Well, I guess this is the place to tell you about spring compressors gone south...

I was finishing the suspension on my new Taco last Saturday and working on the front shock assemblies. I was using a brand new, name brand (read $$$) spring compressor and it let go on me. Pain ensued. The spring went through the drywall in the garage and the shock glanced off of my ribs. First, I was stupid. I did not use the safety hooks that came with the compressor. WTF, I've done this job a dozen or so times by now, no sweat. Yeah, OK, bad move. Second, by the luck of the draw I got a defective tool. Bummer. The upside is that I get a new one for free.

End result; one broken rib, a huge bruise, sore as hell, truck on a trailer to the local shop to finish it, massive ego deflation, and a fifty dollar job in my garage gone to a three hundred dollar job.

It can be easily done in your home garage but be very careful about it please. You can also pull the shock assembly yourself and take them to a local tire/wheel/brake shop and they should be able to do the job on their six billion dollar spring compressor for about $50.00.

Mike