Homemade Spring Compressor
 

I was reading the thread on the Klan spring compressor copy and thought I'd post how I made my own. With all the discussion about safety, I'll state at the outset that I've used this 6 times, on Mercedes and Chevy springs, and have never once felt 'at risk'....but I've never allowed myself to be positioned directly in front of a compressed spring (out of the car) either. Also, after removing the spring from the car, I wrap a chain around it, just for added safety.
That said, I think the pictures speak for themselves. The unit is made up of a 12" length of 3/4" threaded rod into which a groove for a screwdriver is filed at each end (allowing the rod to go in either way). There is a nut that goes on the top that has a washer welded to it to allow the nut to be snugged down tight (at the installed position in the spring on the car).
The two cross pieces are 1/2" X 2" X 6 1/2" steel bar stock, with grooves ground into them to ride up and grip the coils of the spring. They have short pieces of the 1" pipe cut at an angle and welded on to allow the pieces to move at an angle while the rod/nuts go straight up/down.
The final piece is a 10" length of 1" pipe that has a 1/2" scrap female socket welded to one end, and a deep 1 1/8" socket on the other.
To use, the top cross bar is wound up into the spring to the highest point, then the lower piece is inserted, and the rod into/through both pieces. The top nut is then screwed onto the rod at the top, then the lower one with the large washer at the bottom. I use an impact gun on the pipe piece to turn the lower nut up the rod to compress the spring. I also grease the rod to reduce friction.
As the rod and nuts are mild steel, I'd probably consider replacement after 1/2 dozen or so uses, just to be sure that the threads stay sharp and fresh. An extra nut at the top might also be an additional (and cheap) safety factor (as would an extra at the bottom after the compression was done). I've never worried about the cross pieces bending or breaking.

home made spring compressor
 

Like pictures. You obviously thought a lot about how to make this tool. Only suggestion is to use a much shallower 'groove' or thicker bar stock. It looks like you have a lot less than 50% of original thickness left in the groove. A better solution is to add additional thickness to center section of the bar stock so the spring is centered by the 'raised portion' rather than a groove.

There is tremendous energy stored in the compressed spring.

compressor
 

This a good idea but this would not work on the 4matic front spring. The shocks absorber is in the coil spring.

Or weld some retaining "Teeth" at each outer corner of the bar --with no grooves.

You would have to remove the shock first, then the tool goes up through the bottom of the control arm, where the shock came out :)

Another homemade one

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/324349-my-inexpensive-w123-spring-compressor.html

Bump
 

for customer