The only tool here that stores energy while you work · review
A pair of external clamps with a 370 mm (14.6 in) span — the entry point to a job that stores enough energy to injure, and the point at which the manual matters most.
The last word The cheapest tool on this site with stored energy in it. Read the instructions before the price.
A pair of external coil spring clamps with a 370 mm (14.6 in) span and four claws, in CR-V steel.
The only tools on this site that hold enough energy to injure. A compressed suspension spring releases everything it holds in a fraction of a second if a claw slips, and there is no gradual failure mode.
Span and material, yes. Rated load, no — and on a tool of this kind, that is the figure worth having. Where it is absent, treat the tool as the minimum rather than the reference.
At the tool. The procedure — which strut, which sequence, which torque on reassembly — is in the workshop manual for the car, and this is not the place to improvise.
Listed but with no offer on the American Amazon store — the reference exists there and nobody is currently selling it.
Prices and availability are what Keepa reported on the date this page was updated; both move.
| Pieces | 2, stated |
|---|---|
| Span | Up to 370 mm (14.6 in), stated |
| Claws | 4, stated |
| Material | CR-V steel, stated as extremely robust |
| Amazon reference | B01HGFKCMM |
| EAN | 4251249416114 |
No. Makers say so explicitly. Fast, uneven winding is how a claw walks off a coil, and the spring leaves in a straight line. Both sides are wound by hand, alternately.
To the manufacturer’s written procedure, with the claws fully seated, opposite each other, wound evenly, and with nobody in the line of the spring. This page describes the tool; the procedure belongs to its instructions.
7.2/ 10
The cheapest tool on this site with stored energy in it. Read the instructions before the price.
A reference exists on these Amazon stores: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, United States. Listed is not the same as in stock — availability changes daily.
Details checked on September 4, 2026.
A single suspension job, done to the manufacturer’s procedure and no faster.
Specifications: the manufacturer sheet for garage tools and the matching Amazon product page. Prices and availability: Keepa. Every figure on this page names its source.
300 mm (11.8 in) span · 1050 kg (2314.9 lb) / 10,200 N stated · universal for most vehicle types
A MacPherson compressor with both a mass and a force rating published — 1050 kg (2314.9 lb) and 10,200 N, which is unusually complete.
Best for: A standard strut job where the published rating covers the spring.
≈ $95
2 pieces · jaw capacity 70–270 mm (2.76 to 10.6 in) stated · 1200 kg (2645.5 lb) · drop-forged interlocking safety claws · heat-treated 45# carbon steel
The set that publishes a rated load and describes its safety claws: 1200 kg (2645.5 lb), drop-forged interlocking claws and a reinforced spindle.
Best for: Anyone who wants the load rating and the claw design stated before starting.
≈ $57
Universal MacPherson set · for removal and refitting of struts · stated for conical and cylindrical springs
A universal MacPherson set stated to suit both conical and cylindrical springs — which is the shape question a clamp has to answer.
Best for: A strut with a conical spring, where clamp geometry is the constraint.
