Compressor spring compressor HELP URGENT NEEDED
Discussion
Please dont laugh at my artistic attempt.
So the buggered one i can still unscrew the bolt.
It just lifts the bolt away as if unscrewing a screw.
The 2 clamps stay similar distance from each other with the tension and move down towards open end of the rod.
Its like the non threaded one is behaving if it was actually threaded.
Trying to explain this so much im getting lost myself now aha
So the buggered one i can still unscrew the bolt.
It just lifts the bolt away as if unscrewing a screw.
The 2 clamps stay similar distance from each other with the tension and move down towards open end of the rod.
Its like the non threaded one is behaving if it was actually threaded.
Trying to explain this so much im getting lost myself now aha
Edited by Lgg6now on Wednesday 23 September 20:45
Edited by Lgg6now on Wednesday 23 September 20:51
You mentioned earlier digging a big hole & burying the spring & the compressors.
In the interests of safety that time has now arrived.
Make sure the hole is at least 4 feet deep - to reduce the risk of it being accidentally dug up again by somebody doing a bit of gardening in years to come.
Carefully place the item in it - aligned horizontally across the bottom, not pointing vertically upwards as the UK Space Agency may not appreciate unauthorised moon shots.
Place all your other tools with it.
Carefully fill it in & tamp down.
Arrange for a local garage to collect the car & carry out the necessary work.
In the interests of safety that time has now arrived.
Make sure the hole is at least 4 feet deep - to reduce the risk of it being accidentally dug up again by somebody doing a bit of gardening in years to come.
Carefully place the item in it - aligned horizontally across the bottom, not pointing vertically upwards as the UK Space Agency may not appreciate unauthorised moon shots.
Place all your other tools with it.
Carefully fill it in & tamp down.
Arrange for a local garage to collect the car & carry out the necessary work.
paintman said:
As the threaded part is fine you could try lubricant on the unthreaded part followed by slight slackening & an arms length hammer tap on the end to see if it will drive through the unthreaded one.
I begin to wonder if you've managed to tighten them up so they're binding.
This is something i was considering. Just a bit nervous hitting a loaded bomb with a hammer.. Even if i have another 3 or 4 comressors in place. It just doesnt seem good hitting it with a hammer incase the spring just decides to give in.I begin to wonder if you've managed to tighten them up so they're binding.
I already used lubricant oil on both the threaded and unthreaded clamps on the buggered one. That was my first thought but didnt make a difference.
Throwing a hammer at it from a distance is something a bit easier for me to take on. But even still it screams all kinds of 'dont do this' simply at the thought of it.
At no point was anything tightened enough for the spring windings to touch another winding on the spring. What you see is the most its been tightened.
Maybe best call the bom disposal squad in for a controlled de esacaltion.
Edited by Lgg6now on Wednesday 23 September 21:12
Edited by Lgg6now on Wednesday 23 September 21:13
It isn't a bomb. Keep your hands & other body parts clear.
You've all but removed the threaded part of the stuck clamp without any apparent explosion.
I think the reason the two parts are staying where they are is the hook on the free running one is clamped between two coils which may be as a result of the other two clamps - most likely the one immediately behind it in your photo & it may not be doing much at all as far as compressing the spring is concerned.
ETA I note Piersman has already suggested carefully slackening the other two.
I do have a pair of those clamps (ETA Laser branded?) which have seen a fair bit of service incl several on the springs of my RRC & they've not given me any problems.
You've all but removed the threaded part of the stuck clamp without any apparent explosion.
I think the reason the two parts are staying where they are is the hook on the free running one is clamped between two coils which may be as a result of the other two clamps - most likely the one immediately behind it in your photo & it may not be doing much at all as far as compressing the spring is concerned.
ETA I note Piersman has already suggested carefully slackening the other two.
I do have a pair of those clamps (ETA Laser branded?) which have seen a fair bit of service incl several on the springs of my RRC & they've not given me any problems.
Edited by paintman on Wednesday 23 September 21:35
Today my partial progress thought was to move the setup inside my heavy duty dog cage... Ratchet strap the spring down with a few straps and rathets.. Then put a 250mm 1/2 drive extension bar into the loosening bolt and hit it with a hammer to try and move the unthreaded clamp into the position it should be in.. In turn de compressing the spring a little so i can start loosening it the way it should normally loosen
Ive loosened both the other good compressors a bit so the tension is mostly on the stuck one but the tension remains between the two clamps on the stuck one. Its 100% the stuck one holding the tension as it stays the same when the other 2 are loosened..
Yes the spring changes shape as i release the tension on the 2 good ones.. But then when the stuck one is also loosened.. It just stays tensioned even though the unthreaded one has a gap between it and the loosening bolt .. When really the unthreaded one should travel with the loosening bolt not stay stuck in place with nothing actually holding it.
Yes its the "laser 0290" im using.
I also have another cheapo set i got today incase i need them.
Ive loosened both the other good compressors a bit so the tension is mostly on the stuck one but the tension remains between the two clamps on the stuck one. Its 100% the stuck one holding the tension as it stays the same when the other 2 are loosened..
Yes the spring changes shape as i release the tension on the 2 good ones.. But then when the stuck one is also loosened.. It just stays tensioned even though the unthreaded one has a gap between it and the loosening bolt .. When really the unthreaded one should travel with the loosening bolt not stay stuck in place with nothing actually holding it.
Yes its the "laser 0290" im using.
I also have another cheapo set i got today incase i need them.
Edited by Lgg6now on Wednesday 23 September 21:48
If the coils on that one are moving apart I'd expect the free clamp to stay against the nut end - held there by spring pressure until the pressure from the spring has gone unless jammed or locked in place.
Slacken the small bolts holding the stuck one's swivelly bits - the small clamp gizmos.
Then we're back to 'tap the free clamp with a hammer'.
If it still doesn't work then in all seriousness I think you need to let a professional look at it.
Slacken the small bolts holding the stuck one's swivelly bits - the small clamp gizmos.
Then we're back to 'tap the free clamp with a hammer'.
If it still doesn't work then in all seriousness I think you need to let a professional look at it.
Edited by paintman on Wednesday 23 September 22:05
On the compressors shown in the OP's pic the clamp hook nearest the hex end of the threaded rod isn't internally threaded & is free to rotate on the rod so shouldn't be apparently moving along the rod as the OP is saying.
The one furthest away is internally threaded & when you turn the hex end of the threaded rod this one moves nearer to or further from the the hex end depending on which way the rod is being turned.
The one furthest away is internally threaded & when you turn the hex end of the threaded rod this one moves nearer to or further from the the hex end depending on which way the rod is being turned.
Managed to free the rod that was giving problems.
Looks like it started to engrave a thread onto the non threaded clamp. Was filled with metal shavings and looked almost like a heli coil had been inserted inside it.
I ratcheted the spring down... With 2 heavy duty straps and ratchets to the rear strut brace and other mounting points in the boot.
Installed 2 more compressors.
Placed an inch+ thick heavy wooden board ontop of it all wedged in against the rear inner of the boot.
With a 250mm extension bar and 1/2 inch socket driver with a metal oar on it for extra safe distance.
Just undid the dodgy rods bolt until both the clamps on that rod were no longer on the rod.
Went pretty smoothly
Just took about 20 mins of undoing with the DIY safety setup.
Looks like it started to engrave a thread onto the non threaded clamp. Was filled with metal shavings and looked almost like a heli coil had been inserted inside it.
I ratcheted the spring down... With 2 heavy duty straps and ratchets to the rear strut brace and other mounting points in the boot.
Installed 2 more compressors.
Placed an inch+ thick heavy wooden board ontop of it all wedged in against the rear inner of the boot.
With a 250mm extension bar and 1/2 inch socket driver with a metal oar on it for extra safe distance.
Just undid the dodgy rods bolt until both the clamps on that rod were no longer on the rod.
Went pretty smoothly
Just took about 20 mins of undoing with the DIY safety setup.
Edited by Lgg6now on Thursday 24th September 20:16
The non threaded one slides on the rod once again after i cleaned all the shavings out and slid it up and down the rod a few dozen times.
Calamity aborted
Cheers for chiming in with tips
Hope this helps someone in future if theyre in the same predicament.
Calamity aborted
Cheers for chiming in with tips
Hope this helps someone in future if theyre in the same predicament.
Edited by Lgg6now on Thursday 24th September 20:17
paintman said:
On the compressors shown in the OP's pic the clamp hook nearest the hex end of the threaded rod isn't internally threaded & is free to rotate on the rod so shouldn't be apparently moving along the rod as the OP is saying.
The one furthest away is internally threaded & when you turn the hex end of the threaded rod this one moves nearer to or further from the the hex end depending on which way the rod is being turned.
Thanks for clarifying that - turns out I'm not as observant as I thought I was! In my defence, I've never used spring compressors. . .The one furthest away is internally threaded & when you turn the hex end of the threaded rod this one moves nearer to or further from the the hex end depending on which way the rod is being turned.
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