It doesn't look like the strut compressors I can get from Autozone will work. It looks like the spring is too tight to get the hooks into the springs. Best Strut Spring Compressor Parts for Cars, Trucks & SUVs
What Spring Compressor for Front Springs
- Thread starter Jeffreywp
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Take them to a shop, ( please save your head and face)
Coils are too tight to use those head bashers
Better safe than sorry, trust me seen first hand when a compressor broke and spring hit my buddys face/head. He lived a few years after, as a vegetable
What about this style of compressor? Has anyone use this style? Strut Spring Compressor,Tool#SG-32-002, Specialty Auto Tool Rentals
I have used the other style of spring compressors, but they will not work on the Jeep struts.
I have used the other style of spring compressors, but they will not work on the Jeep struts.
scottg
Member
I wouldn't like the fact it only has one compressing bar, doesn't seem as stable as a 2 bar or 3 bar tool
You may have used them on weaker springs but not on ones like we have to deal with, plus the extremely tight coils
The one you mentioned here, No.............
Done a ton of KJ lifts and only had one guy want to use compressors against my warnings to him. He started and then got scared and I had to remove it. ALL went to a shop to be compressed I'd rather spend a few dollars than have me or one my friends/ customers not have a head
The local shop I used for all of the ones I lifted was doing a pair for my 04. They had an air over hydraulic compressor and when I picked them up they was joking with me that I needed to repair their concrete block wall. Spring came out crossed over a bay and a half and took out a nice chuck of concrete block.
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robprosenik
New Member
Hi tommudd,
You have submit really good answer.
You have submit really good answer.
Even those and a 790 spring are a real treat
tjkj2002
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That's the only compressor that will compress my Town Car front coils,there rated at over 400lbs and you have to compress them down to half there free height.
That compressor also easily compresses F150 front coils which are rated more then the OME790 CRD coils.
Well maybe the one that one shop tried to compress 927s was a cheap knockoff or some thing since they couldn't do it and gave up . Looked exactly the same , of course was 7 years ago now
I just installed new struts with a 2" lift kit on my son's 2003 Liberty Limited. I used the spring compressor above (at my local auto repair shop where I have some buddies)and then used four 1/8 " cables looped around the compressed strut in equally spaced locations while in the compressor to keep the spring compressed. With the cables on, I was able to get 3" shortening so the job went very easily (except for the rusted bolts, nuts, etc.) I used 2 wire rope clips on each cable loop for safety. Undid the clips easily when the strut was in place. Best way to do the job!
What springs ?
LOL, ok I'll ask again,
what springs ,
MEANING stock, OR OME 925 or 926 or 927 or 790s or BDS or ?????
Sorry thought it was a simple questions......
OH ok then, yes weak springs at 310 lb are easy to compress
most all or all of what I do in the OMEs is the 927s which are 400 lb or the 790s which are 500 lb
mrlavalamp
Full Access Member
This is long, so look for the TLDR if you dont want to read, but I want to share my story because I am a very persistent DIY advocate (stubborn even).
When I did my lift a few months ago, I was 100% in the mindset "let those rich guys waste their money at the shops, I can buy a spring compressor and do this myself for a fraction of what the shops will charge me". I've done this same job (front struts/springs) on about a dozen cars over the years, the libby cant be that much more difficult, right?
Went to autozone, rented one like this:OEM Strut spring compressor 27036 - Read 7 Reviews on OEM #27036
It worked OK for getting the very old and soft OEM springs off. It wasn't as easy as the cars I have done, but not as impossible as some make it seem.
The OME 927 on the other hand, I quickly found out that it was not even possible with this type of compressor. The gap between the coils is tight, I could just barely get the tools "fingers" in. I could already tell this was not going to work, but I decided to strap it down to the leg on my cherry picker (safety) and go for it anyways. As I compressed it the gap closed and pinched the fingers between coils, making removal 100% impossible, never mind still being about 2" from getting the nut on.
The biggest surprise to me was the difference in torque needed to turn the screws on this compressor for the 927 vs. stock spring. I was able to tighten the stock spring with a 3/8 ratchet no problem at all. After a couple turns on the 927, I swapped up for a 1/2" with a 2 foot handle. Compressing that spring was tough, even with it strapped to keep it stationary (and from flying into my face).
I tried a scissor style compressor my neighbor had, but couldn't even get the hooks onto the coils because the coils were so thick.
In the end, I loaded all of the crap I needed into a hiking bag, and rode my motorcycle in to work. We have a big (20 ton I think) electric hydraulic press.
I was able to brace it up in place very carefully, and quickly found that the single most nerve wracking part of this job (aside from safely compressing the spring) is trying to line up the threads at the end of the strut with the hole in the top hat. As I would compress the spring, the strut would mis-align with the top hat. Even just a little snag on the side would result in the rod compressing into the strut instead of going through the top hat.
I was able to solve this by looping a small twine around the threaded portion of the strut rod, and using it to very carefully pull the rod and counteract the mis-alignment. second strut went smoother, now that I knew what to do.
TLDR: Don't waste your time trying to do a lift with a store bought compressor, I sank 4 to 6 hours into mucking about with spring compressors and a shop press. If I had to do it again, as much as it pains me to say this, I would absolutely give the shop my $150 and have them do it for me. It would have saved me hours of headache, a couple trips to autozone, and a lot of sweating/swearing/praying that the spring doesn't come loose. Of course, I saw this type of post several times in my searches leading up to my lift, and still decided to try it. Add me to the list of converts, I have seen the light.
When I did my lift a few months ago, I was 100% in the mindset "let those rich guys waste their money at the shops, I can buy a spring compressor and do this myself for a fraction of what the shops will charge me". I've done this same job (front struts/springs) on about a dozen cars over the years, the libby cant be that much more difficult, right?
Went to autozone, rented one like this:OEM Strut spring compressor 27036 - Read 7 Reviews on OEM #27036
It worked OK for getting the very old and soft OEM springs off. It wasn't as easy as the cars I have done, but not as impossible as some make it seem.
The OME 927 on the other hand, I quickly found out that it was not even possible with this type of compressor. The gap between the coils is tight, I could just barely get the tools "fingers" in. I could already tell this was not going to work, but I decided to strap it down to the leg on my cherry picker (safety) and go for it anyways. As I compressed it the gap closed and pinched the fingers between coils, making removal 100% impossible, never mind still being about 2" from getting the nut on.
The biggest surprise to me was the difference in torque needed to turn the screws on this compressor for the 927 vs. stock spring. I was able to tighten the stock spring with a 3/8 ratchet no problem at all. After a couple turns on the 927, I swapped up for a 1/2" with a 2 foot handle. Compressing that spring was tough, even with it strapped to keep it stationary (and from flying into my face).
I tried a scissor style compressor my neighbor had, but couldn't even get the hooks onto the coils because the coils were so thick.
In the end, I loaded all of the crap I needed into a hiking bag, and rode my motorcycle in to work. We have a big (20 ton I think) electric hydraulic press.
I was able to brace it up in place very carefully, and quickly found that the single most nerve wracking part of this job (aside from safely compressing the spring) is trying to line up the threads at the end of the strut with the hole in the top hat. As I would compress the spring, the strut would mis-align with the top hat. Even just a little snag on the side would result in the rod compressing into the strut instead of going through the top hat.
I was able to solve this by looping a small twine around the threaded portion of the strut rod, and using it to very carefully pull the rod and counteract the mis-alignment. second strut went smoother, now that I knew what to do.
TLDR: Don't waste your time trying to do a lift with a store bought compressor, I sank 4 to 6 hours into mucking about with spring compressors and a shop press. If I had to do it again, as much as it pains me to say this, I would absolutely give the shop my $150 and have them do it for me. It would have saved me hours of headache, a couple trips to autozone, and a lot of sweating/swearing/praying that the spring doesn't come loose. Of course, I saw this type of post several times in my searches leading up to my lift, and still decided to try it. Add me to the list of converts, I have seen the light.
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Exactly what I have been telling people for 12-14 years!
And the reason why of the over 40 lifts I have done, all went to a shop to be compressed. Not a rich man either and do not like to spend needlessly, but I am smart enough to know when somethings need to go and be out sourced:gr_grin::gr_grin:
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