It's upside down.

 

I understand that, haha! Unfortunately, it's the only way to work it on the W123 because there is no access from the bottom of the coil.

 

You should do your research before undertaking potentially dangerous tasks!!!!..........How to use a Klann KL-0025 spring compressor

 

You can do it the way he's doing it on a W123, but you must dremel the hole to widen it for the tool.

 

The upper part of the compressor rod must be able to go through the hole and it has. Hit it with a hammer or try to compress the spring again so it goes through all the way.

 

it will not fit. i have the same unit and it doesn't fit my w123 either.
worked great on the w201 and w124.
i should sell it.

 

Can you decompress the spring and detatch and remove the lower Plate?

If you can do the above see if you can wiggle it from side to side while some one pulls up on the top of the Compressor with a Vice Grips.

 

Could you try to compress the spring and then un-bolt the lower control arm and drop the spring down that way? That way be less "wiggling" on a spring that is compressed.

 

Good Morning Everyone!


Drum roll......

TADA!

First and foremost, I'd like to thank everyone for their insight and advice! :beerchugr:

Here's what happened:

Plan A involved me trying to get the tool back out, like "300Dman" described in his post above; I lowered the rod, adjusted it for removal, raised the rod & pulled the lower plate. Then I tried to free the rod with movement and pressure from beneath with a variety of tools -- to no avail. Problem was that the rod was very tightly wedged in the hole.

Plan B was to just get the rod all the way through to the other side with blunt force. Not wanting to foul the threads inside the rod, I opted not to simply wail on the adjustment nut itself. So I grabbed a socket large enough to miss the nut, but small enough to rim the rod (kinda like pressing in a bearing) and started smacking it with the dead blow. After about half a can of deep-creep and 10 or so good blows, it made it though. Strangely enough, there is no visible damage to the opening at all!

Here's the crappy part, I assumed if I could get it thought the hole one time, it would open up slightly and be more willing to go back thought it a second time when I reinstall the spring, like sizing a ring. Not the case!! So I imagine I have to either enlarge the opening about a millimeter, or find another tool. This kit states it's for the W123 (among others) but unless it's defective, the design is a bit thoughtless.

Thanks again everybody for your help!! Let me know if anyone is interested in hearing about and/or seeing any other aspects of my steering, suspension & brake renovation. Perhaps I could be of assistance too!

-Chris

 

it's a design flaw in the kit, combined with bad advertising

 

Most of the eBay ad's I've seen say "W123 rear only"...

It'll work just take a die grinder to the opening. That's what I did.

 

Chris 300D: I'm very interesting in seeing your work. I'm out of the country for a while but just before I left I starting working brake rotors, calipers, bearings, upper control arm, etc. I would especially like to see how you press out/in the ball joints if you could take some pictures.

Everyone else: Is there another brand of spring compressor that is not this troublesome??

 

Everyone else: Is there another brand of spring compressor that is not this troublesome??[/quote]

There is mainly 3 options to compress the front Springs.

1) Buy or get a hold of a real Klann Spring Compressor.

2) Buy or get a hold of the Copy of a Klann Spring Compressor as the Guy that the thread is about did but besure to enlarge the Hole in the body so that the Compressore Functions Properly.

3) You can make your own Spring Compressor.

To install the Ball Joints again there is a speckal made Klann Ball Joint Press for that. However, if you are willing to remove the Boot from your New Ball Joint you can use a generic Universal Joint and Ball Joint C Frame Press.

The pics below show the C Press in a Box.
The next pic shows Me pressing in a Ball Joint.

However, I found out I would have been better off if I had taken the time to make a large Washer to fit where the Upper Red Arrow is pointing. Heving a washer would have helped me alot because the area on the Ball Joint that the Press Contacts is rounded and the Press wants to slip to one side.

Here is 2 threads that show different tools in use:
Ball Joint LCA removal regular tools TUBE BALL JOINT TOOL JTC
Write up - Ball Joints & Lower Control Arm Bushings & Tool Review (PICS!) - PeachParts Mercedes ShopForum



Here is 2 threads that show different tools in use:
Ball Joint LCA removal regular tools TUBE BALL JOINT TOOL JTC
Write up - Ball Joints & Lower Control Arm Bushings & Tool Review (PICS!) - PeachParts Mercedes ShopForum

JTC BALL JOINT TOOL
http://eng.jtc.com.tw/products/products_search_list.php?Keyword=ball

 

Home Made Spring Compressors:

The Spring compressor in the First 2 pics works similar to the Klann Spring Compressor and was made and pictures posted by a Member of the PeachParts Forum.

The one in the 3rd Pic was made by Me from 1 inch threaded Rod. The Large Plate goes through the Lower Spring Coils and that opposite end sits on top of the Spring Perch/Fender Well Hole and when you screw in the Nut it compresses the Spring upwards into the Spring Perch. When compressed you just leave it there because you do not need to remove the Spring to do the work on the Suspension. (You can decompress sthe Spring after the LCA is removed but it is a awful lot of cranking to loosen it.).
I also had to use a Crows Foot Wrench to turn the top nut because there is no room for a regular Wrench and as you compress the Spring the Threaded Rod Rises (also you cannot close the Hood with the Rod sticking up).


I also made the larger Hooked tools out of 1 inch threaded Rod. I made a pair of them because I wanted something that I could compress and also remove the spring with that I could use on other vehicles besides Mercedes.

The need to have a strong Spring Compressor is that the Front Spring on the Mercedes must be close to 5 times as strong as the ones on Gas Cars.
I bent up my skinny hooked Strut type Spring compressors trying to do the job and that is why I ended up making some Spring Compressors.