Spring Compressor for Front Shocks

[Mr.Gale]

I did a search for this and there is a reference to a compressor tool for the front springs but the links to photos of the tool are dead. I have a compressor for the rear springs but it will not work of the front. Any suggestions for the front?
Thanks,
Mr.Gale

[Bud English]

I had the same problem.

I headed to Big R, our local farm supply, to see what could be re-purposed into a safe spring compressor. I bought one 2 1/2, black pipe, collar ?thingy? (I really don't know what these are actually for. One of you probably can tell me), two 24" pieces of 5/8" all thread, four 5/8" grade 8 nuts, and a couple of 5/8" washers. Here's what I came up with.

The pipe collar had a 3/32" deep step on one side that matched, exactly, the OD of the springs. That works much better than a flat face would. I took out all the threads with the die grinder, down to where they just disappeared. The locking collar of the shock now just fit through. A little welding and a little more grinding to clean up and it was good to go. Now that I know how long the all thread really needs to be, I can shorten them up by about six inches.

The cost has been $18 in parts and about the same amount of time that the tire shop owner told me that the dis-assembly would take (Quote: about 45 minutes each @ $40.00/hr). It took me less than two minutes to reassemble the first shock. Compress the spring past where the lock collar goes, drop it on, and loosen the compressor and your done. It didn't try to jump out of the vise or anything. Seems pretty safe to me.

[Bud English]

Mr Gale - Just noticed that your just across the border in that country just West of me. I'll loan you this compressor and you can send it back when you're done. I don't think they are even charging customs on shipments from outside California (yet).

Have to admit that up until three years ago I lived in Sacramento, but immigrated.

[rmd24]

I had to deal with the same problem a few months ago and I found a bike shop who said they had a spring compressor which would fit. As it happened I used another method using a 30 ton hydraulic press and all sorts of tricky bits. Not recommended!
It would be worth trying your local bike shop.

Roger

[Chancer]

My tried and trusted method for coil over shocks is to thread a pair or three ratchet straps through the coils, compress the assembly using my pillar drill, take up the slack from the straps, remove from drill press to disassemble.

You can recompress te spring in the drill press to safely release the straps and then release the spring.

If safety is not your bag and you are feeling very lucky then you could use fencing wire to secure the springs once compressed and a pair of wire cutters to release them.

Having already lost one eye I wont be using the latter method any more!

[Mr.Gale]

Thanks for all the suggestions, I appreciate it very much.
Bud, thanks for the generous offer but from your excellent photos I think I can kluge up something similar. If it doesn't work out, I'll let you know.
Thanks,
Mr.Gale

[Famous Frank]

Bud, nice looking compressor! I have something similar I have used for years.

Mr. Gale, please be careful and wear safety glasses. They truly under compression and if not careful, ......well just be careful!

Frank

[Yum-yum]

Mr Gale.
I have a home made compressor that I made for the standard front springs. It uses three threaded rods so the spring can't escape the compressor. I've used it a few times and it is slow but safe. You're welcome to borrow it. I'm in Redwood City, not so far away, if you'd like to borrow it you're welcome to.
Alex

[ardee_selby]

I have a home made compressor that I made for the standard front springs. It uses three threaded rods so the spring can't escape the compressor.

Snap! (I used the adapter plates from a failed DIY driveshaft conversion added some threaded rods et voila!)

I've used it a few times and it is slow but safe.

Yes, slow...but as you say safety first!

Cheers - Richard

[wgrainge]

Here's a photo of my homemade compressor. Works very well. Cost me about 50 bucks total. A local welding shop handled the welding, hole cutting, etc.

-Will Grainger, S4

[quaybook]

I use threaded rod and two old front disk rotors as end plates - works well enough but, as ever, be carefull and tighten the rods evenly - there is a lot of angry grunt there.

Vernon

[Bud English]

There's the key. "Tighten evenly". I use an impact wrench so it does go quickly.

Three rods are better than two in that you can compress the spring a bit more evenly. Even with just the two it would be difficult for the spring to get away from you unless you were compressing it without the shock down the middle (which I don't believe you'd be able to do with my compressor).

But point well taken. I think I'll add a latch bar at the bottom (vice) end to lock in the shock.
...how does that go? Quality first, safety always!

[elanern]

Here's my version of a spring compressor. I have had a spring or two get away from me over the years, luckily with no injury or damage (me, the spring, the equipment) so I designed mine with the intent of containing the spring if it somehow got loose. I used four threaded rods going through a piece of steel a friend made up for me (not very well, but it was free!) and a part from an old dishwasher that my friend also massaged into shape. The rod is 3/8"; the center holes are 2 1/4" and 2 1/2"; the rods are spaced at 4 1/8" (through the center of the hole) and are ~17" long.

Works fine, but next time I'll build one that catches the spring (a la Buckland) on the one end and the top of the shock on the other rather than catches the shock itself on both ends. This will eliminate the need to decompress the spring for removal and recompress it for installation.

[EnfoKen]

I was having the same issue a few weeks ago. I purchased one of these motorcycle spring compressors ..job done. I recommend adding a strap to secure the spring /shock to the
compressor to keep it from flying off.

http://www.amazon.com/CMP-Pro-Series-Li ... motorcycle