ni7robles

I would like to buy or rent a mercedes spring compressor. Im in portland oregon. let me know if one is out there. I would hate to pay those 200 on ebay hopefully someone out there can help me out. Thank you for reading.

Somalia757

I would like some info on this as well.
I have worked on Japanese imports most of my life so the MB is new to me somewhat. I didnt realize you cant use a regular spring compressor.

ni7robles

Hey good day somalia 757. I got all f4 corners done without using the mercedes spring compressor. I used a regular spring compressor ($15) for the two front. It wasnt as simple as it sounds though.
1. I started with the rear. You lift the car and remove the wheel, you will then need to place the car on the stand so your jack is free to use. then use the jack and place it directly under the rear control arm towards the inner side so it holds the arm in place. then if you look towards the inner side of the control arm you will see 1 bolt about 4 inches long. unbolt that and it will free up the arm. now slowley lower your jack and the spring will push the arm out of its holding place. you may need to jiggle and hit the spring/control arm to fully fre the spring. From there you can simply swap the spring and reverse your steps.
2. The front is very tricky I suggest you plan 2 or 3 days in case you cant put it back easily.
Take off the front wheel and leave the car on your stand because you will need the jack for the front control arm. first unbolt the steering tie rod which is behind the rotor. The bolt is on the underside of the tie rod. Then towards the front of the rotor you will see your sway bar attached to the wheel by two small bolts. unbolt your sway bar so it hangs free. Now place your jack once again under the front control arm towards the inner end(make sure its a good area) and jack it up just so it touhes and supports it. The front control arm will have two bolts holding it in place, unbolt the two and take out the screw so that the control arm is only held up by the jack. and now SLOWLY lower the jack completley and the spring will push down the control arm. With your generic spring compressors you will wiggle and fit them on the spring to compress them a litte so they can be removed. this will be the hardest part because there is not alot of room to work with and the spring will need to be compressed an inch or two because the front dont pop off like the rear do. once the spring is off you will take your new sping and use your spring compressor to compress them up a little enough to fit in again. Then retrace your steps.


NOTE: The front springs are a little tricky and the control arm bolts will need to line up with the holes or the bolts wont want to go back in. therefore banging wedging and hammering a little will be necessary

nd4spd13

You realize you're recommending to bang on a spring that is at almost full compression, under a car that is on stands with the spring being compressed and held in place by a jack that is probably rather unstable or on wheels??

Klan type spring compressors are like $180 on ebay. They work perfectly, over and over again, and once you know what you're doing you can have old spring out and new spring in in like, 30 minutes. And with a lot more peace of mind too. IMO it's definitely worth the investment, really in just time saved alone.

ni7robles

The only time you need to bang the spring a little is when you have completley lowered the control arm due to the spring is almost cemented to the control arm. I imagine the years, dust and water created a sort of bond between the spring and the control arm. and the only compression I needed was 1-2 inches which the regular spring compressor did a safe job at since once the arm is dropped you actually have enough space for a regular spring compressor to do its job. If I had $180 I would of gone the easier route but I didnt see myself spending that much after taking a good look at how the suspension is set up. Im sure the stands can hold a car up safely as thats what they were designed for? but if safety is #1 then I guess everyone has their options. Just throwing out my course of action.

ni7robles

The time aspect is very true. It took me at least 40 minutes per spring.

Somalia757

Thanks guys for the information, much more involved than when I did my Hondas suspension.

But im excited to give it a shot!