DIY Spring Compressor

On a car coil its no big deal using threaded spring compressors. On a heavy truck coil it's pretty sketchy, a wall mounted unit is better. I bent one of those rental units doing a BMW spring, couldn't have been more than 400lbs.

For $40 I would gladly pay a shop.

 

Gonna have to purchase a new floor jack and couple jack stands. Any particular, quality, brand you DIY’ers like to use?

 

You don’t need a compressor use the weight of the truck it’s fast easy and safe....there’s videos online.

 

This on a Tacoma but it’s the same steps except you need to remove your skid plate and either sway bar end links or sway bar mounts.

I’ve done dozens like this.
https://youtu.be/vkVLBOnAifc

 

xtyfighterx

Thanks for that! That honestly looks easier & quicker than the other methods I’ve seen.

 

About 30min a side is what I do them in it’s super simple and safe. Good luck let us know if you run into anything else.

 

I’ve done quite a few with the YouTube method... but for $40.00 I’m taking to a shop! You can done a bunch of crazy stuff in the shop and get away with it... but sooner or later it’s going to catch up to you!

 

I took my truck to a local shop to have them install my Bilstein 5100s to lift the front of my truck and they said they couldn't do it because they didn't have a spring compressor big enough. So why didn't they just do what y'all are talking about?

 

Because it’s dangerous... go to a different shop. Most legit shops have a floor mounted or wall mounted spring compressor.... it’s not that special of a tool.

 

It’s not dangerous at all I don’t see why you think that? You are releasing the energy of the spring while it’s still bolted on to the truck the spring has no where to go at all.

 

Yep, but one slip of a jack or lapse in judgement could be the end, ive done it many times on Tacoma’s ... but I still remember the first time. Most people don’t have a lot of quality tools or knowledge and this job can be dangerous. A shop probably ain’t going to do it this way because of liability.

 

You should have jack stands supporting the truck under the cross member and frame rail....if the jack gave out the only thing that will happen is your spring decompresses faster which again is still bolted to the truck and won’t go anywhere your LCA wouldn’t even hit the ground.I personally find more people using spring compressors wrong or getting hurt by them then this method. To each their own if I ran a shop I’d do it this way every time.

 

Do you need to loosen lower control arms or steering rack on first Gen tundra?

 

I’d say everything from that video I’d do the same on a first gen. Shouldn’t be any different. Only thing different on the new tundra is the sway bar mounts I unbolted and took the skid off vs the Tacoma.

 

I think on the Tacoma it was 2 bolts on the lower ball joints where’d it be all four on a tundra. I might see if that will give the lower control arm enough reach to get the decompressed strut assembly out.

 

Not sure on a first gen never worked on one but my 2015 is two bolts like the Tacoma.

 

There is no debate. Best option, take them to a shop, easy and safe. If you must do it yourself - you tube, truck weight as a compressor. Or buy a used wall mounted compressor for $600, normally 1200.
Amazon and rental strut compressors are a recipe for disaster on truck springs. I don't care who survived. You may not.