Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

I think you have invented a new sport john.

Spring Wrestling...

Here is mine. 1/2" plate, 5/8 all thread. I only used two threaded rod because of the thickness.
The safety clips are there once the spring is compressed and the plate taken up so the keeper can be installed. The clips are just to hold the spring, not compress it. The plate does that work.
I lay the tool on bench on it's side and place a solid bar inside the tool and spring for 100% safety during compression.

Well, found my solution. I had a cheap motorcycle compressor around like

http://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-Shock-Coil-Spring-Compressor/dp/B004NV23KC

that was way too small, but I took it apart



Two of the hooks have 14MM threads, the other two are just holes. I got some 14mm rod, cut in three pieces and welded nuts on the end. Got a standard pipe fitting (I think for 1" ID pipe) then put the two threaded little hooks on the first two rods. I welded a 14mm nut onto a third hook, and threaded it on a third rod.



Worked great. Used a power driver on the nuts, just kept walking around to keep the spring straight.

My preferred solution is dead simple, a pair of ratchet straps.

At a pinch you can get away with just these but its hard work compressing the spring, you can do it on the car with an assistant putting their body weight on the vehicle but the following is my preferred and safest method.

To compress the springs either on or off the damper I use my drill press the ratchet straps being already threaded into place, the gearing makes it easy to compress and the spindle can be locked leaving the spring secure and both hands free to take up the slack on the ratchet straps.

I have done the above on dozens if not hundreds of coil over shocks like the Elan fronts, I have not done a rear strut but expect my floor drill press would handle it easily.

sorry to revive a nearly two year old thread, but I've been rummaging through the history and have ended up confused. I'm looking to create a tool to compress my front springs, having looked at a lot of forum users' creations, I don't undersand how the collet is removed if a plate is coming down on top of it.
I understand the top plate will have a hole in it, does the collet fit through this hole? there doesn't seem to be a lot of space around my collet.
am I making sense?

-confused in Melbourne.

and how do you remove the dust cover?

I have used two bearing splitters linked by two lengths of threaded bar. Inexpensive and readily available on eBay. John

ok now that I've done it i just thought I'd clarify for anyone who's mind works like mine.

there does need to be a hole at the center of the top piece that the collet JUST fits through.

also a note of warning, when de compressing it is possible for the spring to get stuck on the top perch of the shocker, and your compressor is no longer holding the tension...a very dangerous situation....keep watch for this!