Request to members in Germany - Klann or SIR spring compressor

[Thomaspin]

Gentlemen - you may have seen the recent idea of a group purchase of the Klann or SIR Tool MB spring compressor. These tools are ridiculously expensive here - $600-$800.

As they are made in Germany, I wonder if any German members on this bulletin board would consider making a bulk purchase for those interested here - I would guess that 10 or so purchases would be made, and most would prefer the superior Klann. I would bet that the German price is far lower than the marked up US one, which few here can justify for an occasional use tool.

The Klann is illiustrated here.

I don't know but it would seem fair to me that if the price is say, 50% of the US price, the buyer should get a 10% commission for his efforts.

Please let us know.

Thank you.

[stevebfl]

Don't know about their compressors but its my impression that SIR makes its tools here. They probably source out a lot of their tools though.

[Thomaspin]

Hope you don't mind my email topic - not looking to make this a commercial proposition, just trying to save us amateurs some cash.

Thomas.

[stevebfl]

As you might have noticed I have no problem with DIY. I work with a number of people locally by supplying parts and advice. The main problem I have is when people misunderstand my position.

I am currently in such a situation with a new BMW owner (new ownership - old car). After answering a few questions and providing a few parts he came to me confused by the reaction he was getting from my partner who is more the public front to our company. He didn't know the status of the parts ordered and really didn't need to be bothered by the interuption.

I had to tell him that as someone expecting online prices and free info, he could not expect the same type of customer service we give retail customers. AND even more so he couldn't come at lunch or at 5 o'clock and expect us to drop what we are doing to meet his needs. I told him to not come before he called or emailled me and that if he did he would be the last in line. I had to remind him that I try to make a living doing this stuff.

[suginami]

That's right, Steve, we forget that your helping out people locally and all of us on this site is a charitable act.

It's too bad you can't call it "consulting" and write it off on your income taxes.

You know, time spent helping out on this site X $60 / hr. consulting fee = amount of charitable contribution.

[stevebfl]

I'll have to look into that (bg).

[MikeTangas]

Thomas and I are both on the hunt for a spring compressor since we are both undertaking the same endeavor. Recently there was a post about replacing the lower balljoints on a 126 using the weight of the car and a jackstand to retain the spring (with the shock still attached). There was some lively debate about this practice and the MB manual even states to do it this way as long as the lower control arm isn't being removed - there was also some discussion about an error in the translation.

After reading all about this, before I started out I did a little experiment. I placed the car on stands under the LCA. I shook the car, bounced and tried to rock it, everything held. Then I lifted the car about 1/4 inch on one side and repeated the test. Much to my surprise the car shifted on the stand. The jack slid up the control arm, coming to rest at the LCA bushing mount. I live in California, as does Thomas, and sometimes the earth moves out here.



Very scary indeed. Glad I played around ahead of time, imagine what would have happened if the stand moved while the steering knuckle was removed .

I have tried a couple different spring compressors, but none will fit between the coils or down inside the spring mount. Looks like it has to be the high dollar compressor. Fortunately I am in a position I don't have to have the car ready by 0600 tomorrow. Only took about an hour to get to the spring removal point, but now I'm stuck here. The spring has to come out to access the guide rod mount at the LCA.

[stevebfl]

Definitely be careful supporting the car on the control arms. You do not need to do this though. The shock will hold the spring just fine. It better as its loading over bumps is a whole lot worse.

For those working on 126 and 123 cars one can make a very sturdy spring compressor using the crosshead of a six inch puller, a length of 5/8in threaded rod and a hunk of 1/4in steel plate about 7inches by 3inches with a 5/8 hole in the middle.

The puller head on that size has a bigger than 5/8 in hole in it and is usually a inch thick casting. Place it over the hole in the upper spring perch, drop the rod with one or two nuts on it through the hole and into the center of the spring. As far down the spring as possible slide the 1/4 plate through the coils and pass the bolt through the center hole and place one or two nuts.

Tighten the nuts. The spring is pulled tightly against the upper perch and everything can be removed. This works on a number of chassis. If the spring is to be replaced just make sure your threaded rod is long enough to alllow all the tention to be released before the end of the threads.

We have done it this way for years. To facilitate matters we took a deepwell socket the size of those 5/8 nuts and cut it in half. We took a fifteen inch section of 1 1/4in chrome moly thick walled tube and welded between the two socket sections to make a 15 inch deep well socket to allow quick turning of the upper nut with an air wrench. Not including labor the total costs couldn't be much. The puller or reasonable facsimile ought to be less than 50 bucks on ebay and is always usefull for its original purposes and the socket can't be too much, the rest can't be more than ten bucks.

[MikeTangas]

HMMMM. I like that idea Steve. One could probably substitute the puller head for a circular piece of 3/8 or 1/2 plate and accomplish the same. Just suck the spring up into the mount and work away.

I'll see what I can come up with tomorrow.

[afmcorp]

hello guys

read thomas's post and i've been kicking it around about making my own. my first thought was to copy the samstag design on the plates and center locking mechanism. though i didn't want to shoot my mouth off before knowing if i could but after reading steve's post his seems right on target and very do - able. in fact just a block of steel drilled and tapped in the center should work for the head. just for an added measure of safety i would add perhaps a groove for the springs to sit in so there would be no chance of the tool slipping to one side and i would use B7 fine thread harden all thread rod for the center rod. you could mig weld what ever size nut on the rod you wanted.

one question thou. i know the front springs are open at the top so you can put the rod down thru the spring. but tell me how are the rear springs? i haven't scooted under the rear yet but if the top and bottom is closed how would you insert the rod???

it would be very easy to machine the groove on the end pieces and easy to tap thru it with 5/8 thread or bigger for that matter.

thanks for the ideas
craig

[autozen]

Mike,

I can see by the pic that you posted that you are using the wrong style jack stand. You need one with a saddle type top. Although I have a factory spring compressor, I never use it for ball joints, because it takes too much time. I use a jack stand that isn't prone to sliding and place it between the lower ball joint and the shock mount.

Peter

[autozen]

Perhaps I should retract that last statement, because I lower the hoist down to the jack stand which keeps the whole car level. Positioning a jack stand under a control arm on a car jacked up on one wheel puts an angle on the control arm that could allow the stand to slip. After rethinking it the compressor would be safest if you aren't using a hoist.

Peter

[vince]

I read Steve's post with some interest. I made such a compressor some years ago and used it to compress (not remove) the rear springs so I could change the trailing arm bushings in a 114 chassis. Naturally I figured I could use it to compress and remove the front springs on my 123 chassis. In fact, the original factory design compressor was not a whole lot different. Well, coming out was OK, even though the springs bent quite a bit under compression. BUT, I had no success compressing the springs for reinstallation. The front springs are quite long and want to bend. On mine, the lower plate would slide to the side to the point where the rod bent. I even made some 1/4" plywood discs that I slid between the coils and stacked on the rod to stop the slipping (which didn't work). I ended up borrowing the right compressor from a kind soul. So, I wonder where I went wrong.

[stevebfl]

There probably is some technique to using the home rig. You are right the thing slips to the side. The trick is using the tool as little as possible and using other forms of persuation.

[MikeTangas]

I have my allthread, nuts and washers. Plates are being made today. Total cost, less than $10. My plan of attack is to simply suck the springs up just enough to take the tension off the LCA. Once the tension is off I am free to remove the spindles.