Spring compressor for 123

[mdlwolf]

Will be needing LCA bushings soon. Wondering if there are any cheaper compressors to buy other than the $600-700 ones I have seen.

[mdlwolf]

Just found this one. Price is reasonable. Anybody have experience with it?

http://www.zdmak.com/wbstore/main.asp?action=SUB&CAT=MERCEDES%20TOOLS&SUB=ALL%20MERCEDES&bl=2

[kerry]

Check out the tool rental forum here. There was a spring compressor in it. I see one is MIA but perhaps there is another one.

[SW]

[QUOTE=mdlwolf;1698914]Just found this one. Price is reasonable. Anybody have experience with it?

I bought a similar one off ebay and it worked fine when I was refreshing the rear suspension in my car. It was stolen before I could rebuild the front

[mdlwolf]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Coil-Spring-Compressor-Repair-Parts-Tools-for-Mercedes_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ43998QQihZ008QQitemZ180190491065

Looks like ZDMAK has an ebay store as well.

Thinking about buying it. The $200 it costs is less than the labor charge to do the LCA bushings. I can also rent it out when I'm done.

Sorry yours was stolen.

Anyone else have experience with this compressor? I guess it's a Klann knockoff?

[Brian Carlton]

Originally Posted by mdlwolf

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Coil-Spring-Compressor-Repair-Parts-Tools-for-Mercedes_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ43998QQihZ008QQitemZ180190491065

Looks like ZDMAK has an ebay store as well.

Thinking about buying it. The $200 it costs is less than the labor charge to do the LCA bushings. I can also rent it out when I'm done.

Sorry yours was stolen.

Anyone else have experience with this compressor? I guess it's a Klann knockoff?

Yep, that's the one in the rental pool. A Klann knockoff, but it works fine.

[sokoloff]

Never dealt with ZDMAK's spring compressor, but I have bought several other things from him and he is one of my preferred sellers.

[patbob]

Originally Posted by sokoloff

Never dealt with ZDMAK's spring compressor, but I have bought several other things from him and he is one of my preferred sellers.

Don't know about their's in particular, but I bought an identical-looking JTC one over summer from (IIRC) El Paso Tools (sp?) to do w123 from LCA bushings & lower balls.

Worked fine, but the threaded shaft was a tad short -- I needed to compress 8.5 coils to remove the springs, but then couldn't completely release tension because the tool wouldn't extend far enough. It was very close though, I leaned on it and got enough compression to remove the tool. Nice touch on mine was that it was designed such that the bottom wouldn't come shooting off if the threads were completely unthreaded from the bottom part. Don't know if the stops would stand up to full tension though, but it was an unexpected suprise for me (I saw the way things were going and didn't let it unthread all the way before I got the tool out). FYI, on my JTC, I had to grind the holes in the body a few mm larger because the top of the tool wouldn't fit through it otherwise.

Hope that helps.

[85 DSEL]

Don't know if this is even a feasable tool for our beloved carriages, but here it is:

http://www.maxtool.com/product/search.asp?mdb=/tools.mdb,tbl=IC_ITEMS,template=/hmpg/Gen_enlarge.htm,DBCOMP=ABS,ReturnMax=1,DB_ITEM=ME4098

[GREASY_BEAST]

I have a ZDMAK compressor and it worked great for rebuilding my front end. I also had to file some paint off the holes to make it fit. I'd run like hell from that hydraulic one... I have very little difficulty imagining one of those mercedes springs turning that thing into a U, and taking one's head off.. Those front springs are something else...

[123 300D driver]

I used this type about 5 years ago and it worked fine: Veteren coil spring compressor users

[fdanielson]

Originally Posted by 123 300D driver

I used this type about 5 years ago and it worked fine: Veteren coil spring compressor users

This looks very similar to the type described in the above mentioned thread. http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductDetail.aspx?MfrCode=PBI&MfrPartNumber=648603&CategoryCode=3492

Any opinions?

[KAdams4458]

Originally Posted by fdanielson

This looks very similar to the type described in the above mentioned thread. http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductDetail.aspx?MfrCode=PBI&MfrPartNumber=648603&CategoryCode=3492

Any opinions?

I'll give you my opinion of the Powerbuilt product. I've been pressed in to using that brand a few times when I needed the odd tool and their standard sockets and ratchets seem to be of decent quality. Their specialty tools, and I've tried a quite a few of them out, are complete garbage.

I'd say that if you attempted to use that particular compressor on a Mercedes spring, you'd fair about as well as one would expect you would fromr playing a game of Russian roulette with an original single shot Deringer pocket pistol.

Do not, and I repeat, do not trust your life and well-being to that thing. It's what I would call a SCSO, (A spring compressor-shaped object.)

[fdanielson]

Originally Posted by KAdams4458

It's what I would call a SCSO, (A spring compressor-shaped object.)

Now that's funny. Point taken. I guess the muffler clamps and tow strap arrangement is right out then.

[KAdams4458]

Originally Posted by fdanielson

Now that's funny. Point taken. I guess the muffler clamps and tow strap arrangement is right out then.

Definitely out of the question. Unless, of course, someone was really, really trying for a Darwin Award.