Is this the right way to use this type of spring compressor? I am finished with the rest of the front of my car so now I just need to put the new springs and shocks in. Thanks for any help!

 

How did you get them off? I would think the reverse way.

Lynn

 

compressor is upside down

 

The whole compressor or just the fork piece?

 

Whole thing. You need the claws near the top and the fork near the bottom.

 

If I did that, the piece that I put a socket over to compress the coil would be at the bottom. I thought it was supposed to be at the top so you could go through the hole at the top of the shock tower to put a socket on it in order to compress the coil.

 

How about somebody impart a little knowledge on this subject before I completely destroy the powder coating on a brand new spring. I took the "hood" that covers the shock tower on the inside of the fenderwell off so I can have a little more room but the f'ing spring compressor fork keeps sliding down the damn spring when I go to tighten it. WTF am I doing wrong here?

 

You've got it almost right. You just need to move the fork "back" a little, so that the notches on the tips of the fork end touch the spring and the other side of the coil rests in the inner notch, not the middle one. Another set of hands will be helpful to hold the spring and compressor to keep them from spinning while you tighten the nut.

The other option is to do what Jonward did and slap the fork on top of the shock tower. Not exactly the recommended way to do it, but I suppose it works.

 

I prefer this type. The screw end mounts on top of the shock tower, with a plate on top of the tower. The spring then gets drawn up into the tower. This is almost identical with the Ford spring compressor.

 

I've only seen one of those, and it was a Snap-On unit. I agree, they work the best, but they're expensive and very difficult to find.