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Anyone recommend a coil spring compressor?


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DO NOT USE THAT ON YOUR TRUCK!!!!!

The coil springs that are on our trucks are much stronger than that compressor was designed for. If that spring comes out of the compressor it could very easily kill you. You should really take the struts to a shop that has a heavy duty wall mounted spring compressor and let them do it.

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DO NOT USE THAT ON YOUR TRUCK!!!!!

The coil springs that are on our trucks are much stronger than that compressor was designed for. If that spring comes out of the compressor it could very easily kill you. You should really take the struts to a shop that has a heavy duty wall mounted spring compressor and let them do it.

+1

 

You'll spend way less letting someone else do the swap.

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hey Daryl, whatever you do, don't buy a spring compressor from discount auto parts or advance auto parts, whichever maybe in your areas of town if any, what they sell is garbage but the employees don't know any better, i should have. while i didn't waste much, $45 on their supposedly capable heavy duty spring unit, i didn't get hurt but i now own a set of spring compressors that are concave, or convex or simple stated, bent to shit ! also be aware that there 2 types, internal spring compressors and external. an internal is as stated, from within the coil which on silverados is impossible. you will need to get an external unit and my recommendation is either snap-on tools, matco tools or possible any other professional mechanic tool supplier. if you have a shop you go to frequently, you might want to ask the mechanic who their supplier is or maybe, just maybe a dealer may be willing to tell you who they get theirs from, if you are friends with or a frequent customer of them, this is a longshot, they may let you borrow it with a conditional return if you plan on doing it the same day and returning it as well. again, a longshot but possible. aflesch was right when he stated not to use those, our springs are tough and when i did mine, i kept looking, and looking as i was tightening and the bolt keep bending to the point where i was able to remove the top of the plate without tension but hairy nonetheless. after thought is if that bolt had snapped, just like when you overtighten a 5/16, 3/8 and or a 1/2 inch bolt and snap it, it just breaks off but this is under some serious tension, so beware and good luck.

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+1

 

You'll spend way less letting someone else do the swap.

 

 

Im not paying a shop an arm and a leg to swap them out for me whenever I can do it myself with the RIGHT tool. I'll take the assembly out myself and let them compress the spring, and swap the strut, but I'm not taking the whole truck in. I bought the Craftsman one today, but I'll just take it back. I was wondering if it was strong enough for truck coil springs when I bought it, but I figured I could always just return it if it wasn't. :)

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Autozone used to "rent" spring compression sets for "free", but I don't remember what the brand was. The ones I used weren't light weight, and worked fine, but I used them on a Honda. Big difference between those and our trucks!

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No one said to take the whole truck in. Just take the units. I've never paid more than $20 for 2 units. Cheaper, better and safer than doing it yourself.

 

I kind of figured that's what you meant since you said about it being cheaper than buying the tool. I think I know the shop that can do it, but he's usually busy so hopefully he can do it for me.

 

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S3

 

 

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I borrowed one from Advance to replace the struts on my Sentra years ago. I think it was a Lisle, but who knows? My older brother still worked on vehicles until he hurt his back a year or two ago, and he told me that Snap-On and other manufacturers stopped making the DIY spring compressors for safety reasons. I haven't researched to back that up, but to me the extra time/money spent having a properly equipped shop install the struts in the springs is worth my well-being.

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My dad and I took the springs off of my wifes grand prix a few years ago without a compressor or anything. They didn't fly apart or do anything dramatic, but they did have A LOT of miles on them so it was probably because they were totally shot. I don't have a problem paying someone to do it if its reasonable, and in this case it sounds like it will be.

One thing about the "borrow" tools is, they're not always in the best of shape.

Or the greatest quality...
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One thing about the "borrow" tools is, they're not always in the best of shape.

 

This is true. I personally wouldn't use the hand-held compressor I "rented" on a spring this size, unless I was in a bind and had to. The danger isn't the spring, it's the pieces of the tool should it decide to let go.

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This is the one I have: http://www.summitracing.com/search/product-line/lisle-strut-spring-compressors. I've had it several years and used it on 5 or 6 vehicles with no problem. The loops fully capture the coil spring so slippage is not an option. If you don't have an air impact wrench to turn it, you may as well take it in somewhere.

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