Hello guys,

My KYB shocks are on the way and I want to install them myself. Until I mount them I want to check the condition of the bearings and support plates, for which I will need a spring compressor. I found some Yato spring compressors, one model with 3 different dimensions.



1. What do you thing would be better from these 3?
- The reason I ask is that, there is a big difference in price between them.

2. What spring compressors do you use/used?


Thanks,

Rob

You need it long enough to compress all of the spring (excluding the 1st and last turns) so you will need to measure the spring on the strut. You can usually get away with clamps if they are too long, but too short can cause a problem.
I am taking mine off on Sunday to fit my coilovers, so I can measure it for you, if you can't before then. I have two sets of clamps which have always served me well, but I haven't done the front springs on a Croma before!!

halilson said:

You need it long enough to compress all of the spring (excluding the 1st and last turns) so you will need to measure the spring on the strut. You can usually get away with clamps if they are too long, but too short can cause a problem.
I am taking mine off on Sunday to fit my coilovers, so I can measure it for you, if you can't before then. I have two sets of clamps which have always served me well, but I haven't done the front springs on a Croma before!!

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Hi Halilson,

Im not in a rush as the weather its not ideal for this job so please measure yours, thank you . Have fun changing your coilovers.

Cheers,
Rob

If i was buying some new ones i'd get this type

Roberto Blanco said:

Hello guys,

My KYB shocks are on the way and I want to install them myself. Until I mount them I want to check the condition of the bearings and support plates, for which I will need a spring compressor. I found some Yato spring compressors, one model with 3 different dimensions.



1. What do you thing would be better from these 3?
- The reason I ask is that, there is a big difference in price between them.

2. What spring compressors do you use/used?


Thanks,

Rob

Click to expand...

Mine are the same type as the ones you're interested in Rob, but they are only 210mm long. I have had them for years so I make do, but they are too short and I usually have to use a 3rd clamp to facilitate removal of the 1st two!!
The Croma springs were no exception. The clamps were just long enough to compress the spring to remove it from the strut, but not long enough to get them back off the spring.
So I would say that you don't need the longest ones, but either of the shorter ones should be ok.

dave said:

If i was buying some new ones i'd get this type

View attachment 117791

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Hi dave, yes these ones are better but very expensive and take alot of space.

halilson said:

Mine are the same type as the ones you're interested in Rob, but they are only 210mm long. I have had them for years so I make do, but they are too short and I usually have to use a 3rd clamp to facilitate removal of the 1st two!!
The Croma springs were no exception. The clamps were just long enough to compress the spring to remove it from the strut, but not long enough to get them back off the spring.
So I would say that you don't need the longest ones, but either of the shorter ones should be ok.

Click to expand...

I see, no chance with the 280mm ones then, I'll get the 355mm set. I will come with some results after I get the set and do the job. Thank you again.

Roberto Blanco said:

Hi dave, yes these ones are better but very expensive and take alot of space.

Click to expand...

but don't slip damaging coating on springs

dave said:

but don't slip damaging coating on springs

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That is true, I was thinking about that and come around this solution: to cut a bike tube and use the rubber where compressor touch the spring. This should work. What you think ?

Hi I have been thinking about this for while after paying for a front spring to be changed for the mot (a bit of a gulp). Would it be possible to compress the spring down to size with length of 12mm threaded bar, two discs with hole in the center and two nuts, when down to size fit your spring compressor.
Just a thought.:hm:

Telegraph said:

Hi I have been thinking about this for while after paying for a front spring to be changed for the mot (a bit of a gulp). Would it be possible to compress the spring down to size with length of 12mm threaded bar, two discs with hole in the center and two nuts, when down to size fit your spring compressor.
Just a thought.:hm:

Click to expand...

Sure, saw few of those, but I would think twice about using one, unless its made from good forged materials. Accidents can happen even with a genuine one, but the odds are smaller and the genuine ones are very cheap. That`s why I want to buy one, because is cheaper than changing them in the service and I get to keep the compressor for future use.

Rob

Roberto Blanco said:

That is true, I was thinking about that and come around this solution: to cut a bike tube and use the rubber where compressor touch the spring. This should work. What you think ?

Click to expand...

Just get some shrink sleeve. Cut the length you need, slide it over the clamp and heat it with a heat gun. It will follow the shape of the clamp and won't slip off the spring so easily. Win win.

halilson said:

Just get some shrink sleeve. Cut the length you need, slide it over the clamp and heat it with a heat gun. It will follow the shape of the clamp and won't slip off the spring so easily. Win win.

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That's a great idea, I will look for some adequate size of shrink sleeve, if I can find any so big. Thanks for the idea Hal

After all I'm getting this spring compressor kit:

http://www.toptul.com/en/2_2179_/product/2PCS_Coil_Spring_Compressor_Set_id323670.html

Tomorrow I should have it and hopefully the weather will stop fooling around with all this rain and give me some sun . Also found the shrink sleeve, electricians team at my work (I work in hydro power domain, but I am IT guy) have all the sizes and offered to suit up my compressor kit for free ( very nice of them, as I also fix some PCs for them also for free ..make good things and good things will come to you ). Shock absorbers with protection kit also coming in tomorrow and I have decided not to change the springs. Have a good one today fellow Croma owners !

Rob

UPDATE

I've changed the shock absorbers 2 months ago and I will share with you my experience FYI.

First: The spring compressor that I bought was good quality, but a very bad choice because of its design, when I compressed the springs I have scratched badly the springs so if you're planning to buy a kit for yourself don't choose the one like I did, which you can see in the picture in past posts. I should have thought about it before and should have taken in consideration the shape of the spring, but now its late.

Second: Because I couldn't release the nut from the top of the right shock absorber, I had to ask someone to cut it and he f***ing cut 3mm in the coil spring. This got me in some series of trouble as I had to change the springs now. I have a good friend, also Fiat owner, but he also owns an auto parts shop. Asked him nicely to get me a good set of Croma springs and he ordered me some Magnum Technology for Signum/Vectra, which should have fit taking in consideration that the rest of the suspension assembly is identical to Croma, but NO, it didn't. They were 300gr less, Croma OEM 2.5 kg, Magnum Technology 2.2 kg, weighed with a kitchen scale because they felt thinner and they sure were. I could't fit them because the upper and the lower ends had bigger openings than the originals and they did not seated well on both shock absorber and bearing. I have ordered some KYB's, for Croma this time, same like the shock absorbers, but it took a while until I got them so I had to make a trip in the city. For this I have temporary mounted one of the Magnum Technology for 150 km and the result after the trip can be seen in the picture below. The spring slipped from the bearing and made a lot of noises during cornering. So you have to be careful, not the get in the same trouble as I did.