I got one of the ebay units which mimics the factory tool for my W126 front springs.
Everything looks great but I notice that the key ways on the bottom plate and the keys on the bottom of the shaft don't have much lateral tolerance.


So as long as you are almost perfectly level then the shaft easily passes through.



The problem is that the plate doesn't rest perfectly level on the spring so I can only ever get the shaft halfway through the bottom plate.



I had all wheels off the ground but lowered the rear back onto the ground and have tried jacking the lower control arm, prying with a pry bar etc.


I do not want to modify the tool to make it easier to pass through...


Could the orientation of the plate make a difference?



I tried a rubber mallet while the jack was keeping the spring as straight as it could but it just got stuck halfway again.

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190D SOLD
2.5 non turbo
5 speed manual transmission
Build date: December 1985
W211 E320 CDI
W126 350SDL
X204 GLK 250 Sans Bluetec