Does this spring compressor look decent?

Post by **szh** » Tue Jul 08, 2003 11:52 am

Hey! I found a pretty inexpensive spring compressor - anybody think this could do the job properly? For the Q shocks, that is?

http://www.harborfreight.com/c...43753

Z

Post by **AZhitman** » Tue Jul 08, 2003 11:52 am

For $30 it can't be very substantial - I don't take chances with that kind of compressed energy...

Why not just let a local shop swap 'em? It's a one-time deal, and I only paid $20 to have all four of mine done.

Post by **szh** » Tue Jul 08, 2003 11:52 am

Hi, AZ

The problem is finding a local shop - I have not looked around much here yet. And getting back and finding that it has been misaligned or something - I just worry that not being here at home to re-compress, if I need to, will eat up time.

Z

Post by **AZhitman** » Tue Jul 08, 2003 11:52 am

Robert (DAEDALUS) has a great tutorial on how to "mark" the assembly so it's not moved.

Independent garages are great for this type of small job.

Post by **szh** » Tue Jul 08, 2003 11:52 am

Hi, AZ.

I recall that Daedalus had done something like that and posted it here ... I will go do a search. Of course, if I could get Daedalus to help me with it (like I am still trying to work out!), that would be best!

Also, if I go with the independent shop, I assume that I need to make two trips(?) (since you all rightfully convinced me to raise only two wheels at a time!) That takes time too ...

Z

Post by **AZhitman** » Tue Jul 08, 2003 11:52 am

Yep - 2 trips.

You've waited this long, Z!

Remember, brother, just like your Doc says: "Easy does it."

Post by **szh** » Tue Jul 08, 2003 11:52 am

AZhitman wrote:Yep - 2 trips.

You've waited this long, Z!

Remember, brother, just like your Doc says: "Easy does it."

True!

I gotta take it carefully - its been six months since the surgery and I still have to take Tylenol some days. At least I am off the narcotic pain-killers!. Doctor says that it may take a year (!) for the pain to go away to the point where I do not notice it.

But, hey, I am alive!

Z

Post by **AZhitman** » Tue Jul 08, 2003 11:52 am

Yeah buddy!

I quit the narcotics on day 2. But I'm a weirdo - I like to feel the pain, so I know I'm getting better.

:beatfreak

Sternum still crackles and pops when I stretch for bench presses...

Post by **szh** » Tue Jul 08, 2003 11:52 am

Two days?!!! Wow, I am impressed. :ylsuper

I was on Vicodin for about 6 weeks - till I got to the point where I could sleep at night with just Tylenol. After 12 weeks or so, am down to taking Tylenol about once a week when I can't get to sleep - after having done something painful that is.

I still am not doing much weights yet, but biking and walking fairly long distances.

Z

Post by **Qgrappler** » Tue Jul 08, 2003 11:52 am

I actually bought that compressor and used it when I replaced my oems with the Tokicos. Once I figured out how to assemble it, and also got the hang of using it, it worked just fine. Mine was quite substantial, weighed about 20 or so pounds, and the welds on the gripping pieces looked good. Shipping costs add about $15 or so to the price.

Having said that, it would have been a great deal easier with a hydraulic setup, but I did get mine to work ok.

[took it about two full weeks to get to me the way it was shipped.]

Post by **szh** » Tue Jul 08, 2003 11:52 am

Did you buy it from Harbor Freight too?

I thought this one looked a lot better than the really cheap ones - where you have to mount screw and hooks, one on each side of the spring and tighten two separate bolts carefully. Seemed prone to causing funny problems. On this one, it looked a lot easier - with one thread to turn to squeeze down on both sides of the spring together.

Agreed that hydraulic ones would be best, but they are a lot more expensive and seemed a bit overkill for my rare, occasional use, need. Also agreed with AZHitman that taking it to a small shop would be cheap enough, but that takes extra time (first find a shop, then two separate trips - most likely on a weekend, followed by more trips since I am likely to screw it up in the assembly anyway, etc.

).

Z

Post by **Highway Q45** » Tue Jul 08, 2003 11:52 am

I have the same one from HF. It works fine on coils with larger gaps like the Q but is very hard to squeeze between the coils on smaller springs like a Miata or 240SX. The quality isn't the best but for occasional use on the big boats it's fine. The American version from Lisle is over $160 and works the same way. The rod types for $15/pair work but they are very slow and can get hairy as the tension increases. Whatever you do, don't be tempted to use an air wrench to "speed things up" with either type of spring compressor...very very bad! Don't forget to mark those springs.

Steve

Post by **Q45tech** » Tue Jul 08, 2003 11:52 am

Tylenol:"An FDA review found more than 56,000 emergency room visits a year due to acetaminophen overdoses. About a quarter of them were unintentional overdoses — and about 100 of those people die each year, the FDA estimated.""Acetaminophen appears to be the leading single cause of acute liver failure, the most severe type of liver damage, contends Dr. William Lee of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. His database of 395 patients linked 40 percent to the painkiller, more than any other liver-harming medication or disease.""A December 1994 study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that a daily tablet of acetaminophen for a year or 1,000 pills over a lifetime doubled the odds of kidney failure"

Please search and read before you continue to take this product especially if you drink any alcoholic beverages.

Know this doesn't fit here but members in depth medical knowledge probably is less than their knowledg of cars.

Don't think of this drug as safe it is more dangerous than anything available

Post by **szh** » Tue Jul 08, 2003 11:52 am

Agreed! I take it very sparingly. Like I said, I am down to maybe one extra strength a tablet a week now, when I can't sleep. Sometimes I can go for a couple of weeks without a tablet. In fact, I was just trying to remember the last time I took one - it may have been mid June.

Z

Post by **Qgrappler** » Tue Jul 08, 2003 11:52 am

Re compressor

Yes, got it from Harbor Freight--dont hold your breath while waiting for it to arrive. It was a little tricky to get into the coils, but by the time I did spring number 3 I was pretty good at it.

Watch carefully how you put it together. One of the holes through which the bolt passes is threaded and the other is smooth. THe end of the bolt has two large nuts which lock against each other. I looked at it for a while before I got it together the way they showed it in the diagram, ...which was not intuitive. It goes together the wrong way perfectly well. Put a little grease on the treads, as suggested, and I agree, dont use an airtool. It wasnt that hard to turn with a regular socket ratchet.

Re Tylenol. Q45 tech is absolutely right. you just cannot gobble this stuff.

ALSO, note regarding kids tylenol, which everyone uses now instead of aspirin....the instructions are very hard to interpret, in my opinion. They give you a chart which relates weight to the number of teaspoons you are to take, but since it comes with the little cup on top, I think many people believe that the number is how many of little cups they should give the kid.--WRONG-- If you do that, you'll be overdosing your kid by 2-3 times. ( the smaller he is, the bigger the overdose will be in this mistake. I have read that the number one cause of liver damage in kids is from acetominophen (active ingredient in tylenol) overdoses. Sorry to continue off topic, but I think this stuff is worth the caution)

Post by **szh** » Tue Jul 08, 2003 11:52 am

Thanks for the info on the compressor!

Re the Tylenol: I agree entirely. In my case, it is a trade-off between sleeping or not sleeping - fortunately, it has been a while since I needed it. A side-effect of having a Dremel tool (or similar) slice through my sternum six months back - albeit used in an expert way

! I like to avoid drugs in general too, so I went off the Vicodin as quickly as I could bear (I am still amazed at AZHitman's two days!!

)

Z

Post by **Mayhem_J30** » Tue Jul 08, 2003 11:52 am

Thanks for the info on the compressor. I've used the kind that szhosain described in the past and they can be very dangerous if you don't go slow and pay attention.

Post by **AZhitman** » Tue Jul 08, 2003 11:52 am

szhosain wrote: I like to avoid drugs in general too, so I went off the Vicodin as quickly as I could bear (I am still amazed at AZHitman's two days!! )

Z

Probably genetic - My old man is 73, never been to the doctor, and was a pretty hard-core old sailor in his day.

Like I said, I like to feel the pain, so that I know I'm healing... Man, when they pulled those chest drains out, I saw all my ancestors flash before my eyes...

Post by **szh** » Tue Jul 08, 2003 11:52 am

AZhitman wrote:Probably genetic - My old man is 73, never been to the doctor, and was a pretty hard-core old sailor in his day.

Unfortunately, if genetics has its way with me, I will be dead in a few years! My dad died young ...

Quote » Like I said, I like to feel the pain, so that I know I'm healing... Man, when they pulled those chest drains out, I saw all my ancestors flash before my eyes...

[/quote]

Indeed an

!!! I know how that felt with the narcotic drugs in me!

Z

Does this spring compressor look decent?

Does this spring compressor look decent?

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