Chapter 3

Tools and Fasteners

Objectives (1 of 2)
List some of the common hand tools used
in heavy-duty truck repair.
Describe how to use common pneumatic,
electrical, and hydraulic power tools used
in heavy-duty truck repair.
Identify the mechanical and electronic
measuring tools used in the heavy-duty
truck shop.

Objectives (2 of 2)
Describe the proper procedure for
measuring with a micrometer.
Identify the types of manufacturer service
literature used in truck repair facilities and
describe the type of information each
provides.
Explain the principles and precautions of
working with various heavy-duty truck
fasteners.

Hand Tools (1 of 2)
Hammer safety
Always wear eye protection when striking
tempered tools and hardened metal
surfaces.
Whenever possible, use soft-faced
hammers when striking hardened surfaces.
Never strike one hammer against another.
Check the fit and condition of the handle.

Hand Tools (2 of 2)
Replace cracked or splintered handles and do
not use the handle for prying or bumping.
Select the right size for the job.
Grip the handle close to the end.
Prevent injuries to others.
Swing in a direction that will not let your hammer
strike someone if it slips from your hand.
Keep the handle dry and free of grease and oil.

Keep the hammer face parallel with your work.

Saw and Knife Safety (1 of 2)

Keep knife blades sharp.

Cut away from the body.
Never pry with a knife or saw blade.
Store knives safely.

Saw and Knife Safety (2 of 2)

Before completing a saw cut, slow down to avoid
injury as the saw finishes the cut.
Never use a damaged blade.
Always wear safety glasses when using a
hacksaw.
Do not use the thumb as a guide in starting a
hacksaw.
Use full travel, even strokes to maximize the life
of the blade.

Chisel and Punch Safety

Wear eye protection when cutting with a
chisel or using a punch.
Avoid using a punch or chisel on hardened
metal.
Grind off mushroom heads before using a
chisel or punch.
Do not drive a punch too deep into a bore
or it may become wedged due to its taper.

Screwdrivers
Standard tip screwdrivers
Phillips screwdrivers
Specialty screwdrivers
Safety
Use screwdrivers only for turning screws.

A slotted screwdriver tip can easily be dressed to

its original shape.
If the screwdriver blade fits the screw slot properly,
you will produce maximum torque with minimum
effort.

Screwdriver Safety
It is a good rule to keep your other hand clear when applying
force to any type of screwdriver.
Always have the screwdriver and the screw correctly lined
up.
Screwdrivers designed for use with wrenches have either a
square shank or a hex bolster at the handle.
Do not hold components in your hand while turning fasteners
with a screwdriver.
When working around anything electrical, use a screwdriver
with an insulated handle and shank to avoid shock and short
circuits.

Wrenches

Open-end wrenches
Box-end wrenches
Combination wrenches
Adjustable wrenches
Allen wrenches
Socket wrenches

Wrench Safety (1 of 2)
Use wrenches that fit.
Wrenches that slip damage bolt heads and nuts,
skin knuckles, and cause the user to fall.

Use the proper wrench to get the job donethe

one that gives you the surest grip and a straight
clean pull.
Do not extend the length of a wrench.
Do not use a hammer on wrenches unless they
are designed for that type of use.

Wrench Safety (2 of 2)
Pull on the wrench.
Use an open palm to push on a wrench
when you cannot pull it toward you.
Replace damaged wrenches.
The adjustable wrench is a multi-purpose
tool, but it should never be used if a
properly fitting combination wrench is at
hand.

Pliers

Combination pliers
Adjustable pliers
Adjustable pliers
Locking pliers
Diagonal cutting pliers

Plier and Cutter Safety

Do not use pliers as a wrench.
Guard against eye injuries when cutting with
pliers or cutters.
Observe the following side-cutter precautions:

Select a cutter big enough for the job.

Keep the blades at right angles to the stock.
Do not rock the cutter to get a faster cut.
Adjust the cutters to maintain a small clearance
between the blades.
Pliers are made for holding, pinching, squeezing,
and cuttingnot usually for turning.

File Safety

Wear eye protection when filing.

Never strike a file with a hammer.
Always cut away from the body.
Never use a file without a securely
attached handle.
Do not use worn (dull) files; replace them.

Special Tools
Taps and dies
Gear and bearing pullers

Power Tools Safety (1 of 7)

Return all equipment to its proper place when
finished.
Wear eye protection.
Noise may be a hazard with some portable
power tools, especially pneumatic tools.
Wear hearing protection whenever noise is
excessive.

Wear gloves when operating air chisels or air

hammers.
All electrical equipment should be grounded,
unless it is the double insulated type.

Power Tools Safety (2 of 7)

Never make adjustments, lubricate, or
clean a machine while it is running.
Do not clean yourself or anyone else with
compressed air.
Report any suspect or malfunctioning
machinery to the instructor or service
manager.
Know your power tool.

Power Tools Safety (3 of 7)

Do not abuse the electric power cord.
Never yank it to disconnect it from a
receptacle.

No machine should be started unless

guards are in place and in good condition.
Check and make all adjustments before
applying power.
Give the machine your undivided attention
while you are using it.

Power Tools Safety (4 of 7)

Inspect all equipment for safety and for apparent defects
before using.
Whenever safeguards or devices are removed to make
repairs or adjustments, equipment should be turned off and
the main switch locked and tagged.
Start and stop your own machine and remain with it until it
has come to a complete stop.
Always allow any machine to reach operating speed before
loading it.
No attempt should be made to retard rotation of the tool or
work.

Power Tools Safety (5 of 7)

Do not try to strip broken belts or other
debris from a pulley in motion or reach
between belts and pulleys.
Do not use loose rags around operating
machinery.
Use the right tool.
Maintain tools with care.

Power Tools Safety (6 of 7)

Remove adjusting keys and wrenches.
Do not overreach.
Maintain a balanced stance to avoid slipping.

Disconnect tools when not in use, before

servicing, or when changing attachments,
blades, bits, cutters, and so on.
Before plugging in any electric tool or machine,
make sure the switch is off.
Remove all sharp edges and burrs before
completing any job.

Power Tools Safety (7 of 7)

Impact wrenches
Air ratchet wrenches
Air drills
Air chisels and hammers
Blowgun

Other Power Tools

Bench grinders
Lifts and hoists
Presses

Lift and Hoist Safety (1 of 2)

Do not let anyone remain in a vehicle when it is
being raised.
Make certain you know how to operate the
equipment and know its limitations.
Never overload a lift, hoist, or jack.
Chain hoists and cranes must be properly
attached to the parts being lifted.
Always use bolts and shackles of sufficient
strength rating to attach the hoist to the object
being lifted.

Lift and Hoist Safety (2 of 2)

Mechanical locks or stands must be engaged
after lifting a truck on any kind of hoist.
Do not use any lift, hoist, or jack that you believe
to be defective or not operating properly.
Make sure all persons and obstructions are clear
before raising or lowering an engine or vehicle.
Avoid working, walking, or standing under
suspended objects that are not mechanically
supported.

Measuring Tools
Machinists rule
Dial calipers
Micrometers
Inside micrometer
Outside micrometer
Depth micrometer

Reading an Inch-Graduated
Outside Micrometer
To read a micrometer, first read the last whole
sleeve number visible on the sleeve index line.
Next, count the number of full sleeve
graduations past the number.
Finally, count the number of thimble graduations
past the sleeve graduations.
Add these together for the measurement.
These three readings indicate tenths,
hundredths, and thousandths of an inch,
respectively.

Using an Outside Micrometer

Reading an Inside Micrometer

Other Measuring Gauges

Thickness gauges
Screw pitch gauges
Torque-indicating wrenches

Manufacturers
Service Publications

Service manuals
Parts books
Service bulletins
Recall bulletins
Field service modifications
Time guides
Drivers manuals

Other Service Publications

Supplier manufacturers guides and
catalogs
General repair literature

Fasteners

Fastener grades and classes

Frame fasteners
Tightening fasteners
Fastener replacement
Thread repair
Screw/stud removers and extractors
Thread locking compound application

Fastener Tightening (1 of 3)
Clean all fasteners, threads, and all surfaces before installing
them.
Ensure they are torqued accurately.
When locking compound or anti-seize compound is
recommended for a fastener, the compound acts as a
lubricant, and oil is not needed.
Hand turn fasteners so they contact before using a torque
wrench to tighten them to their final torque values.
Tighten the nut, not the bolt head, when possible.
This gives a truer torque reading by eliminating bolt body
friction.

Fastener Tightening (2 of 3)
Always use a torque wrench to tighten fasteners, and use a
slow, smooth, even pull on the wrench.
When reading a bar type torque wrench, look straight down
at the scale.
Viewing from an angle can give a false reading.
Only pull on the handle of the torque wrench.
Do not allow the beam of the wrench to touch anything.
Tighten bolts and nuts incrementally.
Typically, this should be to one-half specified torque, to
three-fourth torque, to full torque, and then to full torque a
second time.

Fastener Tightening (3 of 3)
Do not over-torque fasteners.
Overtightening causes permanent stretching of
fasteners, which can result in breakage of parts or
fasteners.

If specific torque values are not given for

countersunk bolts, use the torque value for the
corresponding size and grade of regular bolt.
Follow the torque sequence when provided to
ensure that clamping forces are even and mating
parts and fasteners are not distorted.

Shop Talk
If a torque-to-yield bolt is replaced with a
new bolt of identical grade but torqued to a
value found in a standard torque chart, the
clamping force produced will be at least 25
percent less.

Adhesives and
Chemical Sealing Materials
Chemical adhesives and sealants may provide added
holding force and sealing ability when two components are
joined.
Sealants are applied to threads where fluid contact is
frequent.
Chemical thread retainers are either:
Aerobic (cures in the presence of air)
Anaerobic (cures in the absence of air)
When using a chemical adhesive or sealant, follow the
manufacturers instructions.
Note that some adhesives molecularly bond to the surface
of metals, destroying the material on removal.

Shop Talk
To disassemble fasteners that have been
held together with a thread locking
compound, it may be necessary to heat
the bond line to 400F before removing the
nut.
Every time the fasteners are disassembled,
replace them.
If mating components are damaged by
overheating, replace them.

Summary (1 of 4)
Hand tools are used in many repair tasks.
Proper selection and use of hand tools by the technician are
important requirements for performing quality heavy-duty
truck service.
Power tools make a technicians job easier.
Pneumatic (air) tools have four advantages over electrically
powered equipment: flexibility, light weight, safety, and low
cost operation and maintenance.
The disadvantage is the noise produced.
Power tool safety rules must be followed and that includes
wearing hearing protection.

Summary (2 of 4)
The power tools used in heavy-duty truck repair include
impact wrenches, air ratchet wrenches, air drills, air chisels
and hammers, blowguns, bench grinders, grinding wheels,
wire wheel brushes, buffing wheels, presses, and lifts and
hoists.
Using jacks, lifts, frame machines, and hoists to raise trucks,
trailers, or heavy parts on a truck chassis requires careful
adherence to safety rules.
The machinists rule looks like an ordinary ruler, but it is
precisely divided into small increments, either in metric or
decimal graduations.

Summary (3 of 4)
Dial or digital calipers are used for taking inside, outside,
depth, and step measurements, and are calibrated to read in
either metric or standard scales.
A micrometer is used for measuring the inside or outside
diameter of a shaft or the bore of a hole, either in metric or
standard units.
Gauges are used to measure thickness and screw pitch.
A torque wrench is used to measure the amount of twisting
force applied in tightening a fastener.
The main source of repair and specification information for
heavy-duty trucks is the OEM service literature available in
manuals, on CDs, or on-line from manufacturer data hubs.

Summary (4 of 4)
Troubleshooting charts are provided in manuals or on-line to
provide a way to systematically track problem sources and
identify the repair required.
Fasteners used on heavy-duty trucks come in a range of
grades and classes.
Proper use of torque wrenches is necessary when installing
threaded fasteners.
The correct fastener is important. In some cases, threads
must be repaired with thread inserts or by thread chasing.
Rivets are used to fasten overlapping skin panels on a truck
cab and some trailer skins.
A rivet gun and bucking bar are used to drive and buck
rivets.