compressing coil springs?

Where I used to work we had a nice wall mounted tool with a 3 handle knob on the top that just forced down like a screw jack to compress springs on struts, but now I don't have that luxury so I was curious what do you guys use for a strut spring compressor who do-it-yourself? I have those cheapy autozone type compressors, but had no luck whatsoever as the springs for my van are pretty stout for what they are. Any suggestions? I really don't want to have to pay someone to do this every time I need struts swapped.

I use the Lisle tool with u bolts that capture the spring coils. It takes a little more time to do each one, but I have seen the ones with the cheap cast hooks crack.

I have cheapo ones from Harbor Freight, probably look just like the AutoZone rentals and work fine. :thumb:

I find those outside clamp types are really hard to use due to the length of the spring but if you can get it so you can take off the strut bearing, your fine. If you have to compress a new spring, forget it.

Joe, if the 2 of us get really anxiety ridden, the 2 of us should be able to squeeze them down with our bare hands!!!!:thumb:
J/K.....Best thing you can do with the threaded ones is to put a light coat of bearing grease on the threads. Makes them much easier to turn. DO not use anti sieze.

I rent the ones from advance....probably the same as the autozone ones, and i think i saw the same ones at harbor freight. they are OK to use on stock spring, just takes forever to clamp them down....air tools REALLY help.. Ive done this with stock springs and Eibach springs.

I use the cheap harbor freight ones.

The trick for strut replacement and reusing the springs is to put them on in the car if you can. Put a jack under the control arm and jack it up and compress the spring while its all still in the car, even get someone to bounce the car and hook the hooks on when its on the downstroke. Kind of a cheesy, annoying trick but it helps a bit.

Also, if you cant quite compress it enough to get the strut through the top and get the nut on it, ive hung the upper mount up in the strut tower, bolted the strut to the spindle, and jacked the control arm up with the jack to get the top to poke through and put a nut on it.

Ive also done ridiculous things with a come-along winch too..

All sorts of stupidity. Good luck!


The thing ive found most annoying about that type of spring compressor is that the hooks are usually angled for a 4 or 5" diameter spring and dont fit our front springs well.

you guys must be a bunch of big pussies if you can't get the harbor freight spring clamps to compress the spring enough to get the strut mount on. I do that ---- by myself with no one else around and I'm not the strongest guy in the shed by a long shot. The harbor frieght ones are the safest ones I've used. The single toe clamps with the little u bolts I've had slip on me and it's not fun when they do. The double toe one's from HF rock.

Sounds like I need something like the HB ones. The mickey mouse crappers from AZ would do nothing but slip when I tried to get the spring to compress enough to even think of loosening the nut on top of the strut mount. Sounds like the trick until I get a real strut spring compressor.