Spring Compressor question

[arjan]

Somebody is selling one of these (pictured) locally. Is this a safe model to work with?

Opinions (educated ones ;) ) would be appreciated.

[Elton]

not sure but i was watching this show once they jacked up the a-arm undid the bolt an slowly let the jack down seem to work good

[MTL_4runner]

You can use the clamshell type compressor but the problem with those is that the taller the spring is, the worse the leverage becomes for compressing it and also the more likely the spring is to pop out. It will probably work, but it's less than ideal. The only thing I would completely stay away from are the chinese Harbor Freight spring compressors.....absolute junk!!!

I myself prefer this type (found at Sears or other auto stores):
http://www.customtacos.com/tech/files/spring7.jpg

[arjan]

Thanks for the replies guys,

Jamie I was a little suspicious that's why I posted this. The guy claimed that this was the perfect spring compressor for dealerships and shops etc.
There are two listed and one them is actually a Snap on.
They were asking $125 and $175, one of them claimed they are over $400 new. (all cnd$)
I'll stay clear of those, and see if I can find some good ones. My front shocks are shot I think, so I was thinking to OME.
Whenever I hit the brakes and hit a metal bar in a bridge deck, the abs kicks in even on dry roads. I think the wheels bounce instead of staying planted on the road.

I was eyeballing your setup, but am not quite sure why you went with the 906s. I'll have to do some more research and fund raising for now.

Arjan

[MTL_4runner]

Jamie I was a little suspicious that's why I posted this. The guy claimed that this was the perfect spring compressor for dealerships and shops etc.

There are two listed and one them is actually a Snap on.

They were asking $125 and $175, one of them claimed they are over $400 new. (all cnd$)
I'll stay clear of those, and see if I can find some good ones. My front shocks are shot I think, so I was thinking to OME.

Whenever I hit the brakes and hit a metal bar in a bridge deck, the abs kicks in even on dry roads. I think the wheels bounce instead of staying planted on the road.

I was eyeballing your setup, but am not quite sure why you went with the 906s. I'll have to do some more research and fund raising for now.


There's no need to buy Snap-on for a spring compressor (it may have cost $400 off the truck, but who cares) or spend nearly that much on one for what you're doing and the number of times you'd use it. Just get the spring compressor from Sears, they're $49 in the US (looks like the buggers raised the price from last year too, used to be $39) and alot of the guys have used them including myself.

Sears compressor:
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?pid=00947057000&vertical=Sears&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes

or get em off eBay super cheap and ask the person to ship them to you in Canada:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MacPherson-Strut-Spring-Compressors_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ43996QQihZ0 11QQitemZ320126062104QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW
http://cgi.ebay.com/Craftsman-Strut-Spring-Compressor-Tool-with-Built-In-Sa_W0QQitemZ250130036637QQihZ015QQcategoryZ303QQss PageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Unfortunately I haven't seen those spring compressors at any of the Canadian Sears stores I've been to but maybe they might carry them up here at some stores as well. You seem to be pretty close to the US border so you can just go take a day trip and pick up a set down south where stuff's cheap and plentiful. :laugh:

The entire reason I started down the road to changing the suspension components was that my truck had the classic saggy rear end and the shocks seemed like they were on their way out. I started with a full set of OME comfort shocks all around, 881's up front and 890's in the rear (since I had read from people that were running the 891's that it should be a near level combo). Well, they were wrong, so I then swapped out the 890's for the 906's because the 890's gave me more lift than I wanted to match up with the 881's (I didn't want to run any spacers up front or get larger tires). Now I finally have what I was after all along.

[arjan]

Aha, that's the way I'll go to then. I hardly have time to go offroad anyway. I would like to tighten up the handling a bit.
I'll see if one of the local autopart stores have something for spring compressors.

Mine was sagging a couple of years ago, but then the spring recall came through. They offered me limited springs which actually caused rake. At that time I picked up some tacoma struts from a yunkyard to level things out.
Mine came with the 15" steel wheels, quite low, 3.90 gears from the factory. Not very common.
I still have the original front struts, so I can take of the top plates to assemble everything before I take the 4Runner apart.

[p nut]

If you're not going to be using it much, and if you're a cheap skate like me, then you should just rent one. I don't know if your local auto parts stores do rentals, but Autozone and Checkers in the US rent the spring compressors for free. I got some from Autozone (had to leave a $40 deposit, but you get it back when you return the compressors). The ones I got are exactly like the ones MTL posted.

[MTL_4runner]

If you're not going to be using it much, and if you're a cheap skate like me, then you should just rent one. I don't know if your local auto parts stores do rentals, but Autozone and Checkers in the US rent the spring compressors for free. I got some from Autozone (had to leave a $40 deposit, but you get it back when you return the compressors). The ones I got are exactly like the ones MTL posted.


Good point....go to Canadian Tire and ask them what they rent for spring compressors too, should be cheap.

[97t4rnr]

I used the exact same clam shell compressor, it was a Snap-On. Anyway, the bolt exploded, contacted the Snap-On rep, they can't get parts to fix. Their supplier of the compressor no longer makes them, or carries the parts to repair. Entire setup remained together, no flying parts.
I bought another one on eBay, had the NAPA name on it, for $112.00 shipped.
I personally liked the clam shell compressor. Did the SS System 1 install without any problems other than the one noted. Also have to note that the original one had been used frequently. I borrowed it from a guy I know that builds off road buggies/vehicles, and wheels quite a bit. Said he carries it with him when on the trail.

[arjan]

If you're not going to be using it much, and if you're a cheap skate like me, then you should just rent one. I don't know if your local auto parts stores do rentals, but Autozone and Checkers in the US rent the spring compressors for free. I got some from Autozone (had to leave a $40 deposit, but you get it back when you return the compressors). The ones I got are exactly like the ones MTL posted.


Good point....go to Canadian Tire and ask them what they rent for spring compressors too, should be cheap.


Crappy tire rents tools? I didn't even know that. I'll keep that in mind, but if they are less then a $100 it might be a good idea to have a set myself.
Comes in handy sometimes.

[MTL_4runner]

Crappy tire rents tools? I didn't even know that. I'll keep that in mind, but if they are less then a $100 it might be a good idea to have a set myself. Comes in handy sometimes.


I got a set because if I wanted to change stuff out, I could do it at my own leisurly pace.
The ones at Sears really are a good deal for what you get.

[austintaco]

Somebody is selling one of these (pictured) locally. Is this a safe model to work with?

Opinions (educated ones ;) ) would be appreciated.


I don't know about safe, but whatever you buy, make sure you can get the teeth into the coils on a Toyota progressive spring. We used one like that for my Tundra coil swap, and it wasn't likeing the small spaces of the Tacoma coil and we had to find the sweet spot for the Tundra coils to compress enough to put the plate back on. Yeah, we could easily put it between the wider spaces, but it won't compress enough to take out the top plate. I think a wall mount is the way to go

[GSGALLANT]

A press is the safest and best way to do it. I bought a cheap press frame at princess auto (regular price was CAD$350... I got it on sale for CAD$200). Combine that with a 20 ton bottle jack for $30, and some home-made adapters to solidly mount the shock and coil in the press, then it's easy as pie. I've used that press for so many other things as well that it's paid for itself already (I've owned it almost a year). If you buy spring compressors, that's all you get is spring compressors. Presses have many uses.

[arjan]

I ended up going to lordco and bought this:
http://www.northernautoparts.com/ProductModelDetail.cfm?ProductModelId=1367

http://www.northernautoparts.com/Images/ProductModelImages/ph_1367.jpg

I paid $53.99 Cad for the set.
Canadian tire also as a set for $109. They are called strut compressors.

I still had an old set and took it apart. Worked fine, just the locking pins don't seem to clear the coil so I couldn't use them.
No unsafe situations imo, just keep your hands away as much as possible from the top plate.
I used the cresent wrench to hold the end of the shock (to prevent it from turning) and a box wrench to take the nut off the shock.
Even if the compressor hypothetically lets go, it would just flip the tools out of your hands.

The lift should be here next week, I ordered the exact same setup as Jamie.
I picked up some landcruiser wheels a while back and picked them up from the powder coater today. Semi gloss black, looks pretty good.
I should be easy to get the brake dust off now hopefully.
After I get the lift I'll have to get some tires for those wheels also, looking at Toyo open countries, all terrains.

[MTL_4runner]

The lift should be here next week, I ordered the exact same setup as Jamie. I picked up some landcruiser wheels a while back and picked them up from the powder coater today. Semi gloss black, looks pretty good. I should be easy to get the brake dust off now hopefully. After I get the lift I'll have to get some tires for those wheels also, looking at Toyo open countries, all terrains.

Definately want to see some pics when that's done! :thumbup:

[Cebby]

I ended up going to lordco and bought this:
http://www.northernautoparts.com/ProductModelDetail.cfm?ProductModelId=1367

http://www.northernautoparts.com/Images/ProductModelImages/ph_1367.jpg


Good move. I have a set like that - they were labeled Macpherson strut spring compressors, but they worked great for me when I did my BB on my WJ. Ditto on using the weight of the vehicle to compress them - I used them as more of a spring holder than a spring compressor.

[arjan]

A heads up on the above compressors. It does work, but 2 small points:

1. When the compressors are on the spring, the plastic shock booth is squished. Stay away from the top of the booth with the compressors, the center has enough give in it to work.
2. When it was time to remove the compressors, they wouldn't come out of the springs. The cast clamp is too bulky and needed some leverage. The shocks and springs have some scratches already.

I am not overly upset about the scratches, my runner needs paint and never gets washed much anyway. I use it for work and am more concerned with usability then looks. It'll all work fine, just an heads up for people coming across this thread.

Hopefully I'll get around to installing the lift in the next week or two. I know some people with forklifts which I might ask for a favour when installing the rear.
That's how I installed the downeys on my old '91 4Runner in the past. Lift it until the springs fall out ;) .
Getting the top bolt of the rear shocks will be the major pita, it definitely was on the '91. I remember putting the vice scripts on the nut and using a pipe wrench on the top part of the shock. The rear shocks are toast anyway so it won't matter. It's also easier again to do that with the rear lifted by a forklift. Working space is everything!

[Seanz0rz]

ive always had to tap my compressors out of the way after assembling the strut.

honestly the rear is quite abit easier than the front. super easy if you drop the spare and sit up under there, just make sure you have lots of safty jacks in place. i had a toal of 4 jack stands and 2 floor jacks when i did mine, just so it didnt fall on me when i was under it.

[arjan]

Good idea on removing the spare. I better check the mechanism still works. Never had it out sofar.

[Seanz0rz]

if not just wildly spray pb blaster in its general area. lol.