Customer Reviews

Lisle 20400 Universal Shock Absorber Tool

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought this with the hope of removing my front shocks. Well, it didn't work out. The tool held up fine, but the top of the shock rounded off when trying to break the nut loose. I ended up cutting off the nuts with an oxy-acetylene cutting torch.

However, the tool came in very handy when installing the new shocks. It worked like a charm and was easy to get the nuts to the proper torque.

Worked like a champ. A little wd-40 on the threads. Threw the tool on. Out came the shocks. Very happy.

This item is designed to allow one to install and remove shock absorbers. My applications have been mostly Astro vans The Tool is solid in design and simple enough to use.
The issue is not the tool but the design of the shock absorbers it is supposed to remove. Unfortunately there is not much room to work in when dealing with an application that need this tool and that is why it is needed. since shocks are metal and very much exposed to the elements, the bolts holding them in place which this tool is designed to remove are usually too rusted to break free. trust me i tried for 3 days to break it free with this tool with out breading the bolt. 2 cans of PB blaster and still had to cut the shocks of from both sides. That aside, if you want any chance of taking them off with out cutting them you will need this tool in most cases.

For installation however this tool made it quick and easy.

The shock nut socket is two-sided, which will fit either a 9/16" or 15mm shock nut. The stem nut sockets appeared to have indexes and are not full hex sockets. My Chevy Malibu has a 13/16" nut, and a full hex stem. This tool did not work for me.
Why are the actual socket sizes missing from the product specifications? Good thing you know how much it weighs before you buy it. (That's sarcasm)
Do I blame Amazon or Lisle? Is this an amateur's website?

For every do-it-yourself type personality out there, this is a must have tool. You may only use it once in a lifetime. But for the minimal cost, it is worth every penny. In fact this little tool will pay for itself once you remove the first shock absorber. If anyone reading this has never removed a front shock absorber, it can be a nightmare.

The shock stem, which has a shaft that slides within the shock body, has a threaded top and supported by rubber bushing and a top nut. When you attempt to loosen the top nut, the stem will spin inside the shock body. This makes it virtually impossible to remove the top nut. Most backyard mechanics resort to cutting the stem, nut splitters or using some muscle and breaking the shock shaft. In most cases using one of the above mentioned procedures results in loss time, knuckle busters and frighteningly abrupt language.

How this tool works is the larger hex key will fit over most OEM shock absorber nuts. There is a different fitment on each end of the hex key for different size nuts (9/16 or 15mm). On the top of each shock absorber shaft, above the threaded portion, there is a oblong shaped nib. The smaller hex keys provided have various size fitments for the top of the stems. The smaller hex key will slide down inside of the other larger nut hex key and you can hold the stem in place with either a wrench or a small socket ratchet. Then, using an open end wrench turn the larger hex key that is over the stem nut. In a perfect situation, using this tool. I can change out a shock in about 5 minutes!

Please note that I have found the hex key for the nut may not fit the nuts on aftermarket shocks. There are two solutions for this. The first is the easiest. Just get a new nut of the same thread pattern that will fit the tool. The second is more work involved, but if you plan on changing out shocks more than a few times, or are just the type that is a tool junkie, you could get an inexpensive socket set containing larger sizes. Put them in a vice and grab your angle grinder and grind some flat sides on the end of each socket. You can then grab it with a wrench. I don't particularly recommend this, as it's just easier to find a new nut. At any rate, I think you will find this tool a pretty useful time saver worth the price.

Used this tool to change out the front shocks on my 94 Impala, saved me a lot of time and headache.

This is a great tool and made the job much easier than doing it the "old way". Using a rust buster on the old shock stem is still recommended. Bought directly from Amazon and the tool arrived in 2 days. Great service!

By using the correct tools make the job done faster and easier. This is a simple tool but without it working on shock absorber in tight places would be impossible.

This tool works great on factory shocks. Put some Bilsteins on over the weekend and the new shocks have a much larger
lock nut and only the part that keeps shock from turning works. It takes a 7/8 size wrench not the 13/16 that it says
on the package.

This tool works great and is definitely worth it. If you want the extra security in knowing every time you change your shocks it will be effortless, then this tool is for you.