Spring compressor recommendations?

I need a set of spring compressors for my upcoming coilover installation on the 911.  Honestly I should've bought a set years ago.

So there's tons of these available on Amazon, Harbor Freight, etc.  I want a solid set that are easy to use and not crappy quality.

Recommendations please?

TIA!

I'm using one from Amazon. I call it a side loader. Price was low and quality has more than delivered.

It's miles better than the man killers I used for years when I was younger.

In reply to Cousin_Eddie :

That looks great.  Have a part #, brand name? 

Looking at your vice I do think I'll add one to my new workbench/tool box...

Your best bet is to see if you can pay $20 to have a garage put together your units and then just bolt them into the car. The bench mounted compressors means it should take them 12 minutes to do all four.

In reply to Brett_Murphy :

Why?  It's a huge waste of my time to take them my stock stuff to have them disassemble it for me.  I can just buy the tools and do it myself.

docwyte said:

In reply to Cousin_Eddie :

That looks great.  Have a part #, brand name? 

Looking at your vice I do think I'll add one to my new workbench/tool box...

Strut spring compressor at Amazon

The vise was bought at Zoro.com when they had their periodic 25% off sale. It's a Made in USA Wilton which cost a bit more than a Chinese vise, but it's a lifetime tool.

This is my most dangerous tool and you are more than welcome to borrow it anytime.

In reply to Cousin_Eddie :

What size vice is it?  5"?

docwyte said:

In reply to Cousin_Eddie :

What size vice is it?  5"?

It's a 4 1/2" 

In reply to docwyte :

It's worth $20 to me not to have to do it. It saves time and there's no chance I'll get killed by a flying spring.

Brett_Murphy said:

In reply to docwyte :

It's worth $20 to me not to have to do it. It saves time and there's no chance I'll get killed by a flying spring.

I always buy tools rather than pay someone to use theirs. And I can absolutely swap struts with this compressor quicker than you can put them in your car and drive to a shop somewhere to have it done.

I  have the type of spring compressors that TB linked above, and I had one of the keepers fail. I'll do it if I have to, but it takes me a long time.

Maybe if I had better tools, it would be easier, but I've done it three times, total and only paid somebody once. It was much easier.

 

I have a HF set similar to these:

but >20 years old.  I was doing the shocks on a LS400 and cranking down on them.  It was not a confidence inspiring momemt.  More of a "If I crank this down enough to get this shock apart, it's gonna kill me" moment.  So I bought this one at HF:

It did the job just fine, if a bit fiddly to get it all in there to start with.  The one Cousin Eddie has looks real nice too.  I would consider that, but this latest HF one does the job.

I have a set of the Lisle 62300 spring compressors.  These are great because they use a U-bolt that goes around the coil and has two nuts on it -- there is no way for the spring compressor to slip off and kill you because it's bolted down.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000COA1F8

After seeing the better models listed, it looks like I have the wrong tool for the job.

I drove around town looking for a set and the best I could find was one like this:

I treat them like a loaded shotgun pointing at a stick of dynamite. Prior to use, I review my Accidental Death and Dismemberment policy. Everybody dies from something. Might as well be while I'm happily working on a car. * I do NOT recommend these.

Another option - unbolt the strut or shock from the top mount while it’s loaded. And then slowly raise the car. It’ll basically unload as you raise it and since it’s basically contained in the wheel wells nothing likely comes out flying. Of course this does nothing for installing the springs... :p

Brett_Murphy said:

In reply to docwyte :

It's worth $20 to me not to have to do it. It saves time and there's no chance I'll get killed by a flying spring.

How is driving to the shop, dropping off struts. Hoping the shop will have time to do it in between jobs that pay real money. Then driving back to get them. Two or three days later - saving time? 

I have a really good relationship with the garage I go to - about 25 years. They would literally laugh at me if I asked them to do this.  And it wouldn't be $20. 

I recently bought the compressor set Cousin Eddie posted. It works well and stores nicely when you don't need it.  I also have a professional quality OTC Strut Tamer that works really well, but I don't have space to keep it set up permanently so it's tedious to use (and takes up a lot of room to store).  I also have the compressor Dr. Hess posted. When it fits it works fine, but about one out of 5 cars I have tried it on have coils too spread apart for it to compress the springs enough. 

I just bought the 'Cousin Eddie' compressor.

I thought about it and I'm just not ready to die yet. My old set is available cheap if you want it?

An I the only that's really not that scared by spring compressors? Like has anybody ever actually experienced one breaking or slipping off? I've never even read about it on the internet. So does it really happen? It a tool designed to do a specific job. Just use it as intended and you won't get hurt.

Ian F said:

Brett_Murphy said:

In reply to docwyte :

It's worth $20 to me not to have to do it. It saves time and there's no chance I'll get killed by a flying spring.

How is driving to the shop, dropping off struts. Hoping the shop will have time to do it in between jobs that pay real money. Then driving back to get them. Two or three days later - saving time? 

 

I'd use the shop five doors down from my house. I have to pass it to go literally anywhere, since I live on a dead end street. I admit logistics do play into it.

In reply to Brett_Murphy :

So because you have a fortunate logistical circumstance somewhat unique to you, nobody should buy a spring compressor. Makes sense.

FFS, did I say that nobody should buy a spring compressor? I offered a different option. Read my posts again- this thread has got me considering buying a better set of compressors myself.
 

In reply to Brett_Murphy :

Sorry. It came across that way.  I agree it's a good to develop a relationship with a good local shop.  Unfortunately, that option is becoming less common.