Shock and Spring Compressor

[Dr._8t9LX]

This is an amendment to my Replacing your structs and springs How Too

Basically it is two flat pieces of 1/2 inch too 3/4 inch plywood squeezed together with 2 long lag bolts. I got the nuts, washers, and bolts at Home Depot and I found the plywood squares on the side of the Highway(really!). The lag bolts are found at Home Depot where they have metal rods of various sizes and I just got threaded ones. The label said the thread size so then just go get 4 nuts that are large and have matching thread size.

I had to use a 1/2 inch drill bit to make holes for the three bolts on top of strut and used same bit to draw out a large circle hole for top and bottom pieces. Then I used a chisel to make it fit. The bottom half has a box to hold the shelve on the bottom of strut and to hold it vertical. I could have made this alot better as it did compress and get the shock stuck a couple times. I used some metal framing sheets to give the wood a sheetmetal cover but any sheetmetal will do. A rubber sheet could be used to protect the strut where it contacts the wood.

I basically built this around the first strut/spring unit I took off the car.


diagram of compressor, missing feet on bottom to give lower nut some space, and plywood is really 3/4 inch not 1/2 inch


Side View from top


View from botom


Top detail, notice sheet metal lined up to be under washer. I do not know if this was really needed.


Bottom detail, I should have made this tighter and shaped better to bottom of strut. The tab for holding brake line needs to be protected.

You just turn the top nuts about 5 to 10 revolutions on on side then the other and repeat ,alternating, too compress the spring and hold the lag bolt with vice grip. Remeber that the uncompressed spring is BIGGER than the compressed unit so consider this when construting the thing.

PS-This sat outside over the winter so it is kinda rusted and dirty.....


Parts list

4 nuts
4 bigger washers to spread load
4 smaller washer to touch nut
2 lag bolt long
2 plywood squares
2X4 box shape
Framing L joints to hold on box and feet on
2 2X4 by 4 inch for feet
screws to build box and attach feet
Framing plates to reinforce washer to wood surface


Tools

Vice grip
drill
1/2 inch drill bit
screw driver or screw gun
wrench to fit nuts
saw
chisel
a little bit of oil or greese for nut and lag bolt
Your Brain

[AccordEpicenter]

holy ghetto!! You should just go and buy a spring compressor at fucking harbor frieght or somthing... like 10 bucks

[88Accord-DX]

Good write up Dr. 8t9LX. I know that took alot of time. Most auto-parts stores will let you use a spring compressor. Just put a deposite on it. Guess if you don't have that kind of money, that would work though.

[AccordEpicenter]

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=3980

[Dr._8t9LX]

That one may work but I tried the loaner from Autozone and from Kragen and the hook was too fat to fit into the stock spring gap. As I said in my How Too thread, performance springs do have a bigger gap so the regular loaner compressor should work for those.....and why risk scratching expensive springs like that anyway? These are Japanese Performance Vehicles not American Muscle Cars

[Chicane]

You can usually rent a compressor for like 8-12 bucks somewhere. That thing looks dangerous. Consider yourself lucky it didn't slip out the side and kill someone.

- Rob

[Chicane]

.and why risk scratching expensive springs like that anyway? These are Japanese Performance Vehicles not American Muscle Cars

[Dr._8t9LX]

You can usually rent a compressor for like 8-12 bucks somewhere. That thing looks dangerous. Consider yourself lucky it didn't slip out the side and kill someone.

- Rob

Actually thats why it has the box in the bottom, to keep it from slipping but it is also why I reinforced it so much. It is a copy of the Honda Tool straight from the manual. Look I tried all around here in Sac and they only had spring clamps for rent, not compressors, and the hooks on them where huge!. I started out making something for the clamps to grab onto and realized I should just copy the compressor from the manual.

[A20A1]

Yeah it's difficult to find one with the right type of hook. I still have a set I bought that doesn't fit.

[RobT5580]

If it came to that your better off cutting your stock springs with a grinder to relieve the pressure. Removing springs is dangerous so I would never recommend doing something like this since iv had an aftermarket spring compressor break on me. If all else fails pull all four struts/springs and take it to a shop/dealership which have wall mounted compressors that can do it in a few minutes. A cadillac dealer did mine once for free.

[AccordEpicenter]

totally... compressing springs is def somthing i wouldnt halfass

[bobafett]

mine cost me $30 and they were probably the best $30 i have spent on tools, although ratcheting wrenches might be the best