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 |
Item model number | 6494 |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Exterior | Smooth |
Manufacturer Part Number | 6494 |
Other Sellers on Amazon
92% positive over last 12 months
- 2 VIDEOS
Image Unavailable
Color:
-
-
-
- To view this video download Flash Player
OTC Clamshell Strut Spring Compressor - 6494
Purchase options and add-ons
- Manufacturer: OTC
- Auto & Truck Maintenance
- Country of manufacture: United States
- Part number: 6494
Compare with similar items
This Item OTC Clamshell Strut Spring Compressor - 6494 | Recommendations | dummy | dummy | dummy | dummy | |
Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | |
Price | $294.70$294.70 | $53.99$53.99 | $48.99$48.99 | $56.99$56.99 | $46.19$46.19 | $119.99$119.99 |
Delivery | Get it Mar 19 - 20 | Get it as soon as Monday, Mar 18 | Get it as soon as Monday, Mar 18 | Get it as soon as Monday, Mar 18 | Get it as soon as Monday, Mar 18 | Get it as soon as Monday, Mar 18 |
Customer Ratings | ||||||
Easy to use | 4.5 | — | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
Value for money | 4.4 | — | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.1 | 4.4 |
Sturdiness | 4.6 | — | — | 4.8 | 3.7 | 4.4 |
Safety Features | — | — | 4.8 | 4.4 | 4.4 | — |
Sold By | Tooldom Tools | Orion Motor Tech Direct | ReluxGo | BILITOOLS | Orion Motor Tech Direct | Freebird Trading |
Similar items that may deliver to you quickly
- BILITOOLS 2-Piece Coil Spring Compressor Tool Heavy Duty Macpherson Strut Spring Compressor Set with Safety Jaws and Holder, Max Load.2645LBFREE Shipping by AmazonGet it as soon as Monday, Mar 18
- Orion Motor Tech Spring Compressor Tool, Coil Spring Compressor Tool Set of 2 with Extendable Bracket, Heavy Duty Strut Spring Compressor Tool with 2200 lb Capacity for Car TruckFREE Shipping by AmazonGet it as soon as Monday, Mar 18
- ABN 11.5in Strut Spring Compressor Tool – Set of 2 (Pair) – Macpherson Spring Compression, 13/16in Socket 1/2in DriveFREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by AmazonGet it as soon as Monday, Mar 18
- 8MILELAKE Macpherson Strut Spring Compressor Kit Interchangeable Fork Coil Extractor Tool SetFREE Shipping by AmazonGet it as soon as Monday, Mar 18
- Orion Motor Tech Spring Compressor, 11-1/2" Macpherson Strut Spring Compressor 13/16" Socket 1/2" Drive to Compress The Coil Spring, Set of 2FREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by AmazonGet it as soon as Monday, Mar 18
Important information
To report an issue with this product or seller, click here.
Top Brand: OTC
From the manufacturer
Steve Cross
Drop Forge Operator of 40 years
“I’M PROUD OF THE OTC BRAND. I’M MAKING A BRAND THAT’S BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME. ANY GUY THAT’S WORKED ON A CAR HAS HEARD OF THE OTC BRAND, AND THEY PROBABLY HAVE USED IT.”
At OTC, we're proud of our heritage and those that have built it with us.
OTC - Proudly Serving Professional Technicians for Almost a Century
What We Like Most About Technicians is Their Work Ethic
Technicians are problem solvers who aren’t afraid of sweat on their brow and grease on their hands. They provide high quality services that demand high quality tools. When they need a reliable tool, they know they can depend on OTC tools to deliver.
Owatonna Tool Company for the long haul — proudly designing and manufacturing American specialty service tools, diagnostics and shop equipment since 1925.
- Automotive Specialty Tools
- Heavy Duty Truck Service Tools
- Heavy Duty Shop Tools
- Motorcycle Tools
- Electronic Diagnostic Tools
- and so much more
Product Description
Strut Spring Compressor, Clamshell, Material Carbon Steel, Compresses Automotive Strut Springs, For Use With Ratchet Or Breaker Bar
Product information
Technical Details
Additional Information
ASIN | B0002SRHU6 |
---|---|
Customer Reviews |
4.2 out of 5 stars |
Best Sellers Rank | #200,500 in Automotive (See Top 100 in Automotive) #92 in Suspension Tools |
Date First Available | October 10, 2006 |
Warranty & Support
Feedback
What's in the box
Looking for specific info?
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the quality, performance, safety and ease of use of the auto accessory. They mention that its well built, works on most but not all struts and that its perfect for the job. They are also satisfied with the value, and sturdiness. That said, opinions are mixed on the compressor and size.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers are satisfied with the quality of the auto accessory. They mention that it is well-built, heavy construction, and has quality screw and fittings. Some say that it's one of the best tools they own and that it works well for the job.
"...It is very well built, thick metal and good welds...." Read more
"...All in all its a sufficient tool for the job." Read more
"...I give it 3 stars because it is well designed and well made, but it was not clear to me in the marketing blurb that it has an apparent limitation,..." Read more
"sturdy" Read more
Customers like the performance of the auto accessory. They say it works well, saves time, and handles springs with no problems. Customers also mention that it is well-engineered and built.
"...This worked flawlessly for my application. Used with my impact wrench it compresses the spring evenly, and safely...." Read more
"It works very well, but the springs on my truck seem to be at the very upper limit of spring diameter that this can handle...." Read more
"Worked like a charm! I've changed many strut springs over the years using the old school manual spring compressors...." Read more
"...a real tool...but like Harbor Freight $65.00 and it is a toy and does not work. OTC is a manufactured recemmend brand...." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the safety of the auto accessory. They mention that it is the safest and easiest to use of any I.
"...Used with my impact wrench it compresses the spring evenly, and safely. It is very well built, thick metal and good welds...." Read more
"...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...." Read more
"...It's very safe because even though I compressed the spring unevenly the first time, it bent the ring holding the fat metal black rod with the spring..." Read more
"...I have used many spring compressors over the years and this is the safest and easiest to use of any I have ever bought...." Read more
Customers like the ease of use of the auto accessory. They mention that it is a well-made tool, and is easy to use. Some mention that the compressor is quicker and easier, making it easier to work on their vehicle. They also say that it's easy to assemble and set up on the springs.
"This made my life easier to work on my vehicle. Anybody doing that kind of work that needs it definitely should use this." Read more
"The compressor is of good quality and was easy to use, but try as I might, I could not get the tool to compress the springs of my 2010 Mazda 3 to..." Read more
"...many spring compressors over the years and this is the safest and easiest to use of any I have ever bought. Was well worth the money...." Read more
"...This unit was easy to use and, once the spring was compressed with this, I probably could have thrown the strut assembly down my driveway and it..." Read more
Customers appreciate the value of the tool. They mention it's well worth the money, an expensive tool, and worth every penny.
"...This is an expensive tool, which may come in handy at some point in the future, but it didn’t work for me...." Read more
"Best spring compressor for the money. I never used one before this but you shouldn't settle for anything less...." Read more
"...Was well worth the money.In the past with my Element, I have bought the full assembled shock assemblies from Honda...." Read more
"...OTC STRUTTAMER MODELS, but this unit is more compact/portable, and less expensive than the new models." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the sturdiness of the spring ring tool. They mention that it is strong enough to do all 4 springs, has a solid construction, and holds spring well. Customers also appreciate the thick steel and quality welds. Overall, customers are happy with the quality and durability of the tool.
"...The OTC clamshell compressor is heavy and all the parts and welds look solid...." Read more
"...I felt in control the whole time using it. It is strong enough to do all 4 springs even after bending the ring slightly...." Read more
"...Thick steel, solid joints, quality welds...." Read more
"...to compress springs on a Honda Accord, and it handled the notoriously difficult Honda springs easily. I felt very safe using it...." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the compressor. Some say it works well, is a much more solid way of compressing springs compared to threaded rods with spring, and is able to compress the spring with ease. Others say that it is still hard to compress springs enough without binding the compressor in the process, and that it's not enough coils to compress.
"...Used with my impact wrench it compresses the spring evenly, and safely. It is very well built, thick metal and good welds...." Read more
"...I did notice the springs slipped slightly in the jaws a couple times as I was moving the contraption all around trying to verify the ends of the..." Read more
"...But anyway, it compressed the spring with ease...." Read more
"Fantastic spring compressor if you don't have the space for a stand or wall-mounted unit. Thick steel, solid joints, quality welds...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the size of the spring retainer. Some mention that it works on pickup size springs as well as any car springs, while others say that it only fits wide spiral coil springs. The product is large and clunky and may not fit in all situations. The hooks are too big and may prevent the spring from locking into place.
"...this compressor, you'll find someone say that's true, but its bars are too large for this clamshell to hold with the locking pins in place...." Read more
"...EDIT: Now used it for my 2018 F-150. Worked perfectly on the larger springs...A++++" Read more
"...Only minor caveat is since it is very heavy duty, the hooks can be a bit tricky to release on shorter shocks." Read more
"...and Ram truck springs and figured it would work, but the springs are just barely too wide. Had to return. Seemed sturdy and well constructed though." Read more
Reviews with images
-
Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Replacing both rear OEM shocks with King Springs installed
Used for the first time today, ensured threads were properly lubricated, then completely screwed the bolt through the compressor by hand and back out.
This worked flawlessly for my application. Used with my impact wrench it compresses the spring evenly, and safely. It is very well built, thick metal and good welds. Once I received a quote from a local shop for over $300.00 to do the work I decided to invest in this tool and have no regrets.
It came very well packaged; sealed in very thick molded foam. I reused the rubber netting sleeve that came with the bolt to protect the threads for future use.
I put plenty of oil on the bolt and it compressed the spring seemingly without any twisting or bolt bending. It was tough on my compressor/gun as it strained the limits of that as well (I have a Cambell Hausfeld ? gun). This is not a fun job as the anxiety factor (when spring is compressed and you take off the top shock bolt) is real high. Getting this tool removed, after new shock was in, took a little work as I needed a screwdriver/prybar to get most grips off. All in all its a sufficient tool for the job.
First, let me mention that I've read people say you can take your removed shocks with springs to a mechanic and get the pair swapped for around $30. If you have a second vehicle or a friend willing to take you and an inexpensive mechanic you trust, that might be a better option than buying this expensive compressor. But if you plan to use it on many vehicles throughout your life, it will eventually save you money and time. Some auto parts places also rent them for a deposit and give you back the full deposit upon return, but I feel like there's some risk there using tools previously used by random people that may have overstressed them.
Based on what I've read, the spring compressors that use two separate bars are not very safe. Even with locking pins, the unconnected bars can slide around the spring, allowing it to expand on one side with a sudden force that can injure if body parts are near the spring or slipped bar, or in the middle of screwing on one or the other bar. I suppose it's pretty unlikely that you'll be hit as long as you're careful, but mistakes happen, and there's always the risk of damage to whatever the springs are sitting on. I found a reviewer mention using 3 bars instead of 2 is more safe, but that strikes me as easily creating an unbalanced force that would be more likely to make two of the bars slide towards the third. If you're thinking of doing that, at least do some extra research to make sure that adds to the safety instead of making things worse. Nobody sells sets of 3 bars that I've seen, and there's likely a reason for that.
If you read my update near the end, I've changed my mind and think the 2-bar compressors are actually more appropriate for light sedan car springs, especially front springs. I did use this clamshell compressor on my front springs but it was very difficult. Read the full review for details.
The OTC clamshell compressor is heavy and all the parts and welds look solid. Using it to compress a spring is a breeze and being able to use an impact wrench is a great bonus. I used it on light car springs so I can't comment on how it handles heavier springs, but it did a great job for me and I confirmed with a torque wrench that I wasn't pushing it anywhere near its limits. I did notice the springs slipped slightly in the jaws a couple times as I was moving the contraption all around trying to verify the ends of the new strut were positioned identically on the spring as compared to the old strut. Seeing that slipping, I was glad I wasn't using the two separated bar compressors. The compressor itself also provides a safe thing to hold and move around without getting your fingers near the spring. Technically the manual says you're supposed to clamp the OTC in a vice, and I can see that being even safer and making slipping much less likely, but the one vice I own would not do well to hold the recommended round top bar on the OTC and I figured that risking it falling out of the vice and the spring breaking as it hit the ground was more dangerous than skipping the vice.
One annoying thing is the manual says you need to clamp at least 4 loops of spring or the unclamped loops will expand and keep too much pressure to remove the strut. Yeah, you can keep cranking the OTC smaller but at some point you're putting too much pressure on the 2 or 3 spring coils you've got clamped and you're risking breakage. One reviewer said they couldn't even get the OTC small enough to release the pressure on the ends of the shock. So they sell the OTC 6583 Bridge Accessory to sit over the end nut on the shock and the bridge provides two bars you can clamp two of the OTC hooks onto. That's great, but charging over $50 for that small accessory is rather ridiculous. Unfortunately, if you have a small car with short front springs, you're stuck with paying it if you want to maintain the safety you're trying to get from using this style of spring compressor.
UPDATE: I got the front shocks done with the bridge accessory, but it was far from ideal. Here's my notes about it:
When I took the spring off the old front right strut, I put the bridge accessory on the top of the strut as the manual said to do (it also said NOT to put it on the bottom plate of the strut but did not say why). This caused the top half of the “top hat” to cant to the side quite a bit despite having the shock between the two halves of the top hat to keep them aligned.
Once I removed the bolt on the end of the shock, I was afraid something might spring apart once the shock retreated from the two tophat halves so I loosened it from as great a distance as I could sit.
Oddly the shock did not retreat much and I found that the top of the tophat came loose but the bottom remained wedged on the strut at an angle, preventing the spring from decompressing. I had to hit it with a rubber mallet and suddenly the spring pushed it off. Not with much force, luckily - it only fell a couple inches away.
When it came time to compress the spring for the new strut, I knew I would have no chance of getting the strut rod through the two halves of the tophat if I put the bridge accessory on the tophat to compress the spring, so I had to put it on the bottom plate.
I first set the bottom of the spring in the correct orientation on the bottom plate against the rubber and used a big binder clip to hold it in place.
Then you need to orient the bottom of the top hat to match the rotation of the bottom plate (see instructions for your car) which I did, clipped it, and marked the bottom of the top hat as well as the rubber with a silver pen. I then unclipped and removed the top hat.
I sized the bridge as small as possible after putting it around the bottom of the strut. I managed to remove one side of the bridge to put it on instead of releasing the bridge from the strut tamer jaws but it was hard to get the side of the bridge to fit back on (again it required twisting the arms of the strut tamer).
The pins on the bridge got very much in the way and would only fit when turned to a very specific angle with their rings pointing out from the strut and down towards its bottom. The flat side of all pins were also toward the bottom of the strut (I think). One of the two tips of each pin was scraping into the side of the bridge.
When I compressed the spring it pulled the end of the strut rod towards one side of the spring, leaving too little room to orient the bottom of the top hat correctly. I decompressed and rotated the strut about ' turn and compressed again. I should have rotated another ' turn but I got things to barely fit and put the nut on the end of the strut rod about halfway or more.
As I loosened the compressor I found I could still turn the bottom of the top hat against the spring for a little bit and I used a rubber mallet to shift things a little closer to where they should be. I kept pulling the rubber so the mark matched the end of the spring and turned the bottom plate so the tab in the rubber was centered in the notch in the bottom plate. As I released the spring too far, I could no longer turn or shift anything. Things were rotated correctly but the spring was about ¼” off center. I think small misalignments correct themselves once the car bounces awhile and I haven't had any obvious problems in the last year of driving.
Due to the difficulty of using this compressor on small front-end shocks I actually think it might be safer (and certainly easier) to use the cheaper set of two compressor rods where you can independently adjust their lengths to pull the spring into the correct alignment to align the tophat. It doesn't seem like the forces involved in these smaller sedan springs are that extreme since I never had anything shift violently or send a part flying, plus I watched a video where a guy actually had enough body strength to compress a sedan spring (Miata, I think) and get the top had on without a compressor.
The 6583 Bridge Accessory is technically made for the larger Strut Tamer compressor, but OTC tech support says it can also be used with this clamshell compressor. If you read through the product questions about this compressor, you'll find someone say that's true, but its bars are too large for this clamshell to hold with the locking pins in place. That's ridiculous because OTC no longer makes the original bridge designed for use with this compressor, but we'll see what happens when my bridge accessory arrives.
My one complaint with product quality is the big screw used in the center had a couple of tiny impact dents in it that prevented it from screwing in past the dents. I filed at them with a metal file for a couple minutes and that solved the problem.
The manual says the screw should also be lubricated, so I used Mobil MOBIL 1 GREASE Automotive Grease which I had bought for the front shocks anyway. Still, it would have been nice if the product listing mentioned it needing lubrication.
If you have a light car, you also might get away with this cheap compressor for about $60. I didn't want to risk it since it has only two reviews, and I think it's the same model sold by Harbor Freight which I've read a couple of bad reviews on, but I've also read a few good reviews of people who were surprised by that compressor's quality, so I'm not sure. The product description says its screw is limited to 15ftlb which is half of what the OTC's screw is rated for, so I expect the OTC is built about twice as strong. The cheap compressor also comes with a ring that looks similar to the OTC bridge accessory, but I looked up a manual for one of those compressors and it calls that ring a "safety ring" and says to slip it over two of the claws and that "The Safety Ring (19) will keep the claws from springing open and causing injury". Since it wouldn't stop the other pair of claws from springing open I'm not quite sure how it helps but I guess it would put some limit on how far the other set of claws spring open. The fact the cheap compressor comes with the added safety ring also begs the question - do they think the jaws are likely to break open? Either way, I don't think the ring is meant to be used like the OTC bridge accessory, which means the cheap compressor can't be used on most short springs. I've read a couple people say they tried to use clamshell compressors without a bridge accessory and you end up having to try to compress 3 coils on one side and 2 coils on the other side and the tool isn't designed to deform itself far enough to make that possible.
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.
Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2018
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.
After that happening it would have been nice to return the tool with no problem. But It's been hell trying to contact someone to discuss returning this damaged tool.