Hi All, I'm changing springs on my vehicle. There is no room between the coil spring and the spring tower for an external Mc Pherson type "2 rods with clamps" type spring compressor. I guess I'll have to go with a single rod internal type tool. I've heard these are dangerous. Can anybody recommend a good safe tool to use? I'm ruling out Harbor Freight, of course. Sears? Snap On? Thanks, BigR
if your scared put hose clamps on each side of the fingers to keep them in place ......cover it with old shipping pad/blanket.....have someone with you... save some work cut the old springs to remove
I looked at the parts stores around here for one that would work with my Merc.Found a decent Tiawan made one at AutoZone.You can buy,or you can rent.It barely fits,but it did the job.Think I remember it costs about $60
That is putting it mildly . If you have never had the fun of eating a wild spring you really don't want to . they really hurt big time . If you are not going to use the spring again then cut it while it's still on the car . What I use to do is take a strong cable or chain and feed it through a few layers on the spring and wrap around something on the frame or front end that won't go anyplace . Then jack up the car and put on jack stands . Then put the jack under the spring and jack up alittle . Undo the bottom ball joint and let the jack down very slowly . You will be just fine if you take your time . I have done this many time . RetroJim
Moog makes this big "C" clip that you hook to the outside of the coils on the inboard side of the spring. This gives it an "arch" so the spring comes out a lot safer. It was put on when the spring is fully compressed in the car. It was pretty heavy duty about 1.25" wide and the steel was probably 3/8" thick. Other than that, drop the shock out and use the internal compressor. Mine is a Lisle and I've had it for eons. I don't advocate the cable or chain trick even as a last resort. I did work at one place and witnessed a couple of "mechanics" get hurt wrestling a coil spring with the wrong tools and method. One guy was knocked out cold and the other wound up with a broken wrist. Bob
Would be nice to know what kind of car and whether front or back. Most early front's and just about all rear's didn't need spring compressors to remove or install.
A great trick I picked up on installing front coils...if the car didnt have cut coils "like a real man's car", was to use the single rod compressor, dissassemble it, put the rod into the top shock hole (from the topside), put the coil spring up into the top coil pocket, and put the "threaded" clamp onto the bottom of the threaded rod. Be sure to put it on the coil about 1-2 coils up from the bottom, or you'll never get it out. Run your impact gun on the rod nut, from the engine compartment, and it pulls the coil up safely, and with more compression than if you used the upper clamp. Install lower control arm and spindle and you're good to go!
A case in point of "How much is your life worth to you?" I have a premium OTC brand and cheap, no, but then again, I thank the lord daily for overlooking my ignorance. We were young kids and went to a older hot rod buddie's shop one cold fall 30 some years ago and as we were walking between the shop wall and the chain link fence, we were greeted with a sudden missile coil spring splintering thru the shop wall at horriffic speed and the chain link fence intercepting and rattling the run of it!!! and we were just a feet from it! We found out that day the power of compressed and stored kinetic energy ! Our buddy and his friends were taking a sping out with the coat hanger wire method just for the record.
I make my own single screw compressor from 1/2" all-thread, custom fitting the cross bar to the spring. No hooks or universal cross bars. I make it so the cross bar fits inside the spring level and takes into account the twist of the spring coil. I drop the screw in from the top of the shock tower using a 1/4" thrust plate. Every thing gets lubricated to make it work smoothly then I take the spring up slowly by hand to make sure the cross bar is in the center of the load. I stand at the front of the car and draw it up enough to disconnect the lower spring perch, A-arm or whatever, then drop out those parts. Make sure fasteners were loosened beforehand so you aren't using any force in that area while the sping is drawn up. Return to the front of the car and let it down slowly. The screw needs to be long enough to reach through the unloaded spring and any thrust plate you use. I usually have a tube extension of the thrust plate to raise the nut up above the fender so I can swing the wrench freely. I think the others cover the scary part well enough.
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