Alternative to Spring Compressors

Another thread got me thinking about spring compressors. I tried using some for the Miata once, and they were a pain in the ass. I developed my own little system for removing and installing springs/shocks that I like much better. I don't know if other people do something similar. I also wonder how well this works on other types of cars. Or if this is actually a really bad idea and I should do something totally differently.

On the Miata, get the suspension in the air, jack stand under the side of the car, and wheel off. Disconnect the sway bar and remove the mounting bolts for the upper A-arm. Now the suspension is attached by just the lower A-arm and the shock assembly.

The spring can now be compressed and released by using a basic floor jack. Put the jack under where the shock attaches to the A-arm, and press it up. You can now remove the center bolt from the spring perch, and when you lower the jack, the spring will decompress in a nice controlled manner.

To install a spring, do the same thing, put tension on it with a jack. You just need to put a little bit of effort to get the shock piston to line up with the hole in the perch.

Whadya think?

I used a simpler solution on strut equipped cars. Undo the center nut on the top of the strut (not the bolts that hold the strut to the top of the strut tower). Then as you jack the car up, the tension is slowly released from the springs, and you can simply reach into the wheelwell, pull the strut towards you and lift the spring off the strut. Installation is the reverse of removal, as they say.

Took me a half hour to remove, trim, and reinstall all 4 springs on a number of strut equipped cars this way, from RX7s to Rabbits. Evben a Dodge Stealth. And I'll probably use this technique on the 740iL when I put in the H&R lowering springs.

I have a solution that only works for removing the springs from a strut. I put the top shock mount in a vice. I then use my impact wrench to undo the nut on the top of the shock. I stand back and make sure the strut is not pointing at anything expensive. It is fast and fun!

I think that would be near impossible on most of the cars that I have done springs on. Its not that hard to work the spring compressors using my POS cordless electric wrench/gun.

Sounds like a lot of risk for saving the little bit of time involved in using a spring compressor.. it takes me maybe 5 minutes to compress a spring. I don't do it that often, though.

I have the same problem, the blocks on my spring compressor are too fat to fit inside Miata coils & compress it a useable amount. I've been stalling the new spring installation because I'm not sure how I'm going to get the new ones on.

I have done it that way several times and I actually own a real spring compressor and it its definately the way to go vs a spring compressor unless you have one of those nice wall mount foot operated jobbies.