Homemade Spring Spreader

[Admiral]

Hey guys,

Maybe this is old news but here’s an idea for a cheap and relatively easy way to make a spring spreader. All it takes is some 1-inch black pipe (24-inches long), a couple end caps, a bit of ½-by-20 running stock and some steel blocks. Here's what my concoction of iron looks like:











Just tighten the nut down on either side and the spreader gets wider. Loosen them to make it shorter. The hardest part is machining the end blocks that match up with the eyes of the spring, but you could just bring them to a point and fit them above the curved portion of the eye if you wanted.

The gray PVC cylinders on the ends of the running stock are to keep them from flopping around. They're machined to fit neatly inside the black pipe. I've also made some safety blocks that bolt around the spring so when I remove the U-bolts and/or the center bolt there are no unwanted surprises... and by that I mean exploding spring leaves!

[deuce_roadster]

Well, that is a novel design. I would be VERY concerned about the cast Chinese pipe caps. I just spread a 14 leaf wagon spring and I can imagine those cast iron caps giving up with the amount of force that would be put on them. How about a machined steel cap instead of a cast one?

[FlatheadTed]

Nice job,

[BILL WZOREK]

Admiral;
I don't see any reason why it should not work.
Can you please post pictures of the safety Blocks.

THANKS

[ford38v8]

I've made and used a spreader using 1" all thread, and have been concerned about the possibility of it bending. I wouldn't want to be within a city block of a spreader using 1/2" all thread, sorry. The overextension of that length of thread stock is just too close to disaster for me.

[klicker]

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How about a longer pipe so less all-thread hanging out in the breeze? Also, would 1" all thread slip inside a 1" pipe? Or too tight? Might be well supported if it fit.... just a thought.

[JM 35 Sedan]

Admiral, the basic concept looks good but that 1/2" all thread is not going to take the load. I made one using 3/4" water pipe and 3/4" all thread. The 3/4" all thread bowed under the load of a rear '35 sedan spring. 1" pipe and all thread would have been better but not even sure it would have withstude the load. I would also worry about those threaded pipe caps as someone else mentioned. I know you are proud of what you have made but be very careful using that one. Spreading those springs can be very dangerous....please take caution!!

[flatmotor40]

just take the spring apart and use all thread to put it back together that is the way I did mine.Don't even like to use spring compressor on coil springs either these things can beat you to death

[JWL]

JM 35 and others are absolutely correct!! The 1/2" rod will fold and become a source for safety concerns. My "spreader" uses 1 inch diameter threads and is not as rigid as I might like to see.

[Fe26]

I like the design, which is simple and effective. The engineering is in my opinion adequate as are the materials, with the exception of the Allthread rod.

The pipe appears to be of reasonable capacity and adequate to the task.

The end caps appear to be pressure designated and therefore would be made of Ductile or Nodular Iron which should be sufficient for the task, especially as a nut and washer are used to lock the thread against the cap and reinforce the connection regarding applied force. (To efficiently use this device without the screw action binding, the end cap should not be threaded and should be used as a Bolster.)

The use of a steel nut and a rolled thread on the threaded rod is encouraging. This arrangment while (in my opinion) is underated, would nevertheless probably prove effective due to the short length of the active or working length of the threaded rod.

The steel engaging blocks appear more than adequate to the task. In my opinion a locking nut should be applied to this connection.

My only reservation on this device is the sizing of the Allthread. As others have commented a 1" rod would alleviate many concerns. It's twice the diameter but many times more stronger in compression.

To return to the Endcap; should this cap not be of a rated capacity it could be readily replaced with a Scheduled Fitting. Or a large 1" nut welded to the pipe ends.

[Kube]

All-thread ® is not designed to take any loads from the side. I see spreaders like this and wonder just when it breaks, how bad the subsequent injury will be.
yeah, yeah, I know... "it worked for me"... those stories we all hear, all the time. How many do we NOT hear about the thing bending / breaking / someone getting hurt?

[Admiral]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I haven't put any real pressure on the assembly yet so I don't know how it'll perform but when I do get ready to pull the springs I'll use CAUTION. If I see ANY flexing, which there probably will be, I'll go back and get some larger running stock and machine up some tougher end caps. Stay tuned...

[19Fordy]

Here's one made using a super big turnbuckle. Works great and won't flex.

[cmbrucew]

Most all thread rod is grade 3 or less, made to use with pipe hangers for the plumbing and fire protection industry.
Mcmaster carr and other suppliers offer grade 8 all thread rod.
I agree 1/2" dia. all thread rod is too weak for this application.

Bruce

Works good
Lasts long time

[Kube]

Originally Posted by cmbrucew

Most all thread rod is grade 3 or less, made to use with pipe hangers for the plumbing and fire protection industry.
Mcmaster carr and other suppliers offer grade 8 all thread rod.
I agree 1/2" dia. all thread rod is too weak for this application.

Bruce

Works good
Lasts long time

Grade #8 is too hard (brittle) for the application desired here. Threaded rod is simply a poor choice for this type of work / stress.

[FL&WVMIKE]

Here are photos of a home-made spring-spreader, that I had submitted to the "V8 TIMES", many years ago.
It was inexpensive, easy to make, easy to use, but it only worked on the front.
I think that the second time that I used it, the All-Thread did bend a little bit.
MIKE
CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE - Twice

[Admiral]

Originally Posted by klicker

How about a longer pipe so less all-thread hanging out in the breeze? Also, would 1" all thread slip inside a 1" pipe? Or too tight? Might be well supported if it fit.... just a thought.

Originally Posted by 19Fordy

Here's one made using a super big turnbuckle. Works great and won't flex.

I don't think I've ever seen a turnbuckle that big before!

[oldford2]

Kube has some posts on these homemade spreaders and I agree some are not safe. Maybe Kube will post a picture of his spreader.
John

[TagMan]

Originally Posted by Kube

Grade #8 is too hard (brittle) for the application desired here.

Just curious, but are you a Metalurgist? Wondering where you got your info.
Thanks,
-Bob

[jkeesey]

I use a Model A rear spring spreader. It has fit every Ford spring Ive tried it on.

[AlDeBear]

Admiral, I like the ingenuity & engineering of your spreader! Never having used one I'll leave all comments RE:safety & practicality to Barners that have. Looks good!

[quickchange34]

The best one is a porta power. They work great.

[Fe26]

Originally Posted by 19Fordy

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.

[oldford2]

Wow, now after all these years spending extra $ for grade 8 bolts for their strength , I find out Kube says they are too "brittle". I can't wait till he posts a picture of his spreader.
John

[Kube]

Originally Posted by oldford2

Wow, now after all these years spending extra $ for grade 8 bolts for their strength , I find out Kube says they are too "brittle". I can't wait till he posts a picture of his spreader.
John

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.

[bobgrice]

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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.

[Cecil/WV]

Here's a pic of the one our club owns, although it is a poor pic. Sorry for that.

[Admiral]

Originally Posted by Cecil/WV

Here's a pic of the one our club owns, although it is a poor pic. Sorry for that.

Now THAT'S a chunk of iron! No worries about flexing with that piece of equipment.

[Randall]

I know this is not home made but, thought you might want to see an old Snap On spreader

[Kube]

Originally Posted by oldford2

Kube has some posts on these homemade spreaders and I agree some are not safe. Maybe Kube will post a picture of his spreader.
John

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.

[blucar]

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..

[Admiral]

Originally Posted by Kube

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.

So that's how it's done? Those things are massive.

[oldford2]

Yes, I agree, Kube's tools sure look sturdy.
John

[Tinker]

Since we are posting spreaders... I picked this one up a while back for a fair price. Does anyone know what make it is or seen one like it?

[deuce_roadster]

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.

[Kube]

Originally Posted by deuce_roadster

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.

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.

[Tinker]

The cast wrench was broke when I got it. Still works well and a pipe / torque amplifier can be used. Or just a bigger wrench...

[Kube]

Originally Posted by Randall

I know this is not home made but, thought you might want to see an old Snap On spreader

I like this one for the 34 rear springs.

[deuce_roadster]

I think I need to hang a "torque amplifier" up with my tools and label it as such! Thanks!

[El Rat]

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...

[47Merc]

This one was for sale on ebay a while back. It looks about 2" dia.

[Kube]

Originally Posted by Tinker

The cast wrench was broke when I got it. Still works well and a pipe / torque amplifier can be used. Or just a bigger wrench...

Yikes! Either that dog is really small or that wrench is huge!

[Fe26]

Originally Posted by Kube

Yikes! Either that dog is really small or that wrench is huge!

The very tool for a Fitter which short arms.

[40Pickup]

Has been posted before ........ a different design, and I like that it can not slide off.

/Jorgen

[cmbrucew]

Jorgen's spreader looks well thought out. If we can accept the turnbuckle, what bolts would be our choice for the clevis pins? Grade3, 5, 8, or a forged clevis pin.
It would be useful to know the amount of pressure it would take to extend the spring 4 to 5 inches. If someone had access to a testing company a spring could be anchored on one end and the amount of pull from the other end could be recorded to extend to the length required to remove one shackle pin.

Bruce

Works good
Lasts long time

[19Fordy]

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It would be useful to know the amount of pressure it would take to extend the spring 4 to 5 inches. If someone had access to a testing company a spring could be anchored on one end and the amount of pull from the other end could be recorded to extend to the length required to remove one shackle pin.

I wonder if a porta-power with a gauge would work?

[VeryTangled]

I was looking at some photos that Frank Miller is posting on his cross country drive to Tahoe. He stopped at the EFV8 Foundation museum and I spied these two in a photo of his.

-VT/Jeff

[Fe26]

Originally Posted by cmbrucew

Jorgen's spreader looks well thought out. If we can accept the turnbuckle, what bolts would be our choice for the clevis pins? Grade3, 5, 8, or a forged clevis pin.
It would be useful to know the amount of pressure it would take to extend the spring 4 to 5 inches. If someone had access to a testing company a spring could be anchored on one end and the amount of pull from the other end could be recorded to extend to the length required to remove one shackle pin.

Bruce

Works good
Lasts long time

If using a Turnbuckle to make a Spring Spreader my suggestion would be to use/adapt the threaded hook/eye-bolts that come with it. They are all forged components and are rated for load bearing applications.

[Tinker]

Originally Posted by Kube

Yikes! Either that dog is really small or that wrench is huge!

The dog is 70lbs. It's an old train wrench. Saved it from being a ratrod bumper, now it's a wall hanger.

[Fe26]

Rat rod bumper is a brilliant idea. I may consider using one of my big flogging spanners on the rear of my 36' pickup (I have some around 4-5' tall that we used on the forging hammers).

[Tinker]

Ya it might be a good idea. It was adverstised that way. Guess the orginal bumpers grew on me.