Spring compressor
Q I am looking for advice on a spring compressor and don’t really want to put my life in the hands of super cheap pair. Would you advise Staley RE249 or Sealey RE229 or Sealey RE232 – so from £250 up to £350 @ toolden.co.uk?
I have 2012 Mk7 Fiesta, 2017 Ssangyoung Rexton and my friend wants me to do his Citroën DS3, so looking for a tool to cover these vehicles – thanks in advance.
Ian Lynn
I will first say that for many years I used a set of quite basic spring compressors much like the Sealey AK3841 units. I would, though, never trust just two clamps when compressing a spring and will use three or even four clamps if room allows.
I also ensured that the clamps would not shift when compressing the spring. It is very common for the clamp to suddenly slide sideways around the spring as the pressure builds. The Hilka Pro-craft spring compressors (45986) which are £19.99 a pair from Screwfix, do have wide foot area, and if the spring size will allow then I would rather use a couple of sets of these than a unit such as the RE229. This is a personal preference, and with many of the smaller diameter springs the RE229 type unit is a better choice.
I am unsure that there is a perfect one size fits all solution in spring compressors, and in my workshop, we always have a variety of options. The RE units such as the RE229 use a single threaded unit to clamp the spring by using a cup top and bottom. These cups must be a good fit to ensure the spring is held firmly, and when these units begin to wear and the cups are allowed to move slightly, then they can become unreliable.
The RE232 is a bench-mounted unit and is in my opinion a far safer method provided the spring and strut assembly can be fitted into the unit. These tools are listed as universal and although they come with a wide range of fittings, unfortunately the fitment applications are not listed. In the price bracket you mention is the Sealey VS7011 hydraulic coil spring compressor 1000kg, and this may be more versatile than the bench-mounted unit.
I would also add that the maintenance of the spring compressor is important and if you do use the threaded type, then due to the high pressure on the thread it is important to ensure this is kept lubricated to minimise wear.