strut spring compresor tool

[Typhus]

Anyone thats replaced their struts, which spring compressor tool did you use, and who offers the best loaner?

I believe the stock struts for a 2004 Pathfinder are McPherson, so is there a McPherson spring compressor that works better, or are all the spring compressors capable of doing the same job.

Just getting ready to do the struts, and I want to try and eliminate any problems in advance. Getting a loaner tool from Auto Zone, Checker, Napa, any recommendations would be truly appreciated.

[LandShark]

Heres autozones version.

 

I've used these before to change struts on my parents dodge intrepid, they seemed to work fine, only ones I've used so can't compare them to anything else.

[02silverpathy]

That's what I use also! Am on my 4-th set (I think?). When the flakes from the clamps get really intense while using them I swap them out...2 complete lifts or lowers all 4 corners is about as long as I would keep them...then swap for new!

[94extreme]

zone loaners are free; no idea about the others.

[Typhus]

That's what I use also! Am on my 4-th set (I think?). When the flakes from the clamps get really intense while using them I swap them out...2 complete lifts or lowers all 4 corners is about as long as I would keep them...then swap for new!

 

Thanks for the feed back guys.

So Silverpath, are you saying that the tool wears out after a few uses? How much confidence should one have from a loaner if this is true?

[Typhus]

I was just up at the local Big O tire getting a tire replaced on the Pathy, and I figured I would just ask the service manager what he would charge me if I were to bring him the the old strut assembly already off the vehicle, and my new struts and mounting hardware, just to have them use their spring compressor and set the new struts up.

The guy actually went to the trouble to pull the info up rather than just give me a flat rate, like I would figure anyone else in the buisness would do.

He tells me 150 bucks, and I replied,,, no, no, Im not asking you to do the removal, or install, just compress the dang spring and throw the new hardware in and hand it back to me. He looked at me like I was crazy, and still said 150 bucks....... lol.

 

OK, if I owned my own shop, I know you gotta make a living and pay the bills, but come on, for a simple task like this, esp if you have a bench compressor, thats just friggin insane. I would have probably payed like 15 maybe even 20 a side, just to save me the hastle of picking up and returning the loaner I would have to get to do it myself, but no way Im paying that much.

Unreal.

[csutke]

i took mine to sears and i think it was like 30ish to do what your talking about

[FUELER]

Those dinky ones didnt work for me,

 

I had to borrow a heavy duty spring compressor from a mechanic friend

 

looked like this

 

[Typhus]

Those dinky ones didnt work for me,

 

I had to borrow a heavy duty spring compressor from a mechanic friend

 

looked like this

 

 

Now thats what Im talking about, ya man.

I just seriously doubt that the loaner from auto zone will look anything like that.

[FUELER]

The guy actually went to the trouble to pull the info up rather than just give me a flat rate, like I would figure anyone else in the buisness would do.

He tells me 150 bucks, and I replied,,, no, no, Im not asking you to do the removal, or install, just compress the dang spring and throw the new hardware in and hand it back to me. He looked at me like I was crazy, and still said 150 bucks....... lol.

 

OK, if I owned my own shop, I know you gotta make a living and pay the bills, but come on, for a simple task like this, esp if you have a bench compressor, thats just friggin insane. I would have probably payed like 15 maybe even 20 a side, just to save me the hastle of picking up and returning the loaner I would have to get to do it myself, but no way Im paying that much.

Unreal.

 

 

HAHA! You have obviously never done the Pathfinder front struts, nor are you knowledgeable in business that revolves around labor. (Don't take that as a put-down). $20 a side for very hard work?? My struts took me an hour each to get the spring on and it was a lot of work. I compressed the spring, it was slightly crooked. Uncompressed it and readjusted the clamps. Compressed it, crooked again. Repeat this 10 times for each side, with a lot of cursing.

 

$150 for both, just to compress and get the springs on, sounds like a legitimate price to me. Maybe even a good price. The guy had every right to look at you like you were crazy. To do the entire front strut job, a shop would have to make $400-$500 net on labor. Of course they make a LOT of money on the struts you buy so that absorbs some of the labor cost so it doesnt look so bad. Example: They buy struts for $25 each (or $50 for both front struts). The customer pays $125 each (or $250 for 2 front struts). Then another $250 labor, $500 total. The shop is making $450 net profit on the job but the customer does not know this. This is perfectly legal, and common business practice. If the shop were to put the real prices, customers would NEVER authorize the job where the labor costs 1000x more than the parts. If you asked the same shop how much labor if YOU brought your OWN struts, they would say $450 labor and no guarantee. This is a general example of how it works everywhere.

 

If you already know this then I apologize for stating the obvious.

 

I do appliance repair for a living. We won't even LOOK at a home appliance for less than $45 and that does not include any real work. You might think thats a lot but consider the overhead costs like renting a place, buying the tools, rising fuel costs, licensing costs, insurance, etc.

 

Expecting to get a job like that done for $20 a side is ridiculous, the only chance of that happening is if you hire an illegal immigrant from in front of home depot and supply your own tools.

Edited April 15, 2008 by FUELER

[csutke]

When I did mine me and my dad couldnt get the strut mounts off so we took them to sears and had them set up the new struts. Like I said earlier it only cost about $20 a side if i remember correctly, but then again we just brought the old struts and the news ones and had them put the mounts on.

[Typhus]

When I did mine me and my dad couldnt get the strut mounts off so we took them to sears and had them set up the new struts. Like I said earlier it only cost about $20 a side if i remember correctly, but then again we just brought the old struts and the news ones and had them put the mounts on.

 

Thats exactly my situation. Maybe my post was confusing, and fueler thought I was having the shop do the work. Sorry if my post was misleading.

I will be removing the struts and already have everything, just need the springs compressed and the new strut, strutmount, bearing, bellow, resassembled and handed back to me. Sorry fueler, but I still dont see why thats a big deal. I understand your frustration using a cheap loaner tool, thats my whole reason for finding a shop with a bench compresser or a stand alone, like the one you posted. If you have a good compressor like Big O has, the whole swap out of parts doesnt take 20 minutes. Ive seen it done before.

I will check Sears next, or just fumble around myself with the cheap loaner. I already have 400 dollars invested in just the hardware...

but thats including the shocks as well. Cant really afford to give a shop 150 more for a 20 minute job.