[DML] Safety, Proper Methods, and Procedures

["David Teitelbaum" <jtrealty@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I will always offer the "correct" way to work on cars. I may mention
shortcuts but if is possibly unsafe or "not the best way" I will
usually add a disclaimer. Of course anyone working on their car can do
whatever they want but it is usually better to be "safe than sorry".
Hitting the steering column with a hammer is NOT recommended. This
doesn't mean you WILL damage it, it just menas the likelyhood is very
high that it will not work as intended in case of a crash. In your
Workshop Manual just before the Table of Contents there is a paragraph
of General Safety Hints. They are not complete but the idea is that
you should work safely. Even if you don't think of yourself, think of
your family, and maybe the next owner. Sometimes the damage you can
cause is not immediately evident. It may take a crash to find out you
had compromised the ability of the steering column to collapse
properly. Using a hammer on the steering wheel is generally accepted
to be a "bad" thing. Imagine if you did that with an air bag! Maybe it
could go off and break your neck! Why do it that way when it is simple
enough to use a puller? Some other "No-No's" include heating and/or
bending suspension parts, messing with the torsion bars without the
proper tools, working on the electrical system without disconnecting
the battery (depends on what you are actually doing) working on the
fuel system without taking proper safety precautions, using the wrong
tool or a broken/damaged tool, etc. Consider this a hobby, why would
anyone want to get seriously injured Or maybe killed by their hobby?
Anyone on the DML should be informed enough so they can work safely
and if they don't it is becasue they choose not to. Just be aware that
people sometimes offer techniques that are not always the safest way
to do things. One notorious one that comes to mind was the one that
you could remove the doors WITHOUT REMOVING THE TORSION BARS!!!!
Novices should not attempt shortcuts, they do not always realize all
of the implications and dangers.
David Teitelbaum
vin 10757







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