renting or substituting a spring compressor

[Colledge]

The springs have come for my stilo and i'd like to fit them (duh)

is there anywhere that i would be able to rent a spring compressor for the day?
or would i be alright using quick grip type clamps / another method?

a friend who is going to give me a hand reckons that you don't really need a spring compressor as he didnt on his corsa c... but he's a world class idiot and to be honest looking at tutorials and warnings about this sort of thing is making me crap myself about unloading the spring. i'm 100% on everything else apart from that.
cheers

 

[dave]

rent! they only cost 15 quid to buy

dont try and bodge one you will lose an eye

 

[Colledge]

where can i get one for £15? can only find em online or at halfords for £30 :/
i'd rather not have to wait for one to arrive because the only time i'll be able to do it for a while is tomorow.

edit: or if anyone in the durham if feeling especially generous...

 

[Colledge]

just found this http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f9/wratchet-strap-coil-spring-compressor-380551/

seems like a good idea and to me seems pretty safe compared to alot of peoples attempts... any downfall i've failed to notice.

i have loads of those straps too.

 

[Davren]

Stilo standard front spring are of varying coil diameter, varying pitch and varying spring rate.

Although people will tell you they've done them with hook on compressors, rope, straps or cable ties etc. the safest way to do them is with a yolk type spring compressor.

Hook on compressors are usually too short to be able to encompass enough coils to be effective, and be able to undo enough to completely release the spring. Also, as you undo them the coils start to go at an angle and the hooks can slide together until they are both on one side of the spring resulting in a banana shaped spring. At that point, there's not much you can do to release them.

If you were going to try it with straps, use at least 3 or 4 sets on each spring.

Yolk type compressors should be available for hire from most hire shops.

 

[Colledge]

thanks for the info, i'll give the straps method a go (very cautiously) but if i feel like i don't trust it then i'll have a trip over to a rental place in a friends car... (i'm guessing by rental place, you mean the type of place where you can rent compressor / cement mixers and that sort of thing?)

 

[sludgeguts]

Hook on compressors are usually too short to be able to encompass enough coils to be effective, and be able to undo enough to completely release the spring. Also, as you undo them the coils start to go at an angle and the hooks can slide together until they are both on one side of the spring resulting in a banana shaped spring. At that point, there's not much you can do to release them.

First time I ever used spring compresors I just had a pair on a spring - ended up with one comp slipping off & shooting about 30 feet into the air & across the road - am I glad it didn't come my way
After that I bought a load of jubilee clips & slipped them onto the spring, using 4 per compressor, 1 each side of the top and bottom hooks. Bit of a long-winded affair but it worked a treat.
I was still carefull to tighten each comp a bit at a time each to try to keep the pressure on the coil equal.

 

[mk2sporting02]

Got mine from screwfix can just walk in and buy them like any other shop unless there not in stock, cant remember how much they were but definately no more than £15 and for the sake of £15 its worth it you will use them again no doubt just wack a bit of grease on em put em away and they'l last a life time nice bit of kit.

https://www.fiatforum.com/gallery/data/500/DSC0000819.JPG

 

[sludgeguts]

Got mine from screwfix can just walk in and buy them like any other shop unless there not in stock, cant remember how much they were but definately no more than £15 and for the sake of £15 its worth it you will use them again no doubt just wack a bit of grease on em put em away and they'l last a life time nice bit of kit.

Now imnterestingly, when I bought mine, they didn't have the two hooked parts top and bottom and there wasn't an option to buy dearer ones with the double hooked ends so I suspect there were a load of injuries reported from the original style and this is what came out as a replacement.

 

[dave]

mine are donkeys years old and have 2 hooks each end on them. ive had them years and they was old when i got them