Bought a new coil compressor yesterday, as the only one I had was for Struts, and a little dodgey It loos like this one: http://www.denlorstools.com/home/dt...ds3450_coil_spring_compressor_for_up_to_.html So it tried to kill me a couple times by reeasing the spring unexpectedly. I had followed the directions (really) didn't use air tools (okay.. I did the first time) but it tried to remove my fingers and if it weren't for the (now dented) fender who knows what else it would have taken a liking to. IF you have a compressor, what type do you use? The guy that used to work for me had the plate type, but I haven't been able to find one.
The potential energy of a spring is massive. The law of conservation of energy states that energy may neither be created nor destroyed. Therefore the sum of all the energies in the system is a constant. When you compress that spring it can have enough potential energy to take your head off. My next question is what are you trying to do with the spring?
"When you compress that spring it can have enough potential energy to take your head off." sounds like a good stunt for "Mythbusters". compress a spring with some sort of machine and release it in the direction of someones head and see if thier head actually comes off or just gets severly damaged. they could use that guy on here from the UK who is scamming people in the classifieds.
Always wrap a length of chain around the spring and the lower control arm and put a bolt, washers and nut through the links. Just takes a minute.
Glad it didn't take a finger or kill you! Working with coils freaks me out!!! IMO there is no safe way to compress these but I like these more than others
We did one in the early 70's that went through the garage roof then 2 doors down the street. Might a had it compressed a little too much.
I have the exact same 3450 coil spring compressor. Used it many times (6-10) without failure. I'm always scared to death using it. So the coil gets chained to the lower control arm and several coils get wrapped with braided wire. Oh yeah, I keep a cell phone nearby if I'm doing it alone. Never know. Squintting doesn't help.
For standard coil springs I have one like you posted above, have never really had any problems with it. For struts, I pull the whole strut pack out and take them to my buddy Tony's shop, he has a wall mount. I looked on line to try to find a picture of it and couldn't, the only ones I could find were professional style for around $700. His is an old style Mac Tools unit.
I had one snap about 3/4 of the way down one time while I was in the garage and it sounded like a pistol going off. I peeked around the door and seen a cloud of dust all around the car and I thought what the heck. Looked all around the car till I finally noticed the broken coil spring and I wasn't even doing any spring work to it. All the dust was from the bottom of the car getting jolted so fast and hard.
It wasn't the tool that was trying to kill you - it was the spring! I am always amazed that folk think they can restrain - let alone compress - a spring strong enough to support up to half the weight of a vehicle with a single threaded bolt. Put a safety chain on every spring - every time - always.
I have one like that and even though it hasn't hurt me directly, it has made me hurt myself. I quit using it and use my floor jack and a chain. It is much less dramatic removing and installing springs this way. I hate coil springs!
Isn't it amazing that the body thinks it can protect itself from a steel projectile with a paper thin flap of skin over the eyes ...haha
I have a similar compressor, never had a problem using it many times. You really have to make sure all 4 hooks are well seated. Bob
If I am not going to reuse the spring I just take the torch and cut it in a few places. If I am going to reuse it, I chain it like everyone else has recommended. I have had a spring compressor let go before and the spring launched itself through the wall of the shop. I was lucky I had the car on a hoist and was underneath the center of the car tightening up the compressor when it let go....
I have a 6 inch scar going down my wrist from one failing a year or so back.. missed some major arteries by less than a MM.
Seen one pop out just as the fella working on it turned away. It cut through the fender like butter and proceeded to bounce around the shop like a pinball. Now no matter how expensive of compressor we are using, we ALWAYS Wrap it with a chain.
It is unbelievable that they sell these cheap a$$ tools under the impression that it can completely compress a 12-13" coil.. Again, I hate doing these!! I imagine compressing a coil 3-4"'s multiplies its weight capacity from roughly1500lbs to 3 to 4 g!
I've used these quite a few times on early novas and just compress the spring enough to wiggle it in or out with the suspension fully extended, not much force. Only problem was figuring out how to get the thing in the spring by turning one hook up and one down. Then getting them positioned correctly after it's in. A little grease on the threads helps too.
I made two adapters for the top of my trans jack that hits the lower control arm at the pivot bushings or shaft. I leave the ball joint hooked up and drop the inner control arm bolts out. Then I lower the back side down with the jack. If you go in through the ball joint side on most cars the spring is bent. but the rear part will drop farther and straighter. Clear as mud? just my $.02