Spring compressor

After fighting with my mum's car (front strut replacement), and looking ahead to lifting my Tacoma, I'm looking at a new spring compressor from ATD (Advanced Tool Design): http://atdtools.com/product.php?id=7563 .

I'm not familiar with respected brands for automotive shop tools, and was wondering about how good/bad this brand was.

Any input would be appreciated, thanks.

 

For your mum's car... Why don't you rent one from Autozone? It's free to rent, just make sure you return it or else they'll charge you full price for it.

As for the tacoma, you could use that same autozone compressor... but personally, I'd take the assemblies to a garage and have them compress 'em. The tacoma coils are more heavy duty than your mums car coils. The autozone compressors are OK...just a little 'creepy' in terms of keeping it safe.

 

probably because they don't have autozone in Canada!

 

Not that I can't rent one, just I wouldn't mind a compressor of my own.

The type I used on my mums car was the threaded rod type with two set of jaws. Under tension, one of the threaded rods got all bound up inside one of the jaws and we had to cut the threaded rod (it wasn't as bad as it sounds when it came to cutting the rod, the spring was almost decompressed inside the strut/top plate).

 

The Tacoma coils are actually pretty easy compared to Frontier coils. I switched out the front shocks on my friend's '08 Frontier and then did my truck and was surprised how much of a difference there was.

To the OP: I have never used that style of compressor but it looks pretty safe.

 

got one like that at harbor freight and it looks safer to use but the bolt on mine broke so i went to autozone and rented one of theres and it worked fine.

 

Was the harbor freight compressor the same style as that in my original post?

 

I'd take that shit to a garage with a wall mounted compressor. I don't trust these handheld things - one day a coil's gonna blow up and kill someone on here.

 

Agreed.
I almost lost an eye trying to do one when putting my ome 881's on.
Took it to a tire and wheel place and they did it on the wall for $10 each.

 

Scariest thing I ever did working on cars, replacing front springs on a Honda with a screw type spring compressor that did not exactly fit well on the spring - it worked out ok, but next time I will take it to a shop with a real compressor.

 

I don't see the big deal with the autozone compressors. They fit my 1st gen SR5 coils perfectly and didn't even begin to seem unsafe. They are just really slow turning the bolts with a ratchet.

 

Not worth the risk, I'd just pay to have it done. I've learned a lot of lessons the hard way over the years trying to save a few bucks or a few mintues.