Nicebutdim
Active Member
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2017
- Messages
- 861
- Car
- E320 cdi avantgarde 2007. Honda Goldwing GL1800. 1975 Norton 850 Commando. 1975 Suzuki GT750.
I’ve been doing some suspension work and I knew beforehand that I would need spring compressor to do the job.
I did lots of internet reading and decided on a hydraulic compressor for reasons of safety and ease of use. I bought this on eBay for £94 delivered
Here it is in action with the spring compressed awaiting fitting of the top mount. Note the angled spacers I used to level out the strut at the base. (Just happened to be what I had lying around that fit the bill)
My observations...
This is a very substantial piece of kit. It is brutal and agricultural in nature with little finesse. It has a decent powder coated finish and was easy to assemble. It is rated at 1 tonne.
It was extremely easy to relieve the pressure on the spring so that I could remove the top mounts. Care is needed to ensure that the hooks are positioned on the spring securely. The tool started juddering as the spring became more compressed. I solved this by greasing the rollers fitted to the sliding carriage so the mechanism slides up and down smoothly. It’s a tool you need to play around with to find its foibles.
Reassembling a suspension strut requires patience in positioning both the spring and the claws. The claw assembly has an enormous range of adjustment. If they’re not positioned correctly, as you compress the spring it bends and the damper rod moves off centre making it difficult to drop the top mount into position. It’s tempting to try and pull the damper rod back on centre but this risks dislodging the claws and sending the spring into orbit via your chin and nose.
Trial and error and the use of available spacers solved any problems.
I like it. For the money it’s a bargain. For a few quid more you can buy the type with interchangeable spring-plates top and bottom which is fine providing they fit the spring you are compressing.
I did lots of internet reading and decided on a hydraulic compressor for reasons of safety and ease of use. I bought this on eBay for £94 delivered
Here it is in action with the spring compressed awaiting fitting of the top mount. Note the angled spacers I used to level out the strut at the base. (Just happened to be what I had lying around that fit the bill)
My observations...
This is a very substantial piece of kit. It is brutal and agricultural in nature with little finesse. It has a decent powder coated finish and was easy to assemble. It is rated at 1 tonne.
It was extremely easy to relieve the pressure on the spring so that I could remove the top mounts. Care is needed to ensure that the hooks are positioned on the spring securely. The tool started juddering as the spring became more compressed. I solved this by greasing the rollers fitted to the sliding carriage so the mechanism slides up and down smoothly. It’s a tool you need to play around with to find its foibles.
Reassembling a suspension strut requires patience in positioning both the spring and the claws. The claw assembly has an enormous range of adjustment. If they’re not positioned correctly, as you compress the spring it bends and the damper rod moves off centre making it difficult to drop the top mount into position. It’s tempting to try and pull the damper rod back on centre but this risks dislodging the claws and sending the spring into orbit via your chin and nose.
Trial and error and the use of available spacers solved any problems.
I like it. For the money it’s a bargain. For a few quid more you can buy the type with interchangeable spring-plates top and bottom which is fine providing they fit the spring you are compressing.
