how do you get springs off 400ex shocks!?!?!?

[Drag450R]

need help, I understand the concept but how do you compress the spring?? I back the preload all the way off, but I can't get the spring to move do enough to slide off the spring retainer.

what am I missing?!?!?

[Barrymaxx]

You need to use a spring compressor. Just wondering, why are you doing this?

[Drag450R]

ya I have a spring compressor but its for car coil springs its too big. do you know who has proper coil spring compressors? I bought a set of 400ex shocks and they are kinda beat up, doing to take the springs off and polish the shocks and paint the springs.

[REPOMAN]

you should be able to find one at a local atv dealership that has a service dept or at a small engine repair place. if your trying to buy one a parts house like advance auto or napa should be able to get one. checker auto would be a good place to start also, i just bought a ATV jack from there

[Drag450R]

thanks for the response guys, I will check the local auto parts store!

[Barrymaxx]

If your a little crafty, you can make one. Not reccomended though, just because flying brackets can inflict injury.

You can weld 4 hooks to 4 nuts. Then run 2 bolts throught the nuts. Now put one bolt/hook assembly on either side of the spring and tighten the bolts evenly. That would work. Not safe thoguh, probly easier to buy one made for quads.

[drsnugfit]

Originally posted by Barrymaxx
If your a little crafty, you can make one. Not reccomended though, just because flying brackets can inflict injury.

You can weld 4 hooks to 4 nuts. Then run 2 bolts throught the nuts. Now put one bolt/hook assembly on either side of the spring and tighten the bolts evenly. That would work. Not safe thoguh, probly easier to buy one made for quads.

you could do that, or you could do what I did, put your shock in a vice upside down and use ratchet straps to pull the spring down, only need to get them down about 1 inch to remove the C peice at the bottom.

[REPOMAN]

they have the compressor at the parts store here in nm so i would assume they have them everywhere. let us know how it all turns out

[Barrymaxx]

Originally posted by REPOMAN
they have the compressor at the parts store here in nm so i would assume they have them everywhere. let us know how it all turns out
Are you sure the "fingers" are thin enough to fit between the coils? Because i have a car one and it dosent fit. The fingers are too thick

[Drag450R]

well I used a car coil spring compressor, it worked to get them off but probably not to go back on without tearing up the new paint on the springs. we will see, I might try the vice and ratchet straps, but what did you connect the two ends of the strap too. The spring itself and what?

[drsnugfit]

Originally posted by Drag450R
well I used a car coil spring compressor, it worked to get them off but probably not to go back on without tearing up the new paint on the springs. we will see, I might try the vice and ratchet straps, but what did you connect the two ends of the strap too. The spring itself and what?

the ratchet strap I used was the type with 2 hooks, one at each end, I put one hook onto the uppermost part of the spring and looped the strap under the end of the vice and put the other hook on the other side of the spring, so when you tighted the ratchet it pulled down the spring equally.