The Brute power of a 85 300D Coil Spring...two thoughts..

[Carrameow]

My first thought on the 85 300D front Coil Springs is that their limit stop when the car is jacked up from the front is the shock absorbers. The shock absorbers are secured to the control arms by two 6 mm light steel bolts on either side with tiny threads. What is scary is that these immensely powerful springs are prevented from exploding by the shear force of these tiny threads on these four 6mm bolts which screw into the control arms which doesnt make me feel great.

Yesterday, I was using a really heavy duty spring compressor to compress these Col Springs, the same set I had used safely some 15 years with no problem. When I was younger I would grab a 27 mm wrench and turn the bolt on each side by hand one rev at a time. I didnt have air tools and this was actually safer, albeit tiring.
This time I was 46, not 31 and I was beat and I donned a face shield, got out an impact Wrench to shoot each side at the time. I held the gun too long on one spring compressor side and D!!!; the other spring compressor shifted out of place and slid 140 degrees around the coils until it was almost hitting the other spring compressor. It was almost slack! The huge spring coiled into a "C", all held by one spring compressor.
Being brave is sometimes stupid. I realized the situation instantly. This spring had the force to kill someone on impact. I literally had two choices: to dispose of it or fix the situation. Part of me thought it wiser to just dispose of it. I had my tires off so I covered the spring with them. then I closed the garage door.
I couldnt even think of a way to get rid of this thing. You couldnt exactly leave it in the trash, that would be incredibly irresponsible.In a way it was like a bomb.
Finally I decided to cover the spring with two tires and I surrounded the outside with garden hose and heavy tool boxes and a bag of sand.I could see through the aluminum rims in places and I shot off the bolt on the remaining spring compressor with my impact gun.
When the spring released, I could really feel the two tires quiver! Those springs are powerful! I stood there looking at it. The spring suddenly seemed very tall, almost 2x taller then when its in the car. Who knows, maybe the shock of its exploding made it even taller! At that moment it seemed as tall as the Empire State building and the coils looked as thick as heavy steel pipe.
The next thing I did was maybe wise or maybe stupider. If I waited until today to do the installation I know I would lose my nerves. The spring was back in the car some 20 minutes later.

Boy am I going to catch H____ from everyone.