DIY spring compression

[freshtiva]

Not for the faint of heart. Esp with homemade tools.

[deathegg]

Neat bit of DIY engineering, but at the same time looks horribly, insanely, ridiculously dangerous, like jacking up the car and supporting it with cardboard boxes.
Why not buy some spring compressors? Not expensive really.

[Sparky]

Hey, you gotta fill those cardboard boxes with marshmallows...for safety!

[FFesti_90]

i ENJOY MARSHMELLOWS! Perhaps I'll do just that, so I have a snack while supporting my vehicle!

[Levitan]

As long as those are good welds, and I'm sure they are, there is absolutely nothing wrong with those, at all. A proper weld is stronger than the metal around it. I'd be more confident with Fresh's compressor than those CHinese cast kind that you see at Harbor Freight-like stores.

[onebadkia]

I don't post much, but as a technician by trade, being a shop foreman, and having seen springs come off of compressors under load (thank god no one was hurt) that is a very bad idea. Flame me about my opinion if you want, but I've seen far too many DIYers get hurt badly with ideas like this. Autozone and Advance rent spring compressors for free, and I don't really even recomend that type, but in a pinch they will do. Not trying to step on toes, but safety first....this is a bad idea.

[freshtiva]

^ I concur, dont try this at home !!

[Mike McKown]

Those hooks would be a little too wimpy for me to trust on a full size car spring. Same with the soft carriage bolts.

I don't see anything wrong with using it to change out struts on a Festiva.

[lessersivad]

^ I concur, dont try this at home !!

That's right. That's why I always go to my friends house to do such things......LOL

[freshtiva]

^ Thats right do it at someone else house with liability insurance.

The nearest auto parts store or rental place is about 35 minutes from me. To go get some real spring compressers would take an hour and a half at least. Then the same to return it. Thats three hours missed working on the car. Plus if I go to town the wife will want to go and get some stuff, I could do some shopping too. It would have been a lost day had I gone to town. Yeah, yeah a trip to the ER takes just as long I know, life is full of risks at the Festiva Ranch. It worked good just a little slow. Festiva springs arent that tough.

[GenevaDirt]

man....why even go through all that. Just put one hand over the top and lean into it....use the other hand to take the nut off. Reverse operation to put the new ones back on!

[Levitan]

man....why even go through all that. Just put one hand over the top and lean into it....use the other hand to take the nut off. Reverse operation to put the new ones back on!

Are you serious? No joke? What a time savings if you aren't being a wisenheimer.

[freshtiva]

man....why even go through all that. Just put one hand over the top and lean into it....use the other hand to take the nut off. Reverse operation to put the new ones back on!

I didnt want to crush it.

[lessersivad]

^^^^ HA!! LMAO!! Good one!!

[Damkid]

:laughing3::laughing3: thats funny..... although i know you must take great care when compressing springs, i'm sure even with those home-made spring compressors, if you take your time you shouldn't have a problem