Saw this posted on one of the other Roadie forums yesterday and thought I'd share it here. Here's a link to the original post:

http://forums.delphiforums.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=1602&msg=177522.1

Less than 1/2 the price of Baron's spring removal tool and everything you need is available at your local hardware or auto parts store so no waiting a week for them to ship it to you.

I like that. Looks like it would work well

Now THAT'S a great post! The price of the compressor was making me hem haw about doing the spring, Now I just need to decide on a spring and time it with the rear tire change. 3D thinking, out of the box. Sweet.

Just be careful! Even the title of this thread sounds like a shop accident about to happen Sorta a "hey y'all, hold my beer and watch this" kinda thing.

But, looks pretty good for the $$, for sure.

well to be honest, that looks exactly like the one you get from them! i will say though that if you buy your spring from looney he sends you the tool for a deposit that you get back when you ship it back so it costs even less than that....
im sure that tool works just fine as long as you do it right and tighthen all the nuts in intervals to keep the pressure even

Much better than using turnbuckes, wires and a bench vise.

Doc

Metkap and I verified the feasibility of using this tool.
1st The progressive spring tool did not work on an 07 shock. The Clinic provided the bail out.
We bought two flat Flanges for $10 1/4 in thick. And had the other things on hand.
But not having done this before and unclear instructions posted we had to do some guessing.
Although it was posted the clip is at the 'Dead" end. My spring did not show it with out some coaxing.
Following picture shows Poor mans spring tool and the needed coaxing. We really compressed this spring and seen no clip, but when I tapped the eye and of the shock it quickly revealed the clip. So not that much compression is needed.

Following pic clearly shows the clip you are looking for.

You don't have to remove it from the shock. Just from the grove and slide it back, Clean the grove it goes into while your at it, you want it to fully seat into the grove again, no rust or trash.

Here is what it looks like all apart. Be advised you can put it together wrong (retainer ring on wrong side Ha ha I got more practice with this tool than anyone.

So pay attention how it comes apart. It's is a little dangerous. I'll note that we used on hand 3/8 in all thread and wished we had used 1/2 in when one of the nuts stripped on the thread. Luckily we had a bail out on the other end to loosen the tool and get it off so. if your thinking of using bolts this long, don't.
Hope these picture make it more clear than it was for me.
Progressive spring is worth the money though and ordered direct from Paccific coast and got it in 5 days.
Now the front seems stiff compared to the rear so how about ordering the progressive front at the same time.
Ha ha.

Wow! You did compress the heck out of that spring. LOL I only compressed mine just enough to clear the retaining ring.

MS1700 wrote:
.
We bought two flat Flanges for $10 1/4 in thick. And had the other things on hand.
But not having done this before and unclear instructions posted we had to do some guessing.
What size is the diameter of the hole in the flanges????

chico wrote:
MS1700 wrote:
.
We bought two flat Flanges for $10 1/4 in thick. And had the other things on hand.
But not having done this before and unclear instructions posted we had to do some guessing.
What size is the diameter of the hole in the flanges????

I think 2.25 Answer is in Original link posted about 5th reply.

And the reason I had it compressed so much was the bottom looked welded on. It didn't budge no matter how much spring was compressed. Until, I tapped the eye end, then it was all good. Had someone posted pictures of that It would have been easy. So, I posted them for someone else to use.

To me the Internet is a community where I can learn what you did and do it, as well as post what not to do.