DIY: Ratchet Strap Spring Compressor

[@DrAppleCrispies]

Safer than the clamps I've seen people using, I've watched alot of these jump out of cages but never had an issue with strapping them.

[@BellyUpFishGarage]

Seems like it’s definitely safer than the standard Autozone grade spring compressor.

[@TechTimeElectronics]

It's simple physics. Is the ratchet straps are rated for a certain amount of tensile strength then what's the compression rating on the spring and if you go 2 to 3 times over the compression rating. And it's locked in there's no more risk than using those spring compressors that could slide outside ways and shootout at someone

[@ODBGurl-l9e]

My thought is that if you're using a new good set of straps ( not dry rotted or weathered) for the proper tension value & you use three straps maybe even 4,, that even if there was some unlikley failure all 3 straps at the same time that the sping energy & trajectory & energy would still be sort of wrapped up in the straps as it went flying ? I have more faith in a quality set us 3 straps than the manufacture quality of a metal spring compressor from Amazon.. Just my two cents

[@Derek_Garnham]

my friends car came back from having a new spring fitted, it didn't drive right, when he looked there were still a few heavy duty zip ties compressing some of the coil. Maybe useful as secondary protection once the straps are tight.

[@wyattandwill12]

Great idea. I have straps I purchased for lining up my control arms but I didn’t think to use them for the spring. Driver’s side went on with a pry bar but passenger’s side was more practical to go with this method. Thanks again 😁

[@BellyUpFishGarage]

Don’t die!

[@wyattandwill12]

@@BellyUpFishGarage My biggest concern would be something happening while the vehicle’s driving since I did the whole rebuild, I may pay the place I get my alignment done at to double check my work 👍🏻 (even while it’s as simple as torquing everything down)

[@RollingLogs21]

Great video, and great hair! 👍😁 Did you know you can loosen a ratchet strap under tension one click at a time like a come-along? Set the ratcheting handle halfway between fully open and fully closed, and put some tension on it like you are going to tighten it further, but do not go far enough that it clicks. Then reach inside with your finger and pull back on the plate that engages the ratcheting pawls to disengage it from the pawls, and slowly let the ratchet handle move back toward the closed position (the tension load will pull it back). Once the ratcheting pawls clear the plate that you are holding back with your finger, release the plate so it engages the pawls at the next looser notch. Continue to do this one click at a time until all the tension is released. It takes longer, but it's a lot more controlled and less scary then just knocking 'em loose. That might be the "Safest, LESS dangerous way", ha ha!

[@11green11]

great vid, been using this method since forever 🙏 car springs can mostly be done by leaning on them or zip off the bolt while it's laying on the side. It's the truck springs that are stout and pose a danger and a major PIA. 😬

[@sailmirage]

Yes I agree. My springs don't look like his.

[@Xbox4life90]

U can use the weight of the car or truck . Just compress the spring with a jack under control arm, then loosen the middle top nut first.

[@recall2880]

Then how do you the get the spring back on after?

[@wolmntn]

When I was young and stupid I used hose clamps to hold the spring compressed when I took it off. I threw it and it went 50 ft into the sir. Needless to say I got the right spring compressor next time.

[@caucasianafrican1435]

It's easiest if you wrap the strap around each level of the spring, laddering up.

[@TechTimeElectronics]

If you're putting the spring on another shock then you don't even have to unclamp them could you going to have to reclaim them anyway so best to leave them clamps and pull tight so you can just switch it over

[@Bluelineclapper312]

Use thicker heavy duty straps rated for higher tension and you'll be fine.

[@willjones5816]

I did something very similar ~15 years ago with a dodge ram. If I can’t remember if it had the shock mount through the spring or if it was a coil over. Probably a coil over since I somewhat remember it being off the vehicle when I did it. I didn’t have a coil spring compressor and it was after hours on a weekend. I think I used four 1” ratchets working around one click at a time. The same for releasing the pressure. I still don’t understand why full-size trucks don’t have a removable shock. There’s room to mount it.

[@krisg822]

....lift the car or teh side you want to work on, put the straps on the spring without removing the wheel if you can, lower the car, now pull on those levers untill the straps are somewhat tight. Lift the car :) now the spring remains compressed. That is how you do it, there will be some cars where there is not enough space to do that, but this method will work for many cars. You don't have to worry that the straps will tear apart due to friction, since you don't pull on the lever to compress the spring - instead the weight of the car does the job. 😏

[@Franco-gn2rn]

Great idea but I suggest you do that while on the car so you can use the weight and if some snaps it would just bounce inside the wheel area and not directly to yourself

[@prezo1975]

'The safest most dangerous way'🤣🤣 About to give this a go.. the helmets not a bad idea ! Thanks

[@BellyUpFishGarage]

Don’t die!

[@jamiehalifax4954]

You can slowly unratchet ,ratchet straps using the othe lever..

[@scotianbank]

Would you say that this wouldn't be such a bad idea if I just needed to compress a spring on the front shocks on a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee in order to fit the shocks back into the car after adding a top-hat spacer for a 2.5" lift kit? So I wouldn't even need to remove the spring itself, since this kit doesn't come with a pre-load spacer, only the top-hat spacer. Not exactly sure how much I need to compress the spring, but it definitely is not the whole way, maybe 1/3 compression, 1/2 at most? Thanks!

[@BellyUpFishGarage]

Personally, I’d do it on my car, and while it would work, you should under no circumstances do this. ;) Disclaimer, disclaimer, disclaimer. 😆

[@Africanmechanics]

LET ME TRY THE SAME ON MY CHANNEL

[@TG-om1ue]

if all three began to fail i wonder how long you would have to run away from the grenade

[@BellyUpFishGarage]

Probably not as much time as it would take to get out of the blast zone.

[@TG-om1ue]

@@BellyUpFishGarage Well, if someone doesnt come back from the future to tell you not to do something it cant be the worst idea xD

[@BellyUpFishGarage]

@@TG-om1ue We can’t live forever! ;)

[@daveo9844]

Safer than using poor fitting clamps 👍🏼

[@BellyUpFishGarage]

Those clamps are awful.

[@KNIGHTJUMPS]

So Elvis isn't dead. Cool.

[@jimcatanzaro7808]

If it works is it stupid

[@BellyUpFishGarage]

Not if we don’t die! 😆

[@jimcatanzaro7808]

@@BellyUpFishGarage springs are easy I usually drop the lower ball joints so no need to compress them

[@tanveernaeem1157]

Use of straps could be risky.

[@BellyUpFishGarage]

Not as risky as those spring compressors, IMO.

[@matthewzombies1458]

37,000 people have now been injured....

[@BellyUpFishGarage]

*Saved from injury.

[@abandonbelief]

StandingTree did not say thank you

[@BellyUpFishGarage]

I’ll have a talk with them.

[@tuggaworsley4281]

You replaced absolutely nothing - why did you embark on a biased exercise ???? (Why did l tune in & stay the distance???)

[@BellyUpFishGarage]

If you don’t understand what was demonstrated in the video - please - for your own safety, do not perform what you saw in the video. That said, thanks for watching. 😆

[@HellofromAustralia-s8h]

😳😳😱😱🙄🙄🙄