spring compressor

[rdssdi]

I am attempting to get my rear springs compresses.

I have the "outside" type of compressor. One set of "hooks" is secured with a
"safety". It is two hooks and a plate with wing nuts. The other end hook
migrates around the cil and the rods get tilted and the spring will bend and
be uncontrollable.

What can I do?

I did figure out how to secure the shock shaft while I tighten the top nut. I
cut a piece of tire sidewall and use that and a vice grips to secure the
shaft. Now if I only could get the spring compressed.


Bob
1969 Elan +2

[Lawrence King]

Hi Bob:

Having taken out the rear springs more than once I now know you don't
need a spring compressor for the rear springs. Simply put the car up
on jack stands, use a floor jack to raise the wheel you want to
release, undo the nut at the top, then let the wheel down (slowly). No
spring compressor required. To put it back together I drilled a small
hole in the top of the shock so that I could pull it up into the upper
lotocone with a piece of coat hanger wire as I jacked up the wheel.
You may need some extra weight in the car to keep it from lifting off
the jack stands as you compress the spring. I used several bags of
water softener salt in the trunk.

The front springs are a different challenge...

Good luck

-Lawrence-


***@***.***e:

--
Lawrence King Ottawa Ontario Canada
mailto:***@***.***

[type26owner]

The ignorant user of these devices are at lethal risk potentially. This
link shows the two most dangerous varieties which are for sale.
<http://www.cardnet.co.uk/franklin/Online_Catalogue_SUSPENSION_8.html#csc>
If you insist on using one of these then do one smart thing. Always load
the interior of the coil with something that can restrain a lateral
buckling if the compressor bits slip. Never compress or release to
spring without something taking the place of the dampner. A piece of
heavy wall PVC pipe which is about 1/4-1/2" smaller in diameter then the
spring's i.d. will do nicely. While the dampner is in place it's
adequately constrained.

This next link shows one which is better but still flawed.
<http://ndixon.home.cern.ch/ndixon/eclat.htm>

The best and safest compressor design is a DIY homebuilt. One needs a
flange plate on BOTH ends. The clearance holes should be slots with
coplanar major dimensions. The width of the slots clearance fit to the
threaded shafts and the thickness of the plates prevents a rotation
about the midplane which could uncontrollably release the spring. In
addition the coils spring should seat into a counterbore pocket in each
flange plate to prevent sliding laterally. For safety sake, counterbore
both sides of each plate so it can't be assembled and used incorrectly.

The aforementioned home built compressor has too thin a plate, clearance
holes which are to large and no apparent counterbore pockets. Don't copy
this design.

One last point. Do this procedure alone but prior having arranged for
someone to check on your safety occasionally. Situate yourself so a
threaded shaft is always between you and the spring. The original front
springs on the Elan are the most unstable I've ever encountered. Be
careful!
--
Keith Franck

Martinez, California

Birthplace of Joe DiMaggio

[Msatbeaumont at aol.com]

You should be able to jack the strut up on the side you want to compress. Be
careful when removing the retaining nut for the shock because it is under
load. There are more than a few "I broke my foot" stories out there from
leaning over the back of an Elan with your foot under the strut. This is not
much of an issue in a +2. Coat hangers or safety wire are always a good way
to locate the top of the shock into the loadcone.

Matt
'66 S2

[gobw2]

If you put the front wheels on 6" blocks, you do not need the extra
weight. I do same, but use 2 lenghs of light chain& bolts to hold each
spring compressed. this reduces amount wheel has to drop, and makes
reassembly easy, as top of shock will fit right thru lotocone. Chain will
not come loose like a spring compressor, and allow dangers of a released
spring. George 67 Elan restoration


On Sun, 03 Feb 2002 09:46:11 -0500 Lawrence King
<***@***.***> writes:

[Rob_LaMoreaux]

As everyone pointed out the rear springs can be compressed using a jackstand on the strut housing and the weight of the car.

The front coil overs are a different story. I have uploaded a picture of the coil-over spring compressor I purchased from gentleman selling his old Lotus tools. The picture is on yahoo at:
http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/lo ... %26.view=t

If the link doesn't work just go to http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/lotuselan then click photos and you'll see the thumbnail. It's a nice design and should be relatively safe, since the spring is held by the screws in the tube section.

Rob LaMoreaux
Ann Arbor, MI USA
(734)-971-5583
***@***.***
Too many Hobbies.... Too Little Time
1969 Lotus Elan....It's not a restoration, it's a never-ending
adventure.

[tvacc]

Rob.....could you take the thing apart and give us some photos of the top
square part...as well at the bottom...
-----Original Message-----
From: Robert D. LaMoreaux [mailto:***@***.***
Sent: Sunday, February 03, 2002 8:25 PM
To: ***@***.***
Subject: RE: [LotusElan.net] spring compressor


As everyone pointed out the rear springs can be compressed using a
jackstand on the strut housing and the weight of the car.

The front coil overs are a different story. I have uploaded a picture of
the coil-over spring compressor I purchased from gentleman selling his old
Lotus tools. The picture is on yahoo at:

http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/lo ... .dnm=Coilo
ver+Spring+Compressor.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.groups.yahoo.com/gro
up/lotuselan/lst%3f%26.dir=/%26.src=gr%26.view=t

If the link doesn't work just go to
http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/lotuselan then click photos and you'll
see the thumbnail. It's a nice design and should be relatively safe, since
the spring is held by the screws in the tube section.

Rob LaMoreaux
Ann Arbor, MI USA
(734)-971-5583
***@***.***
Too many Hobbies.... Too Little Time
1969 Lotus Elan....It's not a restoration, it's a never-ending
adventure.

[wgrainge]

For what it's worth, here's photos of a front spring compressor I
made a few months ago. All the dimensions are there. It was cheap and
easy to make, and it works well:

http://www.ucalgary.ca/~wjgraing/b/elan ... essor.html

-Will Grainger
1070 Elan S4



--

[Rob_LaMoreaux]

I have put more pictures of the spring compressor up on the yahoo lotus elan photos section. I also moved them into their own folder to keep clutter down.

Rob LaMoreaux
Ann Arbor, MI USA
(734)-971-5583
***@***.***
Too many Hobbies.... Too Little Time
1969 Lotus Elan....It's not a restoration, it's a never-ending
adventure.

[M100]

On Sun, 3 Feb 2002 20:25:23 -0500, you wrote:


I did something similar for mine when I went to Koni's at the front,
two pieces of 1/2" plate a couple of holes for the clamp screws (5/8
coarse thread) The big holes in the plates were turned on the lathe to
the right profile to match the collets used on the Koni's I know this
wouldn't work on the original springs and dampers (which are still in
the garage fully assembled from maybe 20 years ago)


the threads, but it was a VERY slow job to compress the springs (I
used a ratchet spanner) but like most things I prefer to do it myself
rather than pay someone else to do it.

When I get my hands on a digital camera in a couple of weeks I'll try
and unearth my Elan-Koni Mark 1 compressor, circa 1982 to show the
crude, non welding way of doing it!!

Doing it again i'd put some thrust bearings under the nuts, I know
from doing the same on a cheap Mini rubber cone spring compressor it
makes a huge difference!!



--

[M100]

<snip>


Photos now up at

http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/lotuselan/lst

http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/lo ... %26.view=t
http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/lo ... %26.view=t


--