OTC 7045B Front Coil Spring Compressor

I was very skeptical to spend nearly $300 for this tool. However, I didn't want to get hurt or damage anything with the cheap Chinese crap available for less. This tool works exactly as advertised. I had no problem compressing the front coil spring on a Crown Vic. Quick and easy. Follow the instructions to the letter and it is very safe.

I've been wrenching for 30 years and buying tools for just as long. I've done suspension lifts, coil spring replacements, MacPherson strut rebuilds, coil-over installs, bushing swaps, if it holds the vehicle up, I've fixed or replaced it. This spring compressor is hands down one of the best tools I've ever bought. If you work on cars, you've heard of OTC. They've been making quality tools in America for 100 years. Don't waste your time with those sketchy, cheap external compressors that feel like a grenade waiting to go off in your hand. This compressor is SOLID. The entire thing is made of heavy cast American steel. The wide threads and included thrust bearing, in combination with the unique way the compressor is assembled, make installing and removing the compressor extremely smooth and easy, not like the crunchy, grindy game of chance you get with other inferior compressors. Multiple plate sizes and the generous screw length means it fits many different lengths and widths of springs. Don't be turned off by the price, the ease of use and simply just the peace of mind that this thing isn't going to explode and take your fingers with it are well worth the price.

I've used all different types of spring compressors over the years and this one is by far is the easiest and feels the safest of them all. It's a bit on the pricey side but dealing with coil springs is not the time to cheap out. I compressed big block springs for my Chevelle with ease. It also compressed with little to no bend in the spring which made it easy to put in place. Once compressed and in the correct orientation, I used a floor jack under the control arm to give it just another inch of compression. Put on my ball joint nuts and removed the compressor. BUY THIS if you want a safe and somewhat easy spring replacement project.

Works great perfect for 2WD Ford pickups. I much rather spend the money and do it the easy way.

Nice tool that worked great for compressing the springs on my 3500 Chevy chassis. Only reason I gave 4 stars is the high price.

I have used this compressor several times now and I love how SAFE and easy it is to use. I have used just about every type of compressor made and hated all of them. I always feared that they wouldn't hold and at least of couple of them didn't and caused great pain to my body. This type of compressor is extremely safe, easy to use and it WORKS. It cost more then the cheap ones but I assure you it is worth every dollar spent.

It is well made and easy to use; exactly what I expected from an OTC tool. I used this on a 1963 Fairlane and it is similar to an original Ford spring compressor for this same car but not exactly. I was able to remove the original front springs, but the larger plates are not quite large enough in diameter because the plates slipped on me when I was removing the second spring and upper control arm. Let's just say that I'm glad the spring was still in the wheel well. I read reviews that people had used on 60's Mustangs and the springs are a little smaller than in the Fairlane. It did get the job done and I could not have done it without it but maybe with some "modifications" it would be safer for use on early 60's Fairlanes. I hate B-type suspensions!

This tool definitely has some good features like the thrust washer for the pulling bolt, the long bolt itself and the nut. The ball socket anchors are good too. Where it lacks considerably is in the pulling plates design. They are flat straight across with no compensation for the height difference across the spring coils. As a result they have an uneven pull as you tighten the tool and tend to spin around the coils. The directions say to hold the screw with a wrench to keep the whole thing from turning. That unfortunately is very difficult to do and puts you too close to this loaded spring. It is already a dangerous task made even more so by putting you even closer to that loaded spring. The quality is very good but the plates could definitely be designed much better. I installed springs in a 94 Chevy C1500 pickup and ended up using the ABN tool to do the job. This OTC tool didn’t work for me.