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Coil Spring Compressors? Best for the least?


borninabarn
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I am checking out coil spring compressors.I will only use this thing 4 times I hope.Any of you had any good luck with some of the cheapo ones or know what brand of one you had luck with that was half way safe?

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if u need compressors for the rear your doing it wrong solid axle setups dont need this. for the front though if your are contemplating doing this yourself and are worried about price just go to a pep boys and have them do it i mean they usually run about 16 a pop for A crap one and if u get the usual hd ome/ac springs there not gonna like those lil compressors and your gonna need a lot of them like more than two. I say pay the 70 bucks and have it done right at a shop with a wall compressor.

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if u need compressors for the rear your doing it wrong solid axle setups dont need this. for the front though if your are contemplating doing this yourself and are worried about price just go to a pep boys and have them do it i mean they usually run about 16 a pop for A crap one and if u get the usual hd ome/ac springs there not gonna like those lil compressors and your gonna need a lot of them like more than two. I say pay the 70 bucks and have it done right at a shop with a wall compressor.

I know I dont need them for the rear and a good friend will be helping me since I cant do any of the work and I was looking at all of the tools for this Amazon offers and one of them has to work ok if I decide to go that route? I live out in the middle of corn and bean fields and the closest pep boys is 140 miles away so that wont work.I will keep checking out my options thanks.

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if u need compressors for the rear your doing it wrong solid axle setups dont need this. for the front though if your are contemplating doing this yourself and are worried about price just go to a pep boys and have them do it i mean they usually run about 16 a pop for A crap one and if u get the usual hd ome/ac springs there not gonna like those lil compressors and your gonna need a lot of them like more than two. I say pay the 70 bucks and have it done right at a shop with a wall compressor.

Maybe not needed but it keeps you from having to jack the truck as high.

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A piece of 15/16" all-thread long enough for your purpose, two nuts to fit same, and a couple of pieces of 2" bar with a 15/16" hole drilled in it. Put one nut and bar on one end, run it through the spring, then put the other nut and bar on. Tighten (breaker bar unless you're Superman) and install. Then just take the nuts off and drop the all-thread out. Make sure the bar is thick enough to handle the stress!

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do u have any autostores there at all im just saying u can usually rent them for free i just don't like a guy in your current situation spending un needed money u know. I mean if u really need it done and dont need to drive u can always send me the springs ill take it to my shop ill do it for free if u send a return label just tryin to help

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A piece of 15/16" all-thread long enough for your purpose, two nuts to fit same, and a couple of pieces of 2" bar with a 15/16" hole drilled in it. Put one nut and bar on one end, run it through the spring, then put the other nut and bar on. Tighten (breaker bar unless you're Superman) and install. Then just take the nuts off and drop the all-thread out. Make sure the bar is thick enough to handle the stress!

Are your 2" bar then 6.5" long to fit the R50s 6" +/- dia coils?

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Are your 2" bar then 6.5" long to fit the R50s 6" +/- dia coils?

I didn't word that well. I meant the bar needed to be 2" wide. Yeah, 6.5" or maybe 7" long. I also remember now that my buddy welded a nut to one of the pieces of bar so there's not so much juggling involved.

Edited by JJ331
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As long as you're not compressing hi-lift springs, most compressors would be ok. I originally tried to compress my AC lift springs with a Pep Boys special compressor & nearly killed myself. I ended up having a shop do it for me, cost $50 I think.

 

@itsnotme, where you been bro, you're missing some cool trips with SCORE!

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Just do not buy the Harbor Frieght ones.

 

That is all.

I disagree. I bought those when I did my poor-man's lift. The secret is to grease the bolt before using them otherwise you will tear the hell out of the things. I used them twice, when loosening one of them on the last install, it ate itself. The job was finished and I took the compressors back to the store cause they had issues. No need to rent or buy expensive ones for the number of times you are going to use them.

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I used the autozone free rental compressors to replace my stock coil springs with Ironman springs. Worked fine for me. I put some anti-seize compound on the spring compressor threads and used a 3/4" gear wrench on the bolt.

Edited by ImaHokie
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I will have to check the parts stores around my area and see if they loan them out.Probably will only use them once on my Pathfinder and they would end up sitting around.Maybe the threaded rod trick might have worked for me 20 years ago but sounds kind of dangerous now. Thanks for the tips!

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@itsnotme, where you been bro, you're missing some cool trips with SCORE!

 

I know, I meant to come along a few times, but it just never seems to work out :shrug:

I'm keeping an eye on the SCORE homepage though, so hopefully something comes up soon.

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Not knowing I thought I might need a compressor for the rear to install the brand new set of those 2.5" spacers I have been talking about offering here first for sale but dropped the axle to the floor and a little push got them in.Now the front.

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/64357769@N02/9554130300/

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/64357769@N02/9554164202/

Edited by borninabarn
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