Almost lost a finger to a cheap spring compressor on a strut job in my garage

Stella Roberts · 2026-09-16T18:15:05.673279+00:00

I was swapping struts on my 2004 Civic in my garage last Saturday, and I rented a spring compressor from the auto parts store on 5th Street for $18. The hooks were the two-piece screw type, and I figured they'd be fine for one job. I had the spring about halfway compressed when one of the hooks slipped off the coil and the whole thing kicked out sideways. The strut assembly shot across the garage floor, missed my left hand by maybe two inches, and punched a dent in my drywall. I stood there for a second just shaking. I checked my fingers, no blood, but my hands were numb for a bit. I took the whole thing apart, drove back to the store, and swapped it for the $65 clamshell style compressor they keep behind the counter. Slower to set up, but it clamps around the spring and it's not going anywhere. Anyone else had one of those cheap rentals pop on them, and what did you switch to?

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Almost lost a finger to a cheap spring compressor on a strut job in my garage | Automotive Diy - The Community Guide