Coil-over shocks and spring compressors.

[ADSR]

Yeah those ones have the locking pins that hold the spring in the compressor. With those I really wouldn't be too worried about attempting the job as a weekend warrior.

I have those ones as well. I don't like using them

 

[blackwire]

What I don't like about the ones with the locking pins is sometimes the spring is too big for the locking pin to fit over.

 

[1950mercury]

Thank God Dodge Dakotas don't have struts because I'm fairly certain there would be a certain member of this forum that wouldn't live to complete the task of changing them.

Lol he might get pet hair in his eyes while he's doing them because he isn't wearing his glasses

 

[Chucktin]

I waited a bit, budget and that kind of thing, and had new fronts (only) put on the Tundra by the tire shop I like.

Yeah I know, chickened out.

I've been there when jack stands slipped and lived to tell and that's as close as anybody needs to get.

The back shocks _I'll_ do next month, they are not coil-overs.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

 

[Fcvapor05]

Think about what goes on around the world from people who have no fear and no access to even a cheapo strut compressor! I bet there are people who just release the shaft nut while looking away and wait for the spring to land in a nearby field. How do they compress it? C-clamps? Chanellocks? The imagination could run wild.

I've changed many a spring on BMW front struts without a spring compressor. It is not difficult at all.

Impact gun on the strut nut, strut hat comes off. The only tricky part is that during re-assembly you have to pull the shaft of the shock up, which takes some effort, then get the strut nut threaded on before it re-compresses too much.

Granted, on the BMWs I've done this process on, the spring has very little preload. I wouldn't try it this way on anything heavier duty (like a truck strut)

 

[Git]

I waited a bit, budget and that kind of thing, and had new fronts (only) put on the Tundra by the tire shop I like.

Yeah I know, chickened out.

I've been there when jack stands slipped and lived to tell and that's as close as anybody needs to get.

The back shocks _I'll_ do next month, they are not coil-overs.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

AutoZone loaner tool - coil spring compressor (no cost)

Youtube video on how to do it

I don't know about you but whenever I have a car on jackstands - the wheels go underneath