Thread: I hate coil springs

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Of all the jobs I have ever done, replacing front coil springs in a car is the one I absolutely hate the most. All that stored up energy (is it potential, or kinetic? can't remember which) scares me to death, especially when you have the spring all compressed with a compressor and are trying to get it in place. I can just see the darned thing breaking free and taking my head off.

Couple of nights ago my one Son, who is building an '84 Capri drag car, picked up a set of Eibach front drag springs and asked me to help him put them in. I decided we had used our old external coil spring compressors one time too many, so we went to Discount Auto and borrowed one of their loaner internal units. First we had to remove the old Moroso front springs that I battled into place a few years ago, when I owned the car, and finally got them out.

When it came time to put the new springs in, they are about 2 inches higher than the old ones, so we started cranking on the compressor. With each revolution of the nut, we are getting more scared all the time. We even put chains around the spring in case of it coming loose. Even with my 2 Sons and me, we couldn't force them in.

Long story short, we never did get the spring compressed tight enough to go into the pockets, a situation made worse by the fact that there is no engine weight in the car to hold it down while we use a floor jack under the lower A arm.

We finally gave up for the night, while we still had all of our fingers and teeth, and decided to research a better way to do it. Today, my Son called and told me he has decided to go the coil over route instead, as they are easier to install and maybe work better.

BUT, how have you others compressed springs without getting hurt or worse? I even was ready to order the super costly one from the local Snap On truck, because I figured our lives were worth the money.

There has to be an easier way to do this, and maybe someone else can tell me for future reference.

Thanks,

Don....alias, "afraid of flying objects"

yes i not not like them or valves springs i do alot more valves springs the valves springs i put on race heads have 320 seat and 1000 open they make you sweat

I hate the compressor too Don, I saw a spring get loose on a boy and it hit him in the forehead,he cut a 1 1/2 gainer before he hit the floor face down and when we rolled him over he had an instant goose-egg right in the middle of his forehead. He was in the hospital for 3 days, and never did come back to work.
They have a nice pneumatic one from snap-on if you got the money to justify it. I try to load front springs last so I can drop the lower control arm and use the complete front weight to hold it down.
My valve spring compressor is pnuematic, and I drilled the fork end on it and added another bolt & lock nut to it.

My grandpa broke his hand when a spring unloaded on him. He is usually very carful about what he does.

Even an Autozone borrowed spring compressor can work, but you have to be careful. Treat the spring like a loaded gun, and use a safety chain. If you keep the chain pretty tight, the spring won't go anywhere if the compressor slips.

By the way, it's potential energy, and your main goal is to try to keep it from becoming kinetic energy.

my auto teacher told me about a kid that was in his auto program, and instead of using a strut compressor, he just spun the nut off of the strut assembly with an impact, he ended up hitting the garage door about 12' up and where he was at, was about 20' back, he ended up in the hospital, and never did return to the class.

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who is afraid of getting a spring to the face.

I appreciate all the suggestions, and I agree a chain around as a limiter is a good thing. It gets in the way, and is a pain to remove, but would be worth the trouble if the spring ever decided to get free.

I think one of the reasons I am afraid of them is that I had one just miss me years ago, and it bounced across the garage floor like crazy. I sat down an had a beer after that one, and changed my shorts.

That is the thing about working on cars, there is so much that can hurt or kill you. I don't mind the occasional smashed finger, but I'm talking about the big things that can happen. The older I get the more I want to keep living, so I'm getting a lot smarter about safety.

Thanks again for all the input and help.


Don

I didn't know what an spring compressor was until a few yrs. ago, and only used it putting struts on then then. I'll change the springs while you install the compressor. without the motor in the car does make it a little harder.