Spring Compressors

[Offroader Member Find all posts View Profile Close Offroader]

I've heard that the front coils are difficult to compress in order to remove the strut, a few of the compressors look like they were bending in some of the suspension install threads. I've got a pair of Stanley compressors with twin jaws which I picked up from SCA. Has anyone used these successfully or are there any brands which people recommend for handling this job? Thanks.

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

Re: Spring Compressors

Those SCA spring compressors are shite!! i borrowed a set to do my suspension and couldn't even get them to hook onto the springs. As i had the car apart at this point i made my own spring compressors. I will try and get a photo and post it tonight.

Cheers Andrew

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

Re: Spring Compressors

Photos as promised.



A bit of 3/4" all thread, 12 nuts, a few scraps of steel, a welder, a grinder and a drill and you have a set of spring compressors. and they dont bend or flex like those cheap store bought ones. And much cheaper than the nearly $400 dollars i was quoted for a profesional set of spring compressors. They weigh about 2kg all up and dont take up much room in the toolbox so i will carry them, along with spare shocks on my Canning trip next year.

Cheers Andrew

[Offroader Member Find all posts View Profile Close Offroader]

Re: Spring Compressors

Your a good man AJ120. I like those fabricated compressors. The single jaw design looks easier to fit than the Stanley pieces. It's a pity good quality, robust tools are so hard to come by these days without spending a small fortune. Stanley seemed to have a reasonable name in tools but they seem to be running some cheap and nasty stuff of late. Thanks for the input.

[RustyTruck Member Find all posts View Profile Close RustyTruck]

Re: Spring Compressors

The SCA compressors were crap. I had a pair of them and they ended up being shredded after one job. I took them back and they then had the stanley ones in stock (same price and look very similar).

Never had a problem with the stanley ones since I have had them (completed 2 sets of front springs).

[Wazza1978 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Wazza1978]

Re: Spring Compressors

I just used the stanely ones as i had no choice lucky sca had a special on . they bent like a bananna putting them on and very hard to hook them up, dump having the hooks in a straight line when its obvious a spring isnt straight .(tried to add pic but keeps coming up invalid )

[Auto-Craft Inactive Find all posts View Profile Close Auto-Craft]

Re: Spring Compressors

The front coils on a prado are around the 600lb spring rate, [150's even more] which is big, when a big heavy cruiser would run a really heavy rear coil at 350 lb rate.....

If you use these type of spring compressor on a prado front strut, you are asking for trouble, and maybe even risking your life. I have seen the top hat punch out a tin factory roof which was 6 meteres high, when a set of these let go on a Prado front strut, luckily, no ones head was near it at the time.

Upside down in a press ratchet strapping everything against failure, or in a proper strut compressor is the only way to go for the fronts.

[Offroader Member Find all posts View Profile Close Offroader]

Re: Spring Compressors

Not that I'm endorsing this method, but it looks pretty quick, simple and much safer than fussing with dodgy spring compressors. The struts and coils in this video ain't so small either. Any thoughts?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cF4PONAz-8

[Chriso57 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chriso57]

Re: Spring Compressors

Yeah it would work and I am sure there are a few people who have had to do it like that out in the sticks. However, did you see the stub axle assembly come flying out when he rattled the nut off! They seemed to skip the video pretty fast there... I think getting it all back together would be a much harder job using this method.

Stick to some decent spring compressors I think.

Chriso

[Derb Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Derb]

Re: Spring Compressors

Hi Fellas. Relaced my KZJ95R springs last year with Dobies. Fronts were a real curse. Knackered a set of cheap clip ons then off to the Toyota dealership where my young fella works to use their pedalstal spring press. That was fair struggling and I stood waaaay back and let my young fella do the business. I suggested he and his mates should make up some decent press tools to fit into their large press. There is a mass of energy in a compressed spring and should a spring compressor fail, god help anyone who's in the way!. I personally would not use off-the-shelf clip-ons again on a Prado or similar. Cheers, Derb.

[Wazza1978 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Wazza1978]

Re: Spring Compressors

Yes agreed wouldnt use off the shelf ones for a full disassemble . I only need to take some pressure off to turn the top plate abit and that was a struggle. I do have a big press at work but no safety cage around it so no way id do it there

[Auto-Craft Inactive Find all posts View Profile Close Auto-Craft]

Re: Spring Compressors

I just undo the nut on the strut with impact gun on the floor, foot on one end of the strut, coil point away, the nut and washer might end up firing 3-4 metres across the floor, but thats it.

How you may achieve this result may be up to you.

The new lifted coil is much firmer, and much harder to compress though.

[Bushbasher Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Bushbasher]

Re: Spring Compressors

The front coils on a prado are around the 600lb spring rate, [150's even more] which is big, when a big heavy cruiser would run a really heavy rear coil at 350 lb rate.....

If you use these type of spring compressor on a prado front strut, you are asking for trouble, and maybe even risking your life. I have seen the top hat punch out a tin factory roof which was 6 meteres high, when a set of these let go on a Prado front strut, luckily, no ones head was near it at the time.

Upside down in a press ratchet strapping everything against failure, or in a proper strut compressor is the only way to go for the fronts.

Now you tell me!!!!

[Wazza1978 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Wazza1978]

Re: Spring Compressors

[Offroader Member Find all posts View Profile Close Offroader]

Re: Spring Compressors

Ah yes, the Stanley spring compressors from SCA! I used the same ones to compress my springs with a similar result. The rods bent, the threads were galled out and the hook was half worn through by the thread - but they did the job. :shock: