Spring Compressor Rental

[Rosko]

I need to pull my shocks out. My initial plan is to remove the strut/spring assembly and try to find a tire shop that will give me 15 minutes of their time, compress the spring and replace the shock (with my old OEM shocks) for a nominal sum.

However, it's possible I won't be able to find a shop that will do that. I do not like the spring compressors for rent at AutoZone, etc. I want a "clamshell" style compressor. Do you know of any place that rents that style? I've seen them for sale for cheap (70 or so) at Harbor Freight, but not totally on board with using a cheap tool for a potentially dangerous job. Normally these things run about 250 or so.

Here's an example of what it looks like.
http://ruttsautotools.com/wp-content/up ... oto-01.jpg

[rojeho]

I have that clamshell type from HF, as well as the normal ones. The clamshell is heavy and bulky and a pain to use. I used to be squeamish but got over it. If you just go slow and keep a watchful eye it's no big deal. You'll see the spring start to shift and twist/ torque way before it goes sproung out of the compressors.

[Jeremy]

Buy new lowering springs and throw your old combo in the trash?

[Loren]

I'm with Ron. "Stick" type spring compressors are fine if you're careful. Be sure they're positioned 180 degrees apart and that you grab the same number of coils on each side. Hit it with an impact wrench, tighten/loosen each side incrementally and evenly. They suck to use without an impact... all of that hand-cranking gets old in a hurry.

[twistedwankel]

So you're finally selling your 8?
Putting it back to stock.

Used shocks aren't worth much so why bother?

[blacksheep-1]

Drive up here and borrow mine (Bushnell)

[Rosko]

So you're finally selling your 8?
Putting it back to stock.

Used shocks aren't worth much so why bother?

Thanks for all the tips and advice!

I don't know if I'm selling it yet. I sure am tempted to get something bigger for my kids. They keep growing!

I didn't know it when I changed them about 9 months ago, but they are shot. I let them sit on the shelf too long before installing them. They are Koni yellows, and I really cannot wait to put the stocks back on.

[Loren]

? What makes you say the shocks are "shot"? Are they leaking? Were they not new?

How do you have them adjusted?

[twistedwankel]

Koni will rebuild those for free if they fail any test spelled out on their website so don't throw them out just yet. Simply a matter of shipping them back to OH for full rehab including paint. Then you can get some decent money for them. Never heard of them failing sitting on the shelf other than getting rusty shafts and tearing the seals? A light coating of oil on the polished shafts is by design and normal. Mixing of oil and gas is abnormal and a replacement/rebuild is free.

I have a pristine set of OEM black Tokico Sport Suspension units still with stickers on them. Just took them off last week. Off my 2004 Touring but should fit all but bilstein equipped from 2003-2008 with sport suspension package (6spd). You can have them for a "song" if you need them.

I am going to probably sell them on the RX8 Board anyhow if I get motivated. Otherwise there's the attic.

[jev61]

However, it's possible I won't be able to find a shop that will do that. I do not like the spring compressors for rent at AutoZone, etc. I want a "clamshell" style compressor. Do you know of any place that rents that style? I've seen them for sale for cheap (70 or so) at Harbor Freight, but not totally on board with using a cheap tool for a potentially dangerous job. Normally these things run about 250 or so.

I broke two pairs of the cheap Harbor Freight compressors, never tried the "clamshell" type. But the Autozone pair still work great, I lube the treads a bit to reduce friction (that's enough, minds out of the gutter) and hit them with my cordless impact.

[nc4me]

So you're finally selling your 8?

Thanks for all the tips and advice!

I don't know if I'm selling it yet. I sure am tempted to get something bigger for my kids. They keep growing!

Hello Ford Focus ST!

[Lava Speed 05]

We're getting older, why focus when you can Fiesta! It still has more room than an RX-8 without all the bulk...
Hehe sorry the focus has more practical room but I want to live vicariously through you...

Sent from my DROID RAZR

[twistedwankel]

This is what you really need. There was one of these + 3 convertibles at the Carlisle Event last weekend in the corral for a pretty low buck and super clean. Way cooler than a minivan. Yes they all had AC. Imagine 6-9 passengers + some luggage.

If ever there was a candidate for co-driving a car for a few bucks it's Rosko. Freeing you up for all manner of team sports on school weekends for 8 months:)

You can always buy another race car when they all finish College OR you can do like Jamie and get them to run quickly/reliably for 300,000 miles somehow??!!

[Rosko]

? What makes you say the shocks are "shot"? Are they leaking? Were they not new?

How do you have them adjusted?

A couple of things, but mostly, yes, they are leaking. The car's ride is unpredictable over bumps. My tire shopped patched my tire (a nail puncture) and let me know my shocks are bad. I asked them to explain. They found "cupping" on the inside of the front tires. They explained to me what it is, and I felt it for myself. It was very evident.

Yes, I bought them used from a very reputable RX8 owner (B Stock National Champ) when they were less than a year old. In fact, I think they were less than six months old. They were good when I bought them.

I think it's just bad luck. It's fine. After I remove them, I will sell them to somebody for cheap for the purposes of rebuild.

[Rosko]

Chris and Matt, as much as I love those little hatchbacks - and I really do - I prefer rwd for autocross. If it wasn't for autocross, I wouldn't care. I may end up driving something like that one day. The car I really like is the e46 BMW. If I found one of those in good shape with low miles, I'd be really tempted.

[Rosko]

This is what you really need. There was one of these + 3 convertibles at the Carlisle Event last weekend in the corral for a pretty low buck and super clean. Way cooler than a minivan. Yes they all had AC. Imagine 6-9 passengers + some luggage.

If ever there was a candidate for co-driving a car for a few bucks it's Rosko. Freeing you up for all manner of team sports on school weekends for 8 months:)

You can always buy another race car when they all finish College OR you can do like Jamie and get them to run quickly/reliably for 300,000 miles somehow??!!

Well .... at least it's probably rwd, right? Other than that, No, I don't think so. I am definitely not a fan of old American cars, especially those weighing in excess of 4000 pounds. Wait, they still weigh that much, don't they?

My wife has a large family vehicle, so we're okay there!

LOL, when they finish college! My youngest is 5! I suppose that's the price I pay for waiting to have kids until my thirties!

[twistedwankel]

I didn't re-start racing cars until I was 46. Lonely Country OH road racing for money doesn't count.

I'll let you try and kick my butt in Grey-8 or Shamu now that I know you had decent dampers (other than diapers). I thought you had mad skills until now.

I'll give you a co-drive anytime as I now have decent dampers in both cars. You're 5 years behind me in figuring out what causes children so you'd be 51 before you came back otherwise.

See you soon.

The mayor

[Charles]

I think Koni rebuild prices on yellows is usually the same as buying new yellows. I think the rebuilds only make sense if you are original owner(free) or for the higher end models.

Also +1 for Loren's compressor method

[Rosko]

The shock replacement is done. Man, the car feels so much better! It's night and day difference.

That was a totally new experience for me. I have a friend who is pretty great at fixing anything, who helped. We managed to pull the spring/shock assembly out without disconnecting the upper ball joint, or control arm. We used the "stick" type compressor to collapse the assembly, and lots of creative prying and angles to get the thing out.

A very giving friend let me borrow his "stand up" compressor to disassemble the spring from the shock. Basically, all we had to do was install the shock/spring into this compressor, and turn a wheel to compress the spring. It took less than a minute to operate. It was VERY handy.

The first one took us at least 90 minutes, but we busted through the second one in less than 30. I learned a lot. Thanks for the insight and advice.