The article will tell you how to make a useful device for every car and motorcycle enthusiast with your own hands.
Sometimes it becomes necessary to go through old shock absorbers and replace the oil seal or other worn parts. True, for this they need to be disassembled, and it is not so easy to remove the springs from them and install them back after repair. Of course it is on sale big choice ready-made, factory-made pullers, but they cost quite a lot, and the need to use them does not arise so often.
Here are the types of factory pullers:
The design of the puller presented in the article is extremely simplified, as they say “everything ingenious is simple!”
To create the device you will need:
- Hairpin and nuts for it;
(the thickness of the pin depends on the thickness of the springs that will need to be removed; the author used a 12mm thick pin)
- Two crescents on a stiletto heel;
- Tube according to the diameter of the stud;
- Bulgarian;
- Welding machine.
First you need to cut two pieces of the pin to the required length; the more, the more universal the puller will be.
The following platforms are welded to the crescents to increase the area of contact with the spring:
On the other side of the puller, a bracket like this is put on. A spring retainer is welded onto a tube of suitable diameter. The bracket has no threaded connections and slides freely along the stud:
To compress the spring, a nut is screwed over the bracket and tightened until the spring is compressed to the desired level.
Here are photos of the finished puller. As you can see, the mechanism works.
If you need to repair shock absorber struts or car suspension, the question arises of how to tighten the shock absorber spring. To achieve this goal, spring ties are used. They are necessary in order to compress and remove any type of spring.
Spring tensioning equipment
Spring ties can be of two types, depending on the basic principle of operation:
Mechanical- based on mechanical action on the spring. Their price is low, and they are often used by car enthusiasts.
Hydraulic– the action on the spring is created using a hydraulic pump. Used in large car repair shops. The price is much higher.
Spring pullers can also be portable And stationary. They don’t differ much in price, but they differ radically in the way they are used. If you decide to repair the vehicle yourself and do not know what kind of puller you will need, then you should pay attention to the diameter of the compressed spring. This is the main characteristic when choosing a screed.
Auto repair shops usually buy compressors with a wide range of possible sizes, since they are used on different cars. If you have not given up the idea of repairing your vehicle yourself, then you need to pay attention to the fact that some models of couplers are offered by the manufacturer specifically for certain types of suspensions. But they can also be universal.
How to make a screed device yourself
If you calculate the price of the components of a spring puller, it will be significantly lower than the price of a finished puller. Therefore, the question arises: how to make a spring puller with your own hands. It is possible to make spring ties yourself. But at the same time you must have welding machine and the ability to make something with your own hands.
It is clear that the principle of their operation will be based on the mechanical effect on the spring. For one spring, two ties are required, secured on opposite sides for uniform compression. Their design is standard: a threaded rod with hooks and nuts. By turning the rod or nuts with a wrench, we can easily compress the spring. Since the design is simple, it does not require special skills in manufacturing. But you should remember that the device you make must be reliable, since now you are responsible for your own health.
Necessary tool
So, it is necessary to have welding machine And grinder. You also need to purchase two threaded rods with a diameter of 16 mm, four long nuts for this thread and steel pipe diameter 16-16.5 mm, fittings.
Manufacturing process
Let's consider the process of manufacturing shock absorber spring ties point by point:
1.
Cut threaded rods (2 pcs.) to the required size. Their length must be no less than the free length of the spring. Rods that are too long will be inconvenient to use;
2. From the reinforcement, cut (8 pcs.) hook blanks approximately 30 cm long;
3. Cut cylinders (4 pcs.) approximately 10 cm long from the pipe;
4. Bend hooks from reinforcement blanks;
5. Using welding, weld two hooks to each cylinder. We carry out the welding process on a plane, achieving symmetry of the parts;
6.
We assemble the components (we put two cylinders on the rod with the hooks in the opposite direction and screw the nuts onto the ends).
In some designs, a long nut is welded in the middle of the threaded rod. Then the compression process is carried out with a wrench, turning the rod itself by the given nut. You can make a spring tie using an old jack. The main thing is that it is reliable and safe. Let's look at the process point by point:
1. Shorten the jack leg a little. Make sure that this does not affect the operation of the jack.
2. Choose a stand holder from the available tools. For example, we can take a connecting rod head or other suitable part from a car disassembly site. It is necessary that it be of a suitable shape and can withstand heavy loads.
3. We fasten the jack leg and holder. Since they consist of different materials, the use of welding is not possible. Therefore, we drill holes and secure with two bolts
4. We weld on the top part of the jack from metal corner top holder. For reliability, we make it a little longer in the form of a cut letter A and weld an additional stiffening rib to the jack body.
5. Using paint we give the structure an aesthetic appearance.
This holder is much more convenient to use than store-bought ones. The described methods for manufacturing shock absorber spring ties are not the only ones. They may differ in size, materials used and available means. It’s worth turning on your imagination and correctly adapting seemingly unnecessary parts in your garage, and this creative process will bring you pleasure not only financially, but also morally.
How to tighten a spring correctly
Since the process is a little dangerous, we will list all the points that make up the spring tie in order to completely secure it. Follow the main points:
1. Raise the car with a jack and install two ties on the spring on opposite sides;
2. Rotate the nuts with your fingers until the tie hooks and the spring are securely engaged;
3. Continue turning the nuts with the wrench. Moreover, the rotation must be carried out in small steps on different rods alternately. The spring should compress symmetrically on both sides.
4. Remove the spring if you are sure that it is securely compressed by the ties.
Using a device for compressing strut springs with your own hands, follow the rules:
Threaded connections Lubricate with grease before using spring ties.
Never remove the ties from a compressed spring, even if it is additionally tightened with a belt or wire. It may be dangerous.
Carry out work carefully. It is important that devices manufactured with my own hands, were safe to use.
Sometimes there are cases in which repairs have to be carried out in field conditions. And then the presence of spring ties is very problematic. The question arises of how to tighten the strut spring using improvised means. And it is possible.
If you have removed the shock absorber strut and want to compress the shock absorber spring for further repairs at home, you can use seat belts. This requires two belts. We pass them through the coils of the spring, one opposite the other, and tie each one with a bow. In this case, the outer coils of the spring should not participate in the compression process. Next, you need two reinforcing bars or two metal pipes, or just strong wooden sticks. They will serve as levers.
We put the spring on its side, slide the lever under the belt and twist the belt several times in the middle of the lever. To fix it, we tie the lever with a wire to the coils of the spring. We turn the structure over to the other side and use another lever to perform similar actions. If the spring is not compressed enough, then tighten the levers one by one and do not forget to fix them.
After the spring is compressed, we carry out further renovation work. At home, you can compress the shock absorber spring by various means: using a vice, etc. All methods are good, as long as they achieve the final goal and are safe for you. After analyzing all the options, you must choose the best one for yourself, which will bring you a satisfactory result.
When repairing or adjusting a car's suspension, it becomes necessary to fix the spring in a certain position.
There is a service tool for this work: a spring puller, with which you can remove chassis elements both in a specialized workshop and in garage conditions.
Various tool concepts:
Let's consider the second option in more detail.
How does a spring remover work, and what types are they?
What is a puller used for? It overcomes the straightening force of the springs. The applied force on the puller brackets is commensurate with the weight of the car, but this does not mean that its design is too expensive and high-tech.
There are many options, but they are divided into only two types: mechanical and hydraulic drive.
Mechanical spring remover
Most often it has a threaded drive mechanism. 
With a sufficient diameter of the pin (providing a good gear ratio on the thread), and a long handle of the key, you can compress the springs manually without excessive effort.
The technology is as follows: two pullers are symmetrically put on the rack. By turning the threaded rod, you bring the claws to the middle of the spring directly on the shock absorber, compressing it to the required size.
Important: Why mechanical puller Can't be used alone? When compressed, the spring bends; it is impossible to control this process.
Installing one puller on a spring will cause it to break.
Pullers placed on both sides ensure uniform compression. When working with suspension trucks or heavy SUVs, experienced craftsmen install 3 or even 4 pullers.
Correct installation spring pullers
Semi-permanent racks
Service stations often use semi-permanent struts to remove springs from shock absorber struts. 
The tool is quite universal and fits most pendants. Thanks to the drive mechanism gearbox, working with it is convenient and safe.
The only drawback is that it is not always possible to compress the spring directly on the car. After all, this is a bench device: the puller works with the suspension removed from the car.
Popular: A do-it-yourself clamp makes the craftsman’s work easier and saves him money
Lever type
Lever type pullers have a similar “problem”. The mechanism is reliable and safe, but its dimensions do not allow it to fit into the space under the wing of the car. 
Hydraulic puller
Can be portable or stationary. It works on the principle of a jack: there is a main and a working cylinder. By pumping liquid using a lever handle, the operator compresses the power brackets, between which there is a spring. 
The compact two-section puller can also become an assistant in home garage, but here is the floor one stationary machine Only suitable for car service. 
The hydraulic system is pressurized using a foot lever. At the same time, the car mechanic’s hands are free, it is convenient and safe to work.
Of course, there are pullers with compressors, electric drives, and other devices that make life easier when servicing a car. This is all good until you see the price tag.
Sometimes it is more profitable to visit a car service center several times than to purchase an industrial puller for personal use. Which exit? Make your own instrument.
Manufacturing a shock absorber spring remover
Many car enthusiasts use a regular chain: they wind a few turns around the coils of the spring and tighten the chain. After lifting the car with a jack, the shock absorber strut is stretched, but the spring remains compressed. This dangerous way: If the chain slips, the released spring could cause serious injury.
How to make a simple puller similar to an industrial one
A mechanical semi-stationary “machine” can be created from a “Volgovsky” jack.
Materials used:
Drill, grinder, file, welding machine - such a set is either in the garage or available from a neighbor for a couple of beers. A platform from a corner is assembled to the top of the jack (where the turntable with the gearbox is located). Then a bracket according to the size of the support cup is welded to it. 
We screw the connecting rod to the standard support arm of the jack; the shock absorber strut will fit into it. 
No need to worry about the strength of the structure. The jack lifts the car, the connecting rod also withstands a huge load. And to strengthen cantilever design bracket, weld rods from the shock absorber rods. 
The puller is universal: the length of the shock absorber allows you to service any racks for passenger cars, as well as most SUVs. 
The next spring remover, which is easy to make with your own hands, is a tightening type. Suitable for small sizes springs, since it is unrealistic to develop a large force on such a device. 
The components are even more affordable than in the previous design. A piece of pipe, an angle and a long bolt M14 - M18. You can use a hairpin.
From a corner and sawn pieces inch pipe We weld the brackets. The puller consists of two identical ties, so there should be four brackets. 
Be sure to weld the guide bushings for the studs. Otherwise, when tightening, the brackets will jam. 
The spring is tightened by synchronously tightening the nuts on the studs. If you use a set of 2 ties, they should be installed strictly symmetrically.
Needs replacement. For example, it leaked or simply exhausted its resource. In this case, the entire assembly is dismantled. The procedure is labor-intensive, but not complicated. You will need a tool such as a shock absorber spring tie. The device is extremely simple, but at the same time necessary when performing such work.
Universal and branded
Despite the fact that the design of the screed is extremely simple, they come in several types. For example, dealers of some companies use branded tools that are suitable only for a certain brand of car. This also applies to screeds, although in most cases such scrupulousness is not required.
Universal screeds, as the name suggests, are suitable for everything. A spring is a spring everywhere, and the device for working with it is suitable for any make of car. As for the craftsmen who repair cars in their garage, they need a screed. Let's see how to assemble such a tool with your own hands.
Required material and tools
To make a screed yourself, you will need a metal rod (reinforcement), two threaded rods (M16), as well as extended nuts and a metal tube with internal diameter at 16 mm. This will be quite enough to make a full-fledged screed.
It is also advisable to have a grinder on hand for cutting reinforcement and several wrenches for the nuts. The set of tools is minimal; all this can be found in the garage of any motorist. Well, now let's take a closer look at the process of assembling the product.
Making a tie for shock absorber springs with your own hands
Using a grinder, we cut two meter-long pieces from a pre-prepared pipe. We adjust the threaded rods to the required length. Next, we take the reinforcement and mark eight 30 cm sections. We saw it using a grinder and using any bending equipment we try to make hooks from the rod.
Please note that you will also need a welding machine. If you don’t have your own, you can borrow it from a neighbor for a while. We weld 4 pre-cut rods to the nuts, the remaining 4 to the pipe. In principle, we made ties for the shock absorber springs with our own hands and can use them. Let's look at a few more interesting options which are popular among car enthusiasts.
Shock absorber spring clamp from a jack
There are also Alternative option, which do not require special preparation and availability large quantity tool. To make it, we will need a grinder, a connecting rod from a classic, as well as an old jack from a VAZ (original). The procedure is as follows.
Using a grinder, we cut off the lower support on the jack, as well as the rivets. Next, in the place of the lever for raising/lowering the jack, we mount two ears for the bolts using welding. In the place where the rivets were removed, we weld a piece of pipe measuring 25x25, we do the same in the place of the welded ears, only we take a 20x20 pipe. You can further strengthen the jack with another piece of pipe, cut to the required length. In general, this device for tightening shock absorber springs is quite effective, and it can be made quite quickly without much expense.
What you need to know when dismantling
Screed car springs- the process is quite dangerous. If you make a low-quality puller, it may come off. The high pressure puts you at risk of injury. That is why it is necessary to be extremely careful when performing such work.
To prevent anything from happening, you can make a stationary screed. Its design does not differ from that described above. The only change is the rigid attachment to the tabletop. This will ensure that the shock absorber spring tie is securely fixed, which will significantly reduce the risk of injury. Now let's look at another popular and extremely effective design.
Simple and affordable
We take two rods of equal length. The thread can be any, but it is most convenient to use standard M16 or M18. The rod must have two threads: on one side - left, on the second - right, or vice versa. It is advisable to firmly fix the elongated nut in the center as a limiter. There are such commercial rods, so if not special machine for thread cutting, we go to the car market.
All that remains is to weld a few hooks onto the nuts - and you can use them. To make the device work more smoothly, it is advisable to lubricate the thread and nut. You can use regular machine oil or grease. Here you need to achieve a smooth ride, almost any lubricant. You can also use the drawings and take them to a turner, who will do everything. A shock absorber spring tie is made in a few hours.
Cost of ties in stores
You don’t have to bother at all and buy ready product in the shop. Abundance can be confusing. There are hydraulic and mechanical shock absorber spring tensioners. The price for them differs significantly. The cheapest options will cost about 1,500 rubles, and the most expensive - about 30,000 thousand. Of course, for single jobs it is not at all necessary to purchase an expensive product. A mechanical coupler for a couple of thousand rubles will be enough for you.
You can purchase hydraulic couplers. It’s more convenient to work with them, but the price tag is twice as high. There are universal zip ties with various attachments, but this is also a fairly significant purchase. Pay attention to high-quality mechanical shock absorber spring tensioners. The price for a normal product will be in the range of 2-3 thousand rubles.
A few more points
So we have figured out that making a screed with your own hands is not so difficult. For this, apart from desire, a small amount of tools and time, you don’t need anything. If there is no tie and you need to remove the spring, then it’s better not to risk it own health and do not experiment, but contact a service station.
It will not be possible to tighten the shock absorber spring without zip ties; this has already been said. This does not apply to cases where the product has lost its elasticity and has cracks. Such a spring can no longer be called working. You can find a huge number of options for making homemade zip ties, the most popular of which we have just reviewed.
A homemade shock absorber spring tie is quick and easy to make. The main thing is that the structure is durable and fulfills its main task. Don't forget that if the tie comes off the spring, you can get seriously injured from the impact, so always try to keep the spring away from your face and securely fasten it if possible.
One of the main procedures when repairing the front suspension is replacing the struts. This applies to vehicles with MacPherson strut suspension when the strut is assembled. That is, the strut consists of a shock absorber, a spring and a support with a cup. All this is secured with a nut that is screwed onto the shock absorber rod. As a result, the strut is in constant “combat readiness” when the spring is working for compression and the shock absorber is working for tension.
But in this article we want to talk not about the work of the struts, but about how difficult it is sometimes for car enthusiasts to remove the spring. The thing is that the spring on the strut is quite powerful, which means its compression force is very large. As a result, when unscrewing the nut on the rod, the spring may “shoot”, which can lead to injury. Moreover, during reassembly, the question will arise of how to assemble the strut back, that is, compress the spring. To help car enthusiasts in this case, they mainly offer all kinds of spring pullers. This is usually a system of pins with hooks or washers. As a result, the springs are tightened by twisting the nut along the stud. This method of removing springs is quite viable, however, it also has its drawbacks. The main one is that it takes a long time to tighten and unscrew the nuts on the stud. In this article, we would like to offer you another alternative that copes with this task perfectly, while requiring much less effort from the mechanic.
A device for quickly disassembling racks and replacing (compressing) the springs on them in the garage with your own hands
The operating principle of this device is based on increasing torque by changing the shoulder of force application. It can be said to be a classic solution for most cases in mechanics. So the support points will be the wall, to which the shoulder is attached with a console, and the stand, or rather the spring. Here the forces applied to the stand will depend on the length of the arm lever. In fact, these are the handles of our device. You can simply sit on them and human weight is quite enough to compress the spring. Take a look at the picture.
And now, in order, how the replacement will take place, removing the spring from the strut. Initially, it is necessary to spread the arms of the device and install it on the cup above the spring. Next, we bring the shoulders together and fix them, for example, with a piece of pipe.
Then we simply sit on the pipe and thereby compress the spring. The force on the spring can be adjusted with your own body by sitting on the lever a little further or closer to the rack. Unscrew the nut holding the swivel support and the spring cup.
We carefully stand up, thereby relieving the compression stress on the spring itself, which is still installed on the rack. After straightening the spring, remove it from the rack.
We install and compress the new spring in the reverse order.
Summarizing the spring puller...
It must be said that the use of such a device is justified especially in cases where spring replacement on racks of this type occurs frequently. These are mainly car services. It should also be noted that the device is universal. It can be used to remove springs from the struts of any car, actually changing the height of the arm with which the spring is pressed. The work associated with removing and replacing the spring when using such a device will be significantly simplified, which is perhaps the determining factor when deciding whether to manufacture something similar in your garage.