Re: [Amc-list] 70-74 AMC Javelin AMX Front Coil Spring Compressor OnEbay

["Armand Eshleman" <aje1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

John,

for about ten bucks or so you can make one of these yourself. I made one in
about a
half hour with materials laying around my shop.

I removed the upper shock mount bracket from each side of the car, loosened
the lug nuts on the front wheels
raised the front of the car up (set the park brake) place it on blocks of
wood right under the (drill a 1/2 hole in an appropriate length piece of 1 x
4 wood place it at the sway bar link bolt)  front sway bar to lower control
arm attach point. remove the wheels
remove both shocks, so I could use one of them as pattern for the bottom
piece of the coil compressor tool.

I used a piece of 1/2 inch coarse all-thread rod 21 inches long ( it was
plenty long but that's what was laying around)
three 1/2 inch coarse nuts,
four 1/2 inch washers
two 3/8 inch diameter x 3 inch long bolts
four 3/8 inch washers
a piece of  1 x 2 rectangular steel tubing
and a piece of 3/8 inch thick plate steel that is about  a 2-1/2 x 3-1/2
rectangular chunk.
other tubing or flat stock would work, it just has to be strong enough that
it won't deflect when compressing the spring.
Heck even the bottom shock mount off an old shock might work if you welded
it to the 1/2 inch all-thread rod or something

I drilled a 1/2 inch diameter hole in the middle of the tube and the middle
of the plate
Then I drilled two 3/8 inch holes through the plate at the same spacing as
the bottom shock mount on the front shocks.
Two 1/2 inch washers go on the top of the 1 x 2 tube with a single 1/2 inch
nut
the two 3/8 bolts go into the holes 3/8 holes in the plate with a washer at
the head of the bolt and one under each nut


drop the tool into the hole and placed the 1 x 2 tube on top of the spring
perch under the hood with blocks of wood placed 90 degrees to the 1 x 2 tube
to space it up a bit and give a rocking motion to it.
bolt the two 3/8 bolts and the plate into the shock mount inside the spring
(being a contortionist helps here)
snug up the 1/2 inch all-thread
remove the bolts holding the bottom spring perch to the upper control arm
raise the car again, the suspension goes to full droop
loosen the 1/2 nut on top of the spring perch
guide the coil spring out over the upper control arm, I used 1x4 wood and
slid it across and over the top of the ball joint while loosening the nut on
the 1/2 inch all-thread
by the time you get it to this point the spring has very little caged energy
left and is much safer to handle.

Look at it a while and I'm sure you'll see how simple the operation really
is.
Installation is kind of the reverse.......

Don't get me wrong, I think if you have the money buy the tool
I have a severe to handicapping case of Rambler Mentality so I make do with
what's laying around the shop.........

Armand

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