attempted springs/shocks install

[dmw319]

ok so i tried installing my shocks/springs today, and i couldnt get the boot off of the old shocks/springs to put on the new one. i had a bad compressor that was "internal", so you could only compress one side. but even then.. the bolt at the top of the shocks where the boot is was stripped and rusted.

can i just buy all new boots (4) and screw the compressor all together? how much would it cost.. any tips for me? thanks.

[PiLOTLiTE]

1. You need a strut compressor, not a spring compressor. You can rent these from autozone at no charge, just a deposit. They come in pairs and go on the outside of the spring.

2. That top nut is almost always rusted to crap, mine was when I did it. Since you have new shocks, they should have come with new nuts. Therefore the easiest fix is to just hacksaw or sawzall the shock shaft (just the thin upper shaft, not the thick lower shock body) apart once you have the spring compressed. That way you don't even have to deal with getting that nut off and possibly screwing up something u need to reuse. When the strut is reassembled with the new spring and shock, put a load of nice waterproof grease on that nut in case you have to do this again sometime.

3. The dust boot is not necessary, feel free to just throw them away. I did 4 years ago and haven't had a problem.

Hope that helps

[V6Bob]

"i had a bad compressor that was "internal", so you could only compress one side"

Good grief. Compressing springs is really dangerous with good tools. To try it with bad ones....

Especially with rusted fasteners, this is one deal I'd definitely have done by a pro.

[dmw319]

well it was for "coil springs" and it was just like a clamp/vice type thing that was meant to be inside the coil, then it compresses it. but since there is a shock on the inside, you cant use but one side of it.. hence making it useless.