remember the guy...

riceslayer302 · Jul 4, 2008

who said that you could use hose clamps to keep your coil springs compressed while you fit them? well he was right, i just did it on my eibach pro springs and it worked great.

85_SS_302_Coupe · Jul 4, 2008

Wow...i really don't know if i'd put my safety in the hands of a couple hose clamps. They'd have to be American Made at the very least...i can't count how many times i've over tightened the cheap ones and broke/stripped the teeth off the screw. Imagine that happening while the spring is under pressure.

BK_CAULEY · Jul 4, 2008

ive said it and done it. ive also used bailing wire and tied the spring up before i removed it.

Mustang5L5 · Jul 4, 2008

I've done it with hose clamps too.

I wouldn't necessarily endorse this method as an official way to change your springs however

dcurtis · Jul 4, 2008

riceslayer302 said:
who said that you could use hose clamps to keep your coil springs compressed while you fit them? well he was right, i just did it on my eibach pro springs and it worked great.

Lets see some after pics and what bushings did you use on them?

85_SS_302_Coupe · Jul 4, 2008

I would trust bailing wire before i'd trust hose clamps.

Although, just a week ago i was trying to tighten my upper hose clamp on my radiator...it leaks sometimes because i have a temp. probe slipped in it...i used 2 clamps and ended up smashing the neck on the rad so bad it couldn't be straightened out...so maybe they're stronger than i think.

riceslayer302 · Jul 4, 2008

i'll get pics tonight, im waiting on my QA1 caster camber plates so i can get my new lakewood 90/10 struts in. i should have it all by next week. the whole thing is a huge pain in the ass, i spent all day and tried everything i could with 2 different types of spring compressors until i said **** this and spent 50 bucks on hose clamps lol. just wanted to give the guy who came up with the idea on here props when most everybody else said he was an idiot.

HISSIN50 · Jul 4, 2008

If someone sticks his finger in an electrical socket and doesn't get electrocuted, that doesn't mean it's safe.

It's not a bash on the guys who do this. But there is a risk involved, and if someone mechanically uninclined or inexperienced gets hurt, one could argue that there were much safer methods out there.

riceslayer302 · Jul 4, 2008

HISSIN50 said:
If someone sticks his finger in an electrical socket and doesn't get electrocuted, that doesn't mean it's safe.

It's not a bash on the guys who do this. But there is a risk involved, and if someone mechanically uninclined or inexperienced gets hurt, one could argue that there were much safer methods out there.

when i took the compressor off it felt more safe with the hose clamps than with the compressor, those things are cheesey

HISSIN50 · Jul 4, 2008

riceslayer302 said:
when i took the compressor off it felt more safe with the hose clamps than with the compressor, those things are cheesey

It comes down to a structural issue. If the static load became dynamic due to dropping the spring or a clamp snapping, the rest could snap like falling dominos.

65ShelbyClone · Jul 5, 2008

HISSIN50 said:
It comes down to a structural issue. If the static load became dynamic due to dropping the spring or a clamp snapping, the rest could snap like falling dominos.

That is absolutely right.

Beyond that, it comes down to the decision between doing it right with the right tools or risking your life to save $50. what does the average ER visit cost these days? Answer: more than a spring compressor.

Then again, maybe if people kill themselves doing things like this, they won't procreate.

2BADSTANGS · Jul 5, 2008

Visionary or idiot? Theres a fine line between the two... I consider myself a borderline country boy, but when I did my springs the hose clamp idea never crossed my mind. I have a hard time trusting something that looks so weak and dosent have "will hold 5,000 lbs" stamped somewhere on it, cause even those break.

65ShelbyClone · Jul 5, 2008

I wouldn't have a problem with logging chain or something similar, but .030" thick hose clamps? Hell yes that's a problem.

stang&2Birds · Jul 5, 2008

Remember, you're looking at between approx 400-600+ lbs of force for every inch that you compress the spring.

Now, let's say you weigh between 150 and 200 lbs. Would you risk your life by hanging from a cliff by one of those clamps? And, that's a fraction of the force that is on the clamps when they are compressing springs.

Springs shooting out from cars during R&Rs do kill! It happened in NH to a professional mechanic a few years back. No details were given in the news. But, my guess is that he was using a big *ss pry bar to get a spring in/out. It was in a local garage, and he was by himself when it happened.

I used the pry bar method when I did the spring on my t-bird. I "heard" that was the way to do it and it was "safe". Well, after I did it that way, there was no way that I was going to do the same thing with my Stang. It all comes down to risk. For me, it's not worth the risk. Others have to decide for themselves.

Besides, you can buy the tool, use it, and then sell it. Or, even better: buy a used one, use it, and then sell it. The latter method will easily cost you less than a $100, and you might even make money on the deal.

Just my two cents.

riceslayer302 · Jul 5, 2008

65ShelbyClone said:
That is absolutely right.

Beyond that, it comes down to the decision between doing it right with the right tools or risking your life to save $50. what does the average ER visit cost these days? Answer: more than a spring compressor.

Then again, maybe if people kill themselves doing things like this, they won't procreate.

you guys are all a bunch of nancy's, i didnt know i had to get OSHA approval to change my coil springs.

first off, i spent 100 dollars at two different auto parts places to rent their compressors and neither of their compressors worked, they compress the spring but getting it in is impossible. im not stupid, it just works. so all you guys that wanna take an easy job and make it harder, be my guest, but personally, until i see something better, im sold on the hose clamps.

65ShelbyClone · Jul 5, 2008

riceslayer302 said:
you guys are all a bunch of nancy's, i didnt know i had to get OSHA approval to change my coil springs.

first off, i spent 100 dollars at two different auto parts places to rent their compressors and neither of their compressors worked, they compress the spring but getting it in is impossible. im not stupid, it just works. so all you guys that wanna take an easy job and make it harder, be my guest, but personally, until i see something better, im sold on the hose clamps.

You're right, real men risk their lives for stupidity.

You don't have to convince me why you use hose clamps. Just make sure you don't kill anyone but yourself when they fail.

You can get the right spring compressor for a paltry $35.

stang&2Birds · Jul 5, 2008

riceslayer302 said:
you guys are all a bunch of nancy's, i didnt know i had to get OSHA approval to change my coil springs.

Hmm, I guess all of the years I spent getting my engineering degree and doing designs are a waste. Or, the time people spent getting their ASE cert is also a waste? Heck, try something, and if you don't die, then it's fine. Wow, I guess I missed that part in school!

Basically, it comes down to what I said. It's your life, if you want to risk your life, then that's one thing. But, to go and suggest to others some unsafe and potentially deadly method to do something is wrong.

If someone told you that it was safe to stand blindfolded in the middle of a busy highway because they and others did it and are still alive, would you prefer that no one else say anything? Or, would you prefer people to warn you that advice was dangerous and not safe? So, the replies here are not meant to make you go back and do it the safe way. The replies are to warn others that the method that you and others use is unsafe and has real serious risks associated with it.

You, and most others, forget, that you are not the only person in the world reading this thread. Gee, how did you get the idea in the first place? It's not possible to make sure that every tread has accurate and safe advice.

And, as you just did, often when people are told that they did something wrong and/or unsafe, instead of admitting it and learning, they throw hissy fits. In a few years, you'll see how much time and how tiring it gets dealing with threads like this. IMHO, I want people to tell me if I;m doing something wrong! *I* want to learn the right way to do things. We all know that even the Ford service manual leaves a lot of steps and info out. It's really meant as a reference.

Lastly, as I said before, each person must weigh the risks for themselves! Yes, people can use only one old half-working jack to lift a car and then do work under the car, and still live to brag about it. But, others do get injured and/or die from doing unsafe stuff like that. That is the point of the replies.

BTW:

stang&2Birds said:
Or, even better: buy a used one, use it, and then sell it. The latter method will easily cost you less than a $100, and you might even make money on the deal.

Again, just my two cents. People can do with it as they want.

just4bob50 · Jul 5, 2008

When it come to working on my car, I always take the veiw point of, how would I feel if I saw some one I cared aboutwas taking a risky chance like that. If you had a son, would you teach him to do it the same way you did. If so how would you feel if he was hurt doing somthing you taught him how to do.

SMOKEDYA · Jul 5, 2008

just lastnight our F350 got stuck! so what did we do.. well we took the 2 fine china hose clamps clamped them to the front sway bar then to the rear of the other trucks bumper,took the bailing wire we had and sweeet got the truck unstuck! So yeah clamps and bailing wire are almost better then 100MPH tape! peace

john

jrichker · Jul 5, 2008

if you live in one of the larger cities, there are repair shops that can compress the springs and then band them with several
steel shipping bands. It is safe, and is the method the shops use to install springs with minimum risk. The spring is
compressed to its recommended riding height and then banded. Install the spring, align the spring isolators, then bolt up the
rest of the parts that secure the A arm and spring.

Cut the bands with sheet metal shears or other tool once the springs are in place and all the bolts are in place and properly
tightened. I would still recommend a logging chain to hold the springs in place just in case something got loose.

remember the guy...

riceslayer302

Banned

85_SS_302_Coupe

it sucks (I know) to be on the receiving end

BK_CAULEY

it's built for speed not longevity, woman

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

dcurtis

85_SS_302_Coupe

it sucks (I know) to be on the receiving end

riceslayer302

Banned

HISSIN50

"How long does it take to get help in here?

riceslayer302

Banned

HISSIN50

"How long does it take to get help in here?

65ShelbyClone

2BADSTANGS

Member

65ShelbyClone

stang&2Birds

riceslayer302

Banned

65ShelbyClone

stang&2Birds

just4bob50

Active Member

SMOKEDYA

jrichker

StangNet's favorite TOOL

Similar threads

remember the guy...

Banned

it sucks (I know) to be on the receiving end

it's built for speed not longevity, woman

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

it sucks (I know) to be on the receiving end

Banned

"How long does it take to get help in here?

Banned

"How long does it take to get help in here?

Member

Banned

Active Member

StangNet's favorite TOOL

Similar threads

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency