When replacing a front coil spring in your car, be careful – be very careful. Unless you want to be mauled by a rogue spring flying at your head.
A couple of Car and Driver mechanics found this out the hard way when replacing a coil spring during a recent episode of their show, Saturday Mechanic.
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According to Ben Wojdyla, one of the mechanics in the video, a Mercedes-specific spring compressor failed in operation, resulting in a very close call.
The moral of the story? Don’t trust coil springs. They can fail. And if you’re going to replace them, make sure to take the proper safety precautions, including wearing safety glasses and securing the compressed spring using a jack or chain before removal.
Here’s a good video for safe removal of a front coil spring.
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