Strut Vise

[mulepackin]

Does anyone have a source for a strut vise, or ever fabbed one up? I'm just sure you don't want to put the tube itself in the vise. I might be able to get the control arm link in my vise, but won't be sure until I get it all off the car, and want to have an option available.

 

[ImportTuner]

Hey Mulepackin .. I'm not following you. Why would you want to put a strut in a vise; you remove the strut assembly from the car, compress the spring, remove strut ..

 

[Moose-LandTran]

Sykes Pickavant make one and it's very good, i've used one many times.

http://www.sptools.co.uk/Portals/1/...2007.49a9a3d9-e867-4722-a0d4-8eb0b7db3819.pdf

Page 15 o the catalogue. (Page 18 of the PDF)

http://www.sptools.co.uk

If you have trouble finding/shipping one, PM me and i can help you out.

 

[peter_x]

Hey Mulepackin .. I'm not following you. Why would you want to put a strut in a vise; you remove the strut assembly from the car, compress the spring, remove strut ..

If it's a cartridge strut and you want to remove the collar nut.

 

[jerk_chicken]

Never needed a vise to do that. Either did it on the car through the spring with a small bit of jacking up, or pulled the strut out and laid the unit down with my foot and the collar came off easily. And yes, the latter method is safer than the former, but due care was taken in the former case.

 

[MAD]

I never had a problem using the pipe jaws on my vise.

 

[bmwpower]

I've done the vise thing and the floor method, worked ok, but it would be nice to put the strut in a vise with a special adapter to hold it in place. The problem with a normal vise is that you don't want to crank down too tight to crush the strut tube, but you also don't want the whole strut to fall out of the vise.

I think I will fab up an adapter to use next time. 2 pieces of steel angle welded to some sort of bracket that fits in a vise. That way there are 4 points of contact with the strut.

 

[krusty the clown]

you are using a vise to hold the strut while you use a spring compressor?


why not just a wall mounted compressor like the branick

http://www.mile-x.com/branick-strut-compressor.aspx

 

[bmwpower]

you are using a vise to hold the strut while you use a spring compressor?


why not just a wall mounted compressor like the branick

http://www.mile-x.com/branick-strut-compressor.aspx

Not me. Spring comes off while on the floor, but getting the gland nut off usually requires a good real of rotation force. Keeping the strut tube from spinning while on the floor is a pain.

 

[MAD]

The vise I use for struts is similar to this one Harbor Freight sells
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=5655

It works great for holding the strut housing in order to remove the cap nut on struts with replaceable cartridges. You can rotate the pipe jaws to hold the strut at just about any angle.

The shops I worked at years ago never had anything special to hold struts, just an ordinary vise. You do have to use good judgment in order to not crush the tube. The key thing to remember when the nut is really rusted on tight is to use a bit of heat to loosen it rather than just using brute force that would require you to over-tighten the vise and possibly crush the strut housing.

 

[have2goski]

given the many different designs for struts, do you have a picture of what you are trying to take apart? what type of vehicle does it go on?

taking struts apart can be very dangerous depending on the spring forces designed into the strut module. I would recommend alot of caution when dealing with them.

 

[mulepackin]

Yeah, I'm just basically looking for something to secure the unit while I compress the spring and replace the cartridge. I don't like wrestling around with them on the floor or bench, although it can be done. A Branick is a sweet tool, but too pricey for my limited use. I'm thinking once I get the assembly off the veh. (a 2002 Envoy in this particular case) it will be easier to figure out what to do or fab up. Thanks for all the input.

 

[WSMC633]

I fabbed up a couple Jaws for my vise for Servicing Forks and Shocks at my shop. It was either that or buy the $400 suspension vise. I figure mine to be at $18 for materials and $50 for the Vise I had sitting around the shop. I'll take a few pics and post 'em up in a bit.

 

[WSMC633]

Pics as promised.

Channel with Angle welded to it. Found some rubber at Osh and glued it on. Painted Safety Blue. I removed the Original Jaws on the Vise and Mounted my new Jaws into the Original holes in the vise. Easily tightens down to hold the fork extremely tight. Doesn't leave any marks etc.

 

[HolisticPerformance]

Struts are easy and safe now, thanks to this guy:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000N5MMGW/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[tsumetai-kokoro]

they're talking about the kind of struts you get the spring off of first, THEN disassemble- unbolt, unscrew, cut open; change the strut cartridge, then reassemble the strut, then put the spring on, then replace. the spring compressor of whatever design is only half the job. these are found in some old toyotas, post G body GM buick, pontiac, some old BMW. mostly early 90s ish cars. you change the strut cartridge inside the strut housing, then fill with ATF. i use the branick vise.

 

[bmwpower]

Pics as promised.

Channel with Angle welded to it. Found some rubber at Osh and glued it on. Painted Safety Blue. I removed the Original Jaws on the Vise and Mounted my new Jaws into the Original holes in the vise. Easily tightens down to hold the fork extremely tight. Doesn't leave any marks etc.

THAT'S what I'm talking about....

Assuming they forks are the same diameter, maybe you could have used tubing instead of pieces of L?

 

[mulepackin]

Pics as promised.

Channel with Angle welded to it. Found some rubber at Osh and glued it on. Painted Safety Blue. I removed the Original Jaws on the Vise and Mounted my new Jaws into the Original holes in the vise. Easily tightens down to hold the fork extremely tight. Doesn't leave any marks etc.

Thats kinda what I was looking for. I don't have a rotating head vise, but I'm sure I can come up with something that will work. Thanks.

 

[dede2897234]

Mulepackin,

The only reseller in the US that stocks a strut vise adapter is Baum Tools Unlimited (800-848-6657) out of Sarasota, FL. The model number is 1117V. The strut vise adapter costs $129.99 plus shipping. Baum Tools has manufacturers in the US, Europe, and Asia fabricate the adapters for them. I ordered one this morning. When it arrives Monday or Tuesday, I will take pictures and post them in this thread.