Worked like a charm! I've changed many strut springs over the years using the old school manual spring compressors. Never had a failure but they bent at what I thought was some extreme angles during use.
Not ready to drop almost a grand on a shop-grade strut compressor, I tried this one for what appeared to be a slightly safer design. In actual use, it does feel safer. Of course you have to use caution with any such device. But anyway, it compressed the spring with ease. The large threaded rod did bend even with the mid sized Toyota 4Runner springs, but not to the extreme that lesser spring compressors would. In use, you have to "finesse" the hooks into the coil springs, both top and bottom. And due to the simple design of a circular coil spring, the hooks will never be 100% completely even around the coils. So it's expected to have some unevenness in the device and slight bending of the rod when the spring is being compressed. Remember to compress only enough to be able to loosen the top nut (no need to attempt to over compress the coils).
In closing, be sure to wear safety glasses and in my case, I used some high temperature brake grease on the threaded rod and an air impact wrench which made quick work of the actual compressing procedure.
In a few hours, I had fully did both front struts on my rig. And that was taking my sweet time to clean and inspect the various suspension components for damage, wear, etc.
| Manufacturer | OTC |
|---|---|
| Brand | OTC |
| Model | Clamshell Strut Spring Compressor |
| Item Weight | 18.3 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 10.7 x 5.7 x 16.8 inches |
| Country of Origin | USA |
| Item model number | 6494 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Exterior | Smooth |
| Manufacturer Part Number | 6494 |
