Homemade Spring Spreader
- Thread starter Admiral
- Start date
quickchange34
Well-known member
The best one is a porta power. They work great.
Here's one made using a super big turnbuckle. Works great and won't flex.
This is almost identical to the one I made for myself. I was operating on the KIS principal. Also the Turnbuckle is Drop Forged so no worries there.
I used the threaded pieces (rolled threads for strength)that came with the Turnbuckle and welded and sleeved them to the main bar.
Kube
Super Moderator
The grade 8's are okay for certain applications. I spent many years as a tool & die maker. I did manage to learn a few things along the way. What types of steel to use and where was paramount to any work I had done.
I will dig out my spreaders tomorrow and photograph them.
Grade 8 fasteners are the way to go - in the right application. Kube is correct in his worry here, as the threaded rod will not just be seeing a tensile load, but side loading (bending) as well. The metallurgy of this alloy with the heat treat to attain Grade 8 specification is indeed brittle when subjected to bending loads. I cannot overstress the amount of energy involved in this system when you have spread one of these springs out in order to remove or install. Fasteners are not designed for this application! I have an old "official" spreader that I inherited from my grandfather and, although it does utilize fine threads for the spreading, the threads are formed on very large (I'd guess 1-1/4" diameter without going out to measure) pieces of mild steel with forged ends that are curved to nestle in the back of the eye.
Just as Kube said, just because you haven't had one of these fly apart on you, doesn't mean it's not about to happen. And, remember, "watching for bending" and backing off before things get hairy may not be such a good safety plan, as these failures happen fast and you could end up with a face full of shrapnel before you know what happened. You will NOT be able to get out of the way fast enough. Trust me.
I'm not attempting to come across as any kind of know-it-all here, just spread some industry knowledge I have on machine design, metallurgy and working safely - all of which are required in my business on a daily basis.
Just as Kube said, just because you haven't had one of these fly apart on you, doesn't mean it's not about to happen. And, remember, "watching for bending" and backing off before things get hairy may not be such a good safety plan, as these failures happen fast and you could end up with a face full of shrapnel before you know what happened. You will NOT be able to get out of the way fast enough. Trust me.
I'm not attempting to come across as any kind of know-it-all here, just spread some industry knowledge I have on machine design, metallurgy and working safely - all of which are required in my business on a daily basis.
Admiral
Well-known member
Now THAT'S a chunk of iron! No worries about flexing with that piece of equipment.
Kube
Super Moderator
Okay, here goes...
The yellow one is a SnapOn brand spreader. All steel, you can easily see it is heavy and built well. The threaded portion is a full 1" diameter.
The "skinny" one is KD, another early production tool. It is also all steel. Threaded portion is 7/8" diameter. I like the way the ends are shaped on this one.
Lastly is the one I made. The threaded portion was made from one piece of StressProof® steel. It is 1" diameter. I cut #8 (pitch) threads in it.
The outer sleeve is thick wall steel tube. It is not rolled and welded but rather a formed piece which is much stronger. I have a number of sleeves that can be added to this as needed for various widths of springs.
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blucar
Well-known member
OK, I'll add my comments to this thread..
Attached is a pix of a spring spreader that I made many years ago... I made it from memory of the one we had at a Ford garage I worked at in the early '50's..
I used 3/4" threaded rod and 1" pipe.. The design I used requires only simple shop tools and a welder to weld on the ends.
In reality, the spreader only has to expand a very short distance to relieve the tension on the shackles..
It should be noted that I "concave ground" the ends of my engaging blocks to capture the spring eye, the blocks can not disengage from the spring eye, once pressure is applied to the spreader..
Attached is a pix of a spring spreader that I made many years ago... I made it from memory of the one we had at a Ford garage I worked at in the early '50's..
I used 3/4" threaded rod and 1" pipe.. The design I used requires only simple shop tools and a welder to weld on the ends.
In reality, the spreader only has to expand a very short distance to relieve the tension on the shackles..
It should be noted that I "concave ground" the ends of my engaging blocks to capture the spring eye, the blocks can not disengage from the spring eye, once pressure is applied to the spreader..
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Admiral
Well-known member
So that's how it's done? Those things are massive.
deuce_roadster
Well-known member
Interesting, you must be one strong dude to work that with the short handle on the wrench! (I know, you probably have a pipe cheater bar to slip over the handle)
I thought for sure Kube would have a KR Wilson spreader.
Another thought on the home made ones, the threaded part should extend as far as possible into the hollow part so when in use it will minimize any tendency to flex/bend.
I thought for sure Kube would have a KR Wilson spreader.
Another thought on the home made ones, the threaded part should extend as far as possible into the hollow part so when in use it will minimize any tendency to flex/bend.
Kube
Super Moderator
A cheater bar? In the tool & die profession we call those torque amplifiers. I think knowing the proper terminology for these types of tools earned us better wages than machinists'.
I do own a KRW spreader. I couldn't get to it this morning. The basic difference between the KRW tool and the one I made is the KRW tool has chains integral on each end that were intended to be wrapped around the spring. Kind of a safety thing...
The spreader that I'd made has numerous sleeves that can be added as required. i add them to the smooth end, that is the end that has no threads.
In that way, I need only the minimal amount of threads protruding from the outer sleeve as necessary to spread the spring.
Even utilizing 1" diameter stock, the end with threads will always be inherently weaker than the end that remains smooth.
Kube
Super Moderator
I like this one for the 34 rear springs.
deuce_roadster
Well-known member
I think I need to hang a "torque amplifier" up with my tools and label it as such! Thanks!
I pretty much copied the one illustrated in the V8 Times. I used 3/4" all-thread and kept goofing with it until I had the maximium amount of all thread captured within the black iron pipe. Worked and worked well, however it still deflected a small amount. 1/2" all thread has no chance...