Personally I've never "felt queer all over" that must have been very scary.
Mark Hopper wrote:
> When I did the springs I had an unusual situation. I was working on the car
> in the back of a friend's factory. He had a huge great monstrous hydraulic
> press and a metal strapping machine for crates. You can see where this is
> going can't you? I put each spring in the press squished it down good and
> then used a thin metal strap to tie them down. Then I just dropped them in
> place and cut the strap with a tin snip with long handles. The spring
> thunked into place and I pulled out the strap with some vicegrips. Worked
> great the first time. The next time I tried that trick, I left the
> compressed springs standing on the ground for a moment while I prepared. I
> guess the straps were a bit marginal. I was under the car and heard a great
> BOOOING!!!, followed by a crash as one of the springs shot through the air
> and landed in the parts depot a hundred feet away. Just imagining what would
> have happened if I had been holding the spring when it let go made me feel
> queer all over. Last time I tried that trick I can tell you.
>
> Mark Hooper
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Darrell Walker [mailto:darrellw@inetarena.com]
> Sent: Friday, April 12, 2002 10:11 AM
> To: Walt Philipson; 'R. Ashford Little II'
> Cc: '6-Pack'; tr list list
> Subject: Re: Front spring trouble
>
> As someone who's BTDT a few more times than I would have liked:
>
> -The spring compressors from Moss and/or TRF are nice, but nothing you can't
> fabricate on your own.
>
> -Use a little lubricant on the treads of the compressor, makes things a bit
> easier.
>
> -Use a jam nut on the end of the rod you don't want moving on the threads.
> Usually this is the top, but once, when installing the springs on a bare
> frame, I locked the bottom. Much easier to turn, but not the normal case.
>
> -Use two long bolts as guides when reinstalling. Use them in the center
> holes.
>
> --
> Darrell Walker
> 66 TR4A IRS
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