Shock spring compressor tool

Ralf Brinkmann's shock spring compressor

Unit is always millimeters. School calc paper grids are 5 mm.

The very special adapter is for the old standard pre millenium Ural shocks made by the Ural factory.

The starting material for the two adapters is 5 mm thick.

The special open base profile is 300 mm long, cross-sectional width 40 mm and ran at that time under the name Helm 300. (in the USA, look for strut channel at places like McMaster-Carr)

Joe Tokarz's shock spring compressor

Thanks to Joe Tokarz for sending me this information via e-mail. In Joe's own words:

This is a cheap alternative to a store bought spring compressor that will only be used a few times. It uses basic ideas from others that are applied to the loop-frame shocks.

Parts list:

• Scrap 2 inch × 4 inch (oily patina makes it work better)
• Two ³⁄₈ inch threaded rods with nuts / bolts washers (from big box store)
• 2 inch × 2 inch × ¹⁄₈ inch angle iron (from big box store)
• Scrap metal and bolts for locking plate and holding pin

Build:

1. Cut / chisel a rectangular hole in the 2 inch × 4 inch that just fits the upper shock eye. Drill a hole for a bolt that serves as a holding pin that goes through the eye to keep the shock in place.

   Cut a slot in the angle iron to accept the shock body. The slot should have just enough clearance for the shock body and make maximum spring contact.

   Cut a similar notch in the scrap piece to prevent the shock from jumping out of the angle iron when it's under compression. I don't know if it would but it seemed possible. Drill holes in it to match holes in the angle iron.

   

2. Test fit the angle iron / scrap piece with the shock in the wood. Line up the whole thing and eyeball where the rod holes should go.

   

3. Install the rods and add some lube to the treads and start tightening. Keep the iron parallel with the wood. Compress the spring (squirt some WD-40 between the collar and shock body) until the collar can rotate easily and remove it by lining up the notches in the collar with the small bosses on the shock body. Slowly relieve the compression and remove shock.

   

4. Shock disassembled ready for cleanup.

   

5. Assembly is the reverse of the above. After cleanup they're ready for mounting.