Tundra Coil/Shock FAIL!

[danthemanx07]

I have been struggling with my Tundra/Landcruiser lift for the past couple of days. I have everything apart and took my Tundra coils, Tundra Bilstein 5100s, and top plates to have a shop put them together and BAM - the hits come.

Shop one says they don't have a compressor big enough to put them together. Ok. It was a small shop. I can see that.

Shop two, Firestone, get a call after a few hours - NO GO - they don't have a compressor that will get them down enough to get the shock retaining nut on. They even went across the street and tried to do it at Pepboys. No dice.

So, WTF. Where/how are people getting their Tundra Coils and Bilstiens put together? I have checked the part numbers, and they are correct for the springs and shocks.

Has anyone had this problem?? Sonoran Steel's instructions make it look so easy...

 

[revenantdead]

is there a midas somewhere near you? i worked at one, wall mount coil compressors are standard equipment.

 

[shadow247]

Any wall-mounted strut compressor should have no problem doing it. If they are trying to put the top clamps on the spring, they will never get it that way. You have to put the top clamps on the top plate in order to compress the spring enough to get the top nut back on.

 

[Yoter]

I used the free 48 hour rental spring compressors from O'Reilly's and they were fine!!
Not scary to use as others have reported. Just be smart about it tighten both side in equal intervals and you will be fine.
You will need to go to two different shops in order to rent two sets but I highly recommend getting two sets(4 compressors) and use all four on each spring (do them one at a time).
Also be very careful when putting the nut on the top of the shock, I cross threaded mine while tightening it by hand the threads on the shock shaft are very very soft metal. Which led to 6 hours of trouble.
Good luck let us know how it goes but if you ask me save the money and do it yourself you wont need anything more than a couple sockets and a ratchet.

 

[white_n_slow]

I used the free 48 hour rental spring compressors from O'Reilly's and they were fine!!

Same. Free, and adequate for the job. I only used one compressor set. It can be a little tricky placing the compressor arms between the coils in such a way that the spring will "let go" of the compressor when you're done, but it can be done. Took me about 3 tries to get it right.

What would be way easy is to buy a compressor of this type and grind down the little nubs on the arms so they don't protrude as much. But of course, you wouldn't be able to do that with a rental. Also possibly not the safest option if you're a klutz.

like this:

 

[curtperry]

Same. Free, and adequate for the job. It can be a little tricky placing the compressor arms between the coils in such a way that the spring will "let go" of the compressor when you're done, but it can be done. Took me about 3 tries to get it right.

Same here... Free O'Reilly compressor set rental and it was easy stuff.

I had never compressed a spring before and didn't feel the least bit worried during the process, I gave the compressor bolts a good lube first and used air tools to do the tightening while I kept one foot on the coil (laying on its side) and the rest of my limbs clear just in case. To get them off afterward when the little fingers were pinched by a coil I just used a 3lb hammer to smack them down the coil a little ways.

I have had them together and apart 3 times now adjusting stuff, it gets a little harder as you move the adjusting rings upwards, but still do-able.

I think this would be more appropriately titled Service Shop FAILS

 

[shadow247]

I had the luxury of using my shops wall compressor to do my front struts, but I rented the spring compressor pictured to make it easier to put in my rear springs. If you use the compressor there is no need to unhook any of the control arms, or even the panhard bar. That makes it WAAAY easier if you are using the stock panhard since it is a PITA to get it hooked back up after installing the longer rear springs.

 

[KSWAY]

Hmmm..Can you post a picture of your 5100 with the spring on it?

 

[danthemanx07]

I actually have two sets of spring compressors that I rented from Autozone to get the job done. I gave it a try before I brought them to the shops. I couldnt get them on either, but I am going to give them a second try in the morning. I think I may have not had them placed optimally.

I'll report in tomorrow after I give it another shot.

I have done lifts before, so this is not my first rodeo, but it is proving to be more of a challenge than I anticipated.

 

[Randyman...]

I'm a 5th genner ( :sing: ), but am also looking to swap on a set of 5100's next week. Do these same challenges present themselves with the 5th gens and stock springs on the 5100's?

I have a shop lined up to swap the springs if needed (local Midas), but I'd like to swap the springs myself if it's not too difficult. And, I'll be adding a rear spacer to correct my lean - so I'll need to borrow/rent the tool to compress the rear driver's spring regardless...

I had Midas compress the springs on my old '99 Tacoma TRD many years ago, and my previous 4x4 was an '87 T4R with torsion bars and leaf springs! No spring compressors needed there :tongue1:

Thanks for any clarifications (you 3rd gen studs!) :wave:

 

[rideexileex]

As mentioned, I am able to it just fine with the spring compressors rented from Oreilly's, but the trick to making them easier/safer is to insert the spring holders where there is enough room for the "nubs" to fit into the springs, but then rotate them further down the coil. This way, you'll have more spring length to compress and it will keep the spring compressors more linear along the spring. I use an impact wrench just a little at a time on each side to keep it as even as possible.

 

[Randyman...]

As mentioned, I am able to it just fine with the spring compressors rented from Oreilly's, but the trick to making them easier/safer is to insert the spring holders where there is enough room for the "nubs" to fit into the springs, but then rotate them further down the coil. This way, you'll have more spring length to compress and it will keep the spring compressors more linear along the spring. I use an impact wrench just a little at a time on each side to keep it as even as possible.

Sounds like I'll give it a try. I'll have to compress the rear spring myself anyways - so I'll start there and see if I'm up for the front coil-overs. Thanks for the reply :wave:

 

[KSWAY]

Make sure the shop has the spring seat on right and not upside down. picture below has the spring seat installed upside down by a shop and you can see what happens when it is installed upside down.

Spring seat on the right way..

 

[Randyman...]

Make sure the shop has the spring seat on right and not upside down. picture below has the spring seat installed upside down by a shop and you can see what happens when it is installed upside down.

Spring seat on the right way..

Duly noted

 

[danthemanx07]

Any wall-mounted strut compressor should have no problem doing it. If they are trying to put the top clamps on the spring, they will never get it that way. You have to put the top clamps on the top plate in order to compress the spring enough to get the top nut back on.

You mean that you do it this way, with the clamp on the outside of the top plate spacer, on a wall mount compressor right? It doesnt sound like a a safe way to do it with typical compressors as pictured above. Let me know if I am misunderstanding. Going to give it another go this morning I think.

 

[danthemanx07]

THIS was the problem. I had the bottom mount upside down. If I had taken a good look at it I would have had this done yesterday morning in my driveway with the rented compressors too. Took it to a Midas as Shadow mentioned and the fella had my idiocy straightened out in 30 minutes for $50. Money well spent at that point.

What I learned - dont take anything to the two shops that couldn't figure it out and wanted to charge $150 for 1.5 hours of labor for what should take 30 minutes!

I am happier than a pig in poop now that they are together - ONWARD! :dance:

Make sure the shop has the spring seat on right and not upside down. picture below has the spring seat installed upside down by a shop and you can see what happens when it is installed upside down.

Spring seat on the right way..

 

[rickashay]

Make sure the shop has the spring seat on right and not upside down. picture below has the spring seat installed upside down by a shop and you can see what happens when it is installed upside down.

Spring seat on the right way..

I did this exact same thing when I was assembling mine.... Played around with them on a wall-mounted spring compressor for about 15 minutes and was thinking WTF?!?! Pulled it apart one more time and the light bulb went on....

Glad you got it figured out. I might want to mention this in my lift thread.

 

[KSWAY]

That's not mine. I just thought it was worth mentioning since the op said the shop couldn't get the springs on. with the spring seat upside down it's almost impossible to get the spring compressed enough to get them on.