Need to install a spring? Don't want to pry on it and have it snap off and take out your eye?

Alright, so you gotta start with a spring.  Literally the point of this post.  So get your spring.  Grab a screwdriver, or pry bar, or whatnot, and get yourself a buncha washers.

Bend it in such a way that the coils open up.

Shove them washers in there.  As you continue the earlier ones will start to try and fall out.  Shove 'em back in, and figure a way to keep 'em in.  I like using a wire or a piece of slender plastic like a new zip tie on the inside of the spring but also threaded through the washer (not pictured here.)

There ya go.  You've lengthened the spring by however many washers you've shoved in there.  

Whoa. 

I've used that technique before.  Another is to use a drum brake spring installation tool.  The tool doesn't know if the spring is actually on a brake or not.

I use this. $4

I use a set of vice-grips. Grab it, manhandle it, done. 

In reply to Toyman01 + Sized and :

So, for one, this method was developed for larger springs.  For another, it depends on the space, generally.  For this spring I definitely could have manhandled it, and did for the last quarter inch.

However, I originally devised this method when I had to reinstall the spring on my '67 Mustang's clutch pedal.  I left the pedal assembly in place for some reason.  There is absolutely no manhandling that spring, even when out of the vehicle.  Dad and I had to get a 3ft prybar and hook the spring to his blacksmith's anvil in order to get enough leverage and a heavy enough object to actually pry the coils open enough to insert a washer.

Random internet pic of the clutch pedal assembly and spring:

In reply to Mr_Asa :

Sounds reasonable.

Don't worry, your idea is now permanently stored in the back of my brain somewhere and will help me solve a problem at some obscure date in the distant future. 

You may not get any credit though because I probably won't remember where I saw it. 

Toyman01 + Sized and said:

Don't worry, your idea is now permanently stored in the back of my brain somewhere and will help me solve a problem at some obscure date in the distant future. 

I was thinking about this the other day.  I used something while working on my boat that I later realized I first saw in the Monzora thread.  Might be interesting to see what tricks people are using that they've seen on here.

I use a rag and wrap it into the spring as I bend the spring.  Same idea

Mr_Asa said:

Toyman01 + Sized and said:

Don't worry, your idea is now permanently stored in the back of my brain somewhere and will help me solve a problem at some obscure date in the distant future. 

I was thinking about this the other day.  I used something while working on my boat that I later realized I first saw in the Monzora thread.  Might be interesting to see what tricks people are using that they've seen on here.

Does buying LED shop lights count?  That's my latest "saw it on GRM."

In reply to Mr_Asa :

That method has worked for me in the past.  It's also possible to install drum brake springs with a drum brake spring installation tool.  A spring's location in a brake cannot be determined by the tool.

Barb_Dwyer said:

In reply to Mr_Asa :

It's also possible to install drum brake springs with a drum brake spring installation tool. 

Thanks for that.

Drum brake spring install tool is extremely useful so much so that I bought one not long ago just to install springs with.  I think I paid $12 for a Lisle unit.