Spring Compressor

[Eminent]

It's not easy to put the frontsprings back on the car whitout a compressor.
I have borrowed some springcompressors from a friend.
These work at the outside of the spring and they are also not very usefull.
So i searched the entire web and found the one as in the picture.
Should this one do the job? Will it fit through the hole in the lower controlarm?
Can i use them for the backsprings also?
Anybody who have experience with such a compressor?
Thanks.
Have a good christmas.

[Raymond]

I've done the front springs a couple of times without a spring compressor.  However, I had the advantage of a lift and a transmission jack.  I'm trying to remember why we didn't use a spring compressor.  I know we couldn't make the disc type compressor work.  Maybe we didn't try this inside claw type.  Also, the spring coils are quite closely spaced so you won't get a lot of advantage out of it.  We chose to use the tranny jack to slowly release the tension.  When the spring comes loose it really is impressive.  Just keep your fingers and hands clear and you'll be fine.  To put them back in, we just set the spring in place and with a piece of lumber on the top of the tranny jack slowly compressed the arm back into place. 

This type compressor won't work on the rear because there is no hole at the top or at the bottom.  The rear springs are not so strong or compressed that the release is violent.  Just support the trailing arm with a jack, undo the three positioning bolts and the center bolt and release the tension on the trailing arm.  You'll actually have to pull down on the trailing arm to get the spring out.  The hardest part of the rear is getting the front of the trailing arm around the big center bushing and aligned properly.  A big lever will come in handy.

It won't work on the compensator spring either.  That one you will definitely need to compress and you need the compressor that claws from the outside.  The claws should be very narrow.

In short, I wouldn't by the tool you show for this car.  However you might go talk to the local tool rental people to see what they have.

Good luck.

[Eminent]

Thanks for your answer Raymond.
I don't have a lift so that doesn't make the job easier.
Also, there are not very much automotive tools rental store's here in the Netherlands.
I forgot to say that we're are talking about a 280 SEL (which is almost a W109).
I don't know if there are great differents between the coils of an Sl and a SEL, but i do think so.
The space between the windings is about an inch on mine. The total lenght of the uncompressed coil is more than 17".
Putting the spring first in the crossmember and after that trying to jacking the lower control arm up is hardly not to do.
The lower control arm is almost vertical at that point. I don't have plans to do something at the rear of the car soon. Though, you never know with oldtimers.
There isn't a compensator spring at this type, they placed the hydropneumatic version there.
Thanks,
Regards Rini.

[Benz Dr.]

Since this can be very dangerous I'll tell you how I do it.
On 190SL's I put a jack under the control arm and raise the arm up until I can fit the king pin together.
 This car is different and you will have to undo the four screws that hold the lower control arm to the sub frame. This would be the inner portion.
Place the spring in the control arm and fit to other end it into the sub frame. If there are any rubber bushings use some masking tape to hold them in place so they don't move or fall out while you are setting it up.
You will need to place your jack about half way down the lenght of the control arm so that it will move up towards the four holes in the sub frame. This may take several attemps to get the holes, jack and lower control arm to move in the right way. Once you get it up near the sub frame you might be lucky enough to get a long drift to go through the holes in the sub frame and lower control arm so that it will all line up.
At this point you will have a lot of tension on the spring so keep ypour hands well clear of everything as you work. I've also used a piece of threaded rod to go through the holes and then simply used a nut on the rod to pull it all into place.
Regardless of how you do it, it has to be done this way or you will never get it together. In other words, the upper control arm, upper pivot, king pin, lower pivot and lower control arm all have to be assembled first, then you install the spring last.

[Eminent]

Well, everything is in place. Only the king pin has to be bolded at the lower control arm and the spring must be placed.
I ordered the compressor as shown in my first post, it was not so expensive.
I hope to compress the coil that much i can get it in place, than jacking up the lower control arm at that height so i can bold on the king pin.
I will reply here when it's done and how i did it.
Meanwhile you can follow the job by clicking this link.
Thanks for your answers.
Have a nice day.

[w113dude]

The images look very clear & well documented.  Good Work

[Eminent]

Well, the spring is in place.
The spring-compressor as shown in my first post did a good job.
It shorten the spring with aprox. 3.5 inch.
Enough to put the spring back in and to lift the arm further with a jack.
Now it's waiting for better (less colder) weather and i can build everything together and hope to start quick at the other side.
Rini.

[wbain]

I did this on my 220Sb, same front suspension, by using extra long bolts and a floor jack. Once compressed as much as possible, the threads only go part way, I remove one long bolt at a time replacing it with medium sized ones. Once tighted as much as possible, I then replace each medium sized bolt with the original short bolt. It takes longer but there is no possibility of the spring popping out and lodging in your head. I tried my W126 spring compressor but it didn't work. The factory manual shows long rods, they must be bolts, used during suspension overhaul.

[RickM]

For those who may not know, there are two basic types of compressors, external and internal. It's handy to have both on hand. Here's a good idea of what's out there: http://www.etoolcart.com/coil-spring-strut-compressors.aspx