I'm going to change the front springs in my 71 GS. Can anyone recommend a decent spring compressor for me to buy that isn't a chinese made piece of junk. I usually try to buy decent tools when I can. Thanks.
Use it! It will make it easier to install and place the spring in the correct location. BTW is your car a BBB or SBB? Which spring are you installing?
Does that item pass the not made in china requirement? Personally, I use a floor jack under the control arm with a chain through the spring to keep it from flying out in a mishap. If there is no motor in the car then a spring compressor is a must
Larry, those two piece deals are an accident waiting to happen. I've seen them both slip around to one side of the spring, causing injuries best not mentioned. I have not yet seen a reliable one for our cars. Years ago (30 or so), you could get one made by Moog, that had plates to put in the spring, a center screw to compress it, and very rugged C-clamps to hold the spring compressed. You installed the c-clamps after you compressed the spring, and then removed the plates and center screw, so you could install it in the vehicle. After re-attaching the ball joints and letting the weight of the vehicle down, you would remove the c-clamps. I found the best way was to only install one c-clamp, so when you removed the center screw and plates, the spring had a nice curve to it so that it plopped right in place. I believe snap-on still makes one, but it is cost prohibitive at about a grand or more. Snap on still made in USA with USA steel, but blue point is china(as far as most hand tools).
Not surprised. Sounds like the best option is to use a floor jack and chain the spring as Bill suggested.
Compressors are more trouble than they are worth,..I've never used one that I recall besides the first time I tried and decided after 30mins of dicking with it this was stupid
Here's a trick around that dilemma,..you take a heavy ratchet strap wrapped under the floor jack and over the frame,...no engine or multiple fatass friends needed,...done it more times than I can remember
I purchased a pair of spring compressors as pictured in the photo. I used them at least a half dozen times and they did the job.
I bought and used one like gstewart above used. Worked great. It was the first time I ever changed coil springs and wasn't sure of myself doing it, so I got the tool. I was going to rent it at Pep Boys if I remember right, but once I used it I just kept it and they kept the deposit. I believe it was around $65. OEM brand, not sure where made, AutoZone rents the same brand of tools. If you take it back, they refund your deposit.
I actually had to cut an inch or so off the shaft as it was too long. It can be a bitch to get the spring compressor attached to the spring correctly.
I bought this OTC compressor a couple of years ago: https://www.otctools.com/products/front-coil-spring-compressor It was expensive, but I hate compressing springs, and the stock springs in most of my cars are super long and take a lot of compression to remove. I like the plates this compressor uses; they're pretty much trapped inside the spring once you thread the compressor through them, and it has a bearing which makes compressing the spring a lot easier.
Thanks for all the replies and tips The OTC tool is probably along the lines of what I'm looking for. Someone asked about the car. It's a 71 Stage 1.
I used a spring compressor like the one pictured above, but added a tube spacer due to the shaft being too long. A friend had one from back in the day, and his had the spacer built into it so it would easily fit the A & F body cars. I modeled it after his, and it worked great. I will post a pic later if I have the time. Duane
In the link Larry posted above there is a Shankly branded one. I have a different Shankly one that I used for my truck. It had a two piece extendable, curved, alternator bracket type of deal that goes around the spring and you use it to connect both clamps together. Worked good.
Similar concept but way cheaper. I have a long piece of all-thread with a steel plate to go under the control arm. Works great. Can post a pic if needed.
