Tools 8625 Front Wheel Drive Bearing Adapter Kit

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AZABHLQ?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s01

Mayhew Pro 29910 Speedy Universal Inner Tie Rod Tool

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005I5GLCS?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s01

OTC 6295 Front End Service Set

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002SRH7O?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

OTC 6494 Clamshell Strut Spring Compressor

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002SRHU6/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=27730HKS1AXGF&coliid=I361H47FEM8RD2

You stated you have a press and the ball joint kit, so good there. Absolutely get a MAPP gas torch. It will be your best friend. Kan-O-Kroil is good as well. I'm in the Milwaukee suburbs so I feel the pain with rusty suspension. Shoot me a PM if assistance is required.

 

[moparfreak]

Wow, thanks for all the advice! The OTC front end service is what I had in mind, I knew I had seen it somewhere but wasn't quite sure. After looking at prices on RockAuto, to make the job go easier and for really not too much more $$ I can get full wheel hub assemblies, rather than screwing with taking the bearing out, and I can get fully assembled strut / spring assemblies rather than having to decompress and recompress those big springs.

The biggest issue is my shocks have no life left in them, which means at speed over bumps and things, the wheels don't stay firmly planted on the ground. It's bad when it's dry, and absolutely frightening in the wet or snow. So, I gotta get it taken care of.

Have a couple slide hammers, and also have heard the pickle fork adapter for air hammer is a good time saver than having to swing the BFH.

 

[Jo Diesel]

So why does an 05 Mazda with 100K miles need all new front end parts. Are Mazda's really that junk. My CTS with 165K has had nothing done and it is fine.
I think the shop was taking you for a ride.
Brakes, shocks and I would go Quick struts in the front I agree with. They are a piece of cake to change and I have seen broken front coil springs.

 

[bwitt]

Wow, thanks for all the advice! The OTC front end service is what I had in mind, I knew I had seen it somewhere but wasn't quite sure. After looking at prices on RockAuto, to make the job go easier and for really not too much more $$ I can get full wheel hub assemblies, rather than screwing with taking the bearing out, and I can get fully assembled strut / spring assemblies rather than having to decompress and recompress those big springs.

The biggest issue is my shocks have no life left in them, which means at speed over bumps and things, the wheels don't stay firmly planted on the ground. It's bad when it's dry, and absolutely frightening in the wet or snow. So, I gotta get it taken care of.

Have a couple slide hammers, and also have heard the pickle fork adapter for air hammer is a good time saver than having to swing the BFH.

You should be in good shape. I can personally vouch for that OTC front end kit. Way better than beating the hell out of stuff with a hammer. A little heat and a separator will work wonders.

 

[moparfreak]

Naw, they were straightforward. Shop quoted me straight up just the stuff that was broken:

Rear shock (that's the rattle)
Sway bar link broken (that's the thunk)

For over a year I've already felt the front struts going, and I'm starting to hear the bearings as well. Since I'm already making a big project out of it fixing what is known to be bad, I'm going to do the others as well (for instance, 2 bad wheel bearings, I'll do all 4, 2 bad shocks / struts, I'll do all 4, 1 bad sway bar link, I'll do the other one).

 

[theoldwizard1]

Good penetrating oil and a propane torch ! Those have saved my *** a couple of times on front end work.

When using the BFH, remember to "hit what the stud goes through" and NOT THE STUD ! Heating "the what it goes through", even with propane torch helps a lot !!

 

[bsaint]

Im surprised no one said a oxy/acet torch. Ive never had propane help me but every little bit helps and if that's all you can get, then get it. Mapp is a little better.

 

[M6erfan]

IMO if you are only doing this once I would highly recommend getting a shop to compress the springs and swap the struts for you. The good compressor tools are spendy and the cheap ones are a death trap. A local indy shop should do them for you pretty cheap...

This is what I did recently on our E46 BMW, everything else I took care of.

 

[moparfreak]

M6erfan,

I totally agree, which is why I'm going ahead w/ the Quick Struts and buying them already as an assembly, rather than replacing them individually. All I gotta do is unbolt the mounts and put in the new ones.

 

[Tim37]

I would buy strut assemblies that have the upper strut plate (probably needs replaces anyway) and springs. A few extra dollars now saves a lot of time and cursing.

 

[94EG8]

I totally agree, which is why I'm going ahead w/ the Quick Struts and buying them already as an assembly, rather than replacing them individually. All I gotta do is unbolt the mounts and put in the new ones.

Those Quick Struts make for a quick easy job but they're junk. If you plan to keep the vehicle for any length of time you're better off buying either OEM shocks or something like a KYB Excel-G (Formerly GR-2) and reusing the original springs if they're in good shape.

 

[Pen3]

Fork and Hammer tip for the Air hammer came in handy for me. I used them for installing ball joints and separating stuck joints that will be replaced because it damages the boot.

 

[fury9]

The shock/strut assemblies are the way to go, air hammer makes quick work of ball joints, the earthquake 1/2 impact and a good supply of air!

 

[Thax]

Get the complete Strut assemblies and new hubs. you said the springs are weak so just get the assemblies, new hubs since well why fight the old ones.

 

[trxrx7]

i know how those mazda's rust so i would say torch, strong impact, big hammer, big pliers.

 

[jrobb316]

Like the other poster mentioned, quick struts are ****. You may need a torch. The HF press will probably be inadequate if you need to press bearings out. I don't know if they are bolt in hub and bearings, or press out bearings. If they are, the HF press bed is way too narrow to pass the hub through. I'm local, hit me up if you need anything.

 

[M6erfan]

+1 on skipping the quick struts...

 

[Coach James]

So Quick struts are fine: Quick struts are ****.

Which is it?

Coach

 

[Skin]

Dont expect 100k out of them but they're perfectly fine. OE is generally better but also costs a lot more, and I mean a lot. Im not a real big fan of re-using springs after 10+ years in the rust belt anyway but that's me.

About the only thing i'd look for a shop for is the wheel bearings. Take the knuckle off 2 at a time and get them done otherwise you have to deal with buying a shop press, removing the hub, dealing with the inner race etc...Go 300lb gorilla on them beating them out and back in with a hammer and a socket and you'll be back in there in short order.

If its a daily driver do things in stages. In your drive-way this is going to be 2 weekends worth of work at minimum.

 

[moparfreak]

Quick struts have their place. Besides, take a look at Rock auto, you can get the cheap **** brands or the good stuff, and those come as fully assembled setups as well. At the end of the day it's just a huge timesaver is all for a few extra $$.

This car is to last me the next 2-3 yrs while I'm saving up for a new-to-me used challenger to replace it, and then will finally have the coveted all-mopar stable. No special parts or higher end stuff, just what's needed to keep it safe and drivable until I can replace it with the fun one.

 

[moparfreak]

I'm planning for the car to be out if service for 2 weeks or so. Figure 2 sundays with friends helping out plus me by myself in the evenings.

Also have power steering leak and CEL related to coolant temp to troubleshoot so that will add some time. Fortunately I've got a spare truck (Durango) that I can drive in the meantime...

 

[moparfreak]

Main pressure will be my wife wondering how long before she can park in the garage again...

 

[Marc Benjamin]

In addition,

If you end up doing the joints or even bushings, try to rent/borrow a Snap On BJP1 with the necessary (or you may get away with what's in the kit) adapter. I know this is a stretch but if you can find one it's so worth renting.

Also, How long is your longest prybar?

I have mixed feelings with the quick struts myself. i like em since overall they're cheaper if you need new springs.

I installed fronts on my wifes 03 Civic 3 months ago and I think they're not dampering enough. They jounce to about 1.75 but there still something about the feel.

The springs were good since the ride height went back to spec. I did keep the old oem assemblies just in case.

Oh and see if you can buy one of those unlimited alignments over a year (my sears have them) since you're changing a lot of stuff and some you might end up swaping out stuff back and fourth in addition to the normal setttling after a few hundred miles.

 

[moparfreak]

That's a good suggestion on the alignment thing. I was just assuming I'd take it in for one final alignment once I was done with all the work.

I have the 12T hydraulic press from HF, but I purchased it recently and it's still in the box. Someone mentioned the bed plate is no good for doing suspension type stuff? Would I have to step up to the 20T? Cost isn't too big of a deal (using the coupon, it's $130 vs. $157), but I had picked the 12T to keep the footprint a bit smaller in the shop. But, if usefulness is greatly improved then I'll swap 'em out...

 

[jrobb316]

In addition,

If you end up doing the joints or even bushings, try to rent/borrow a Snap On BJP1 with the necessary (or you may get away with what's in the kit) adapter. I know this is a stretch but if you can find one it's so worth renting.

Also, How long is your longest prybar?

I have mixed feelings with the quick struts myself. i like em since overall they're cheaper if you need new springs.

I installed fronts on my wifes 03 Civic 3 months ago and I think they're not dampering enough. They jounce to about 1.75 but there still something about the feel.

The springs were good since the ride height went back to spec. I did keep the old oem assemblies just in case.

Oh and see if you can buy one of those unlimited alignments over a year (my sears have them) since you're changing a lot of stuff and some you might end up swaping out stuff back and fourth in addition to the normal setttling after a few hundred miles.

I worked at a Honda dealer for 15 years. I have put in thousands (literally) struts in those cars, the 2001-2003s were bad right out of the box. All we ever did and still do is put on strut cartridges. Never had an issue.

The HF press is a joke, either the 12 or 20 ton for doing suspension work. The bed is too narrow and its rickety as hell. Cheap junk in another words. A real press will cost 600 and up for new, you can search around CL and usually find something sooner or later for way less.

 

[Marc Benjamin]

I worked at a Honda dealer for 15 years. I have put in thousands (literally) struts in those cars, the 2001-2003s were bad right out of the box. All we ever did and still do is put on strut cartridges. Never had an issue.

Our's actually held up extremely well considering they were only changed once at 190k. California car, garaged (still) both at home and at work from the beginning.

Anyways, I figured since it's getting close to 200k I should change out all 4 of the assemblies to get the ride height back up and spiffy up the stopping distance.

Heck even at the Quick Strut prices, it still cost me close to $600 on the 4 assemblies.

Remember what kind of rear camber kits you guys used for the '03 4D?

 

[jrobb316]

Our's actually held up extremely well considering they were only changed once at 190k. California car, garaged (still) both at home and at work from the beginning.

Anyways, I figured since it's getting close to 200k I should change out all 4 of the assemblies to get the ride height back up and spiffy up the stopping distance.

Heck even at the Quick Strut prices, it still cost me close to $600 on the 4 assemblies.

Remember what kind of rear camber kits you guys used for the '03 4D?

We never did camber kits, its not adjustable from the factory. You can buy aftermarket upper arms that are threaded with a jam nut, like a tie rod is. Don't know the cost, but I don't believe they are expensive and are super easy to put in. We also never replaced rear struts, they never go bad. The only struts that ever went out on a "normal" basis were the Elements. Also, I think I do remember them speculating the front strut issue had to do with the cold weather. The reports at the time were struts were leaking new in the boxes. When we got the green light to throw them away from warranty, we had a pile 6 feet tall and about 8 feet long by 4 feet deep. And that was just the first round.

 

[90zcar]

I'm confused why u think u need all this stuff. It's only 10 years old with 100k on it


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[Marc Benjamin]

We never did camber kits, its not adjustable from the factory. You can buy aftermarket upper arms that are threaded with a jam nut, like a tie rod is. Don't know the cost, but I don't believe they are expensive and are super easy to put in.

I really should just not let it bother me since it's only -.2 from the valley/range though (probably) like the OP, sometimes I get bored and start looking for things to mess with lol.

I've seen those kits, I just didn't know which ones are worth messing with.

 

[Finky198]

I'm confused why u think u need all this stuff. It's only 10 years old with 100k on it


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Not sure where your from but a lot of the country deals bad weather Which can really cause havoc to a car in a short period of time

I know up here they use road salt which is a killer not to mention the **** quality of roads here. I'm betting it's very similar WI. We work on a lot of vehicles with similar age and miles and see a lot of the same issues. ( Ball joints, bushings, shocks, springs, control arms, Brake lines...)

 

[xtremek]

BFH x2 In order to pop the tie rods out and drop the ball joint, grab the BFH and swing for the bleacher seats (both hands). Hit directly on the knuckle where the tapper goes through it. It usually takes 3 or 4 really good wacks and the tapper is jarred loose. I mean really hard wacks, all your might stuff. Make sure you take careful aim, you don't want to hit the tie rod or ball joint as it'll cut the boot. Pickle forks destroy the boots. And no, you won't hurt the knuckle. Compared to hitting a pothole going 55mph, your love tap is nothing.

 

[Marc Benjamin]

Though if you already know that you're gonna replace the outer Tie rod end anyway, fork away and rip that sucker out!