How to Stretch a Tight Spring (tension spring)
Вставка
- Опубліковано 8 вер 2024
- Do you need to stretch out a spring to attach or reattach it? When I fixed my couch, I couldn't reconnect the tension spring. Here's a tension spring: amzn.to/2yfhvX6 (AD)
So I found this easy method of stretching a tension spring using coins.
I build furniture for a living. Believe it or not we put those springs on with our hands. It’s crazy how strong your hands get doing this work every day.
Wow - that's some strong hands!
Lifesaving video! My father and I were on a motorbike road trip in the middle of nowhere.
My father drove over rock that knocked a seemingly unstretchable compression spring off that was holding the middle stand of the bike up, making the bike unusable.
Completely stuck and isolated with no mechanics or passing vehicles near by, we frantically searched the internet to find out how to stretch out the compression spring. After finding your video we managed to find a crack in the concrete that worked as a vice, and used our penny’s to stretch it out and managed to reconnect it.
Thank you so much for your willingness to upload this niche video!!!!
thanks for sharing your experience.
Brilliant! Thank you so much! We had a pull down attic door spring we needed to reattach and this worked perfectly. When we pulled the door open, all the coins fell out and the spring was back in place. It felt like hitting the jackpot at a casino!
Thanks Sean - I love the image of the jackpot falling from an attic door!
Using it for the pull down attic stairs worked for me as well!
Fantastic! Works great. Thank you 🙏🏼
I will try tghis tomorow on my attic spring
This may be the single most useful repair video I’ve ever found. THANK you!!!
This technique is a life saver! I needed to remove springs from a vintage glider. The coils were not only rusted together, they had also been painted and were not going anywhere. Until I started used a screwdriver to pry open the spring and insert coins. I had 11 springs to remove and thought I was going to have to cut them off and try to find replacements. Your video saved the day. Thanks!
So glad it helped! Eak - cutting off the springs could have been a tricky proposition. Glad we found a better way!
Thank you! I was installing a center stand on my motorcycle and the last step was to install a very heavy duty spring. I tried every thing but could not get it installed. I was about to give up when I came across you video. Your method allowed me to lengthen the spring enough to fit it. Ingenious!
So happy I could help! Thanks for passing on your note.
Just doing the same thing.
Thank you! Great idea. We improved on it by using kitchen spoon handles. They are easier to push in, take out and they go through the whole width of the spring, so you don’t need as many of them.
That's a great idea!
Thank you so much. I fought for hours with mole grips and levers and failed. 20 x 1p 10p and 20p pieces later and I was done. You are a diy lifesaver
Replies like yours are THE reason I read replies with a much interest as the video itself.
This is pure genius! Some of my coins kept falling out as I added more coins, but putting some masking tape around the prior placed coins kept them in place. Once the spring was installed, I cut away the masking tape and the coins just fell out. Thank you so much.
This video helped me out, but what would have helped me even more would have been reading your comment before I started! I, too, had coins falling out near the end. I didn't think of your clever solution! I finally got all my coins in by shielding the earlier ones in place with one hand as I added new ones (it was sort of amusing, my balancing act), but tape would have been a lot better! Next time...!
Excellent idea to "reload" this spring of mine. I had to replace a spring on my motorcycle and used your method. Worked great and did not involve any hard work at all! Instead of coins I used washers. worked just the same. Thanks again for this great tip!
Thanks Daniel. Washers is a great idea - they come in different thicknesses so you can use more or less.
Brilliant. Just replaced a broken sofa bed spring using this method. For those in the UK 5p, 10p and 20p work just as well. THANK YOU!
Fantastic! Thanks for the UK conversion too!
thank you! I had two springs to re attach on my lawn tractor and just couldn't stretch enough. You're a Genius! Thanks, the job was done in minutes.
Thanks Rick!
Thanks...I used a bunch of washers..for the attic stairs spring...no room to work up there...your method was very helpful.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Ingenious! You saved me $50- $70. Bless you.
Glad I could help!
Unfortunately I live in the UK and we don't have quarters here. I tried your coin trick with several different coins, but the gaps in the spring are too tight for any coin to fit in :(
Oh how funny clever. I am trying to install a #3 wire spring for my garage door. I was thinking of making an adjustable rod with a nut to extend then retract.
I think of all the times I cut, beat and hurt myself getting these damn springs to stretch over the years, no more THANK YOU SIR, you are a Jennie
You're welcome! Glad to prevent a few future injuries.
This saved me soo much time. Lost 1 spring on my grandfather's (passed away) favorite chair and was able to get a new 3inx1in spring. Was "close" but after this it worked perfect and took 3 min to get it fixed. Grandpa would be proud and amazed at what you can find on UA-cam!
Thanks for sharing Roger. Makes me excited about making videos when I hear this type of story!
Brilliant! was struggling to get my drive belt back on the riding mower and no matter how much I huffed and puffed, I couldn't pull it far enough. In 5 minutes got it done, without ANY exertion! Thank you so much for taking the time to post this marvelous solution
Glad it worked Bob - thanks for sharing your story!
Me too. Crazy tight springs.
Thank you!!! I had to stretch a belt tension spring three inchs under a riding mower. I could only use one hand as the space was vey limited. I used your method and after 20 washers it made the distance. You saved me from loads of frustration and much profanity. Didn't even bust one knuckle!
Washers - great idea!
Thank you so much!! I had an attic spring that I just couldn't get close enough, even after following all the other "how do you reattach a spring to pulldown attic stairs ideas?" It worked perfectly! Thank you so much for posting!
Great solution - thanks for posting! The La-Z-Boy repair technician had no way to extend the very strong springs in my recliner until I found this video. We did it with 13 nickels on either side.
Brilliant! I just reattached the spring holding my fridge door using your method, after struggling with it for almost an hour. 25 quarters and 19 dimes. It works and it safe! Thank you!
Thanks for letting me know!
Brilliant, yet so simple and no busted knuckles. Replaced attic ladder springs and it took but 15 minutes. Thanks!!!!
Glad it works for you Barrie
I just got down from my attic trying to figure out how to reconnect one of the two springs that popped off my access ladder. Exhausted and pissed off, I thought..where's the Incredible Hulk when you need him? Better yet...let's UA-cam it! It worked! Thank you !!!
Glad UA-cam could help - so much easier to access UA-cam. I hear the Incredible Hulk has a long waiting list to reattach springs ;-)
Thank you very much for doing this video. Amazing!
In my case, the springs are under a sofa. The corner hook that the springs hook onto snapped. I was sent a free replacement, but then about six of these springs had to be hooked up. You would need an elephant to stretch them by simple pulling.
This is the best of UA-cam
You're welcome Tommy. Glad it helped.
Thank you very much. The strong string pulling did not work as Lazy Boy had suggested. This worked great. You saved me $130+tax.
Excellent! I'm surprised Lazy Boy doesn't suggest the coin method. I can't imagine being strong enough to use a string.
Thank you! I had a spring pop off the pullout in the sofa. Your method worked!
This trick saved us. Use on an attic spring - used quarters to lengthen the spring, then SLOWLY we closed the door (with me inside) the additional length made it possible to just barely make the hook! Thank god!
you saved my carpel tunnel arthritic crippled old hand.....thank you
I don't think Arnold Schwarzenegger's hands from Terminator could stretch out one of these springs.
Thanks for the video...
I've been trying to think how to fit a new and very tight center stand spring to a motorcycle. I tried today after watching this using flat washers and it worked very well... I fitted the spring with the stand down where there was the least tension and when I took the bike off the stand most of the washers fell out. Saved me a lot of time and more so effort. Thanks again...
Used this today to get a spring on a mower deck hooked up for the blade drive belt system. It worked like a charm - Thank you for sharing this!!
Great to hear Kip - thanks for sharing your experience!
Wow! Thanks so much. I replaced a rowing machine belt with a spring tensioner, and I could not get it back. I found your video, used about twenty nickels, and got it to work. I was pulling my hair out trying to figure out how to get the spring back in place. Great video!
Best tip ever! Put spring back on my lawn mower deck pulley. Worked like a charm!
dude, this is genius, i have a few springs on my lawn mower i need to replace and had NO IDEA how to stretch them out far enough to get them to hook, thanks for the tip :)
Glad I could help!
This amazing tip saved me $130!! Not only that, but I have knowledge that I will never forget! Thank you!!
Glad it helped Nyssa
Thank you, I used this tutorial and it saved me a ton of time.
Glad I could help
The spring hack is amazing!! It worked perfectly. Thank you!
You totally saved my day with this video. I got the tension spring back on a riding lawnmower. Thanks!
Thanks that was really helpfull. I have foot operated log splitter and neeed to replace one of the springs... when it arrives will definitely try this with one pence coins a plenty!
Had a very problematical spring challenge today. Couldn't have busted it without you, Fortunately I had some thin washers for a tightly wound long and narrow strong spring. Would still be in the garage cursing without this video. Result!
Great job Craig! Glad I could help
As a bonus, this method also prevents damaging the spring surface with vice grips, thus creating a future fracture point. Brilliant, and thank you.
Great tip!
Just did this on a spring on my refrigerator door hinge. Epic, thank you.
Glad to share
Thank you so much for this video. I was fighting to get a spring back in place for a recliner and the coins worked like a charm!
Glad it helped!
This is a great idea and obviously works in this situation. I tried it on reconnecting a clutch spring return. My final solution was to hook a cable tie through the "eye" of the spring; the cable tie provided immense grip and leverage. After an hour of other methods the cable tie worked in about 30 seconds. My comments are not criticism - just another idea when the coins don't work.
A cable tie! Great idea
@@BrightonsReviewsandMore give it a try!
@@BrightonsReviewsandMore ua-cam.com/video/COIIxrorU3U/v-deo.html
That was hysterical...thanks so much
Our recliner spring came off and when we finally figured put where it went, there was no way we are strong enough to attach it.
Glad I could help :-)
You're a lifesaver, thank you. Thought I had permanently destroyed a small rocking chair that my wife's grandfather had left for us and our kids.
Glad I could help!
Omg I love you been trying to do this under my driver side seat with an amplifier mounted under it no room to work. This trick worked amazing
Glad I could help, Bradley
OMG...Amazing idea--!!!
I finally fixed my recliner thanks to you. Greetings from West Texas...
Greetings!
Did help. I've had 2 springs break on my recliner chair. The first one I added "S" hooks to "stretch" it, thus it hasn't been as tight as it should be. The other spring I can't find one to fit but I'm going to restretch the first one and remove the S hooks. TY!
Glad to help and best of luck!
thank you! totally worked for the springs on the murphy bed that i got. i knew youtube wouldn't let me down, but it was really YOU that helped. you put the YOU in UA-cam! : )
thanks again for the upload.
Thank YOU for your comment!
: )
Great practical thinking.. I bet you are best in whatever you do.
Thanks. I'll be sure to have my wife read this ;-)
Brilliant in its simplicity! I guess thick washers would work, too. Now to go get me some quarters!
Yes, thick washers would work. I tried nails (because I had a lot of those) and they did not work - they rolled around while moving it back and forth.
Hi, Thank you so much!! we have been struggling with our fridge spring for hours.......... you are ingenious!
Glad I could help! But I must admit I was just ingenious enough to make a video out of something I found elsewhere.
Wow, you're amazing! I just put my idler pulley on my mower and it worked great!
Exact reason I came to watch this video. Glad it worked for you and thanks for posting.
Awesome - glad to help!
Glad it helped!
wow we damn near broke an arm trying to stretch the string while using the pulley tension bar.... cant wait to do this tomorrow!!!!!!
Thanks. Worked great on attic door spring. Instead of using one on either side I squeezed about 40 of them in with a pliers. Once in place and the attic door was lowered it rained quarters.
Raining money! That's great
Brilliant! I was flumexed trying to fit a particularly stiff anti-rotation spring to my Dutch Bike steering handlebars. Great tip.
Glad it helped Anthony!
man you saved my life ,my head just blown from it and i foud this,thanks
Glad to share!
Thanks you are a genius! we solved a problem that we didn't know how to manage with a table spring!
Thanks!
That is super brilliant…AND you get your money back! Tucking this into the back of my brain for future use.
Outstanding! It worked great on my attic ladder spring. I thought it may be difficult to remove the coins but they all fell out easily . Thanks!
Glad to help Rick.
nifty !!!! need to install a spring right now ! but gonna use washers ...my pockets are empty!
Awesome! I have been fighting with a tensor in a tight space. No matter how much I cursed and swore, I was unsuccessful. I will try this.
Donovan - I hope it worked. Not sure how easy this would be in a tight space;
Brilliant..... absolutely brilliant... I’ve been out of my mind trying to get the spring in my BMW r26 Center stand... this video needs some likes so it’s easier to find
Exactly my problem on my honda!
I dont leave comments often so when i do its because you have made a video worth commenting on. Thank you
Thank you!
Best track ever!! Thanks a lot!!
Thank you! You made fixing my mower a breeze!
Glad to help!
Thank you for sharing this awesome and cheap trick
My pleasure 😊
Thankyou. Great idea, used it to reattach spring in my motorcycle kick stand. 🙌
Fantastic!
SO CLEVER- recently i had this prob and i had a pack of same size rubber bands so i put one on than another then another and another and so on -and it worked!!! got rubber bands from a dollar store my recliner works beautiful!! lol
So you stretched it a tiny bit more with each rubber band? That’s a great idea!
@@BrightonsReviewsandMore my recliner has big rivet post where the spring goes and i bought the wrong size spring-so i bought big pack rubber bands tryed it and it worked like a charm lol bout time something went my way lol thx.
@@BrightonsReviewsandMore no i meant i just used the rubber bands.!
@@BrightonsReviewsandMore i saw some guy use a t handle hook to pull his springs thats what ill do if i ever have to
Damn good idea, never would have dawned on me to do this
Brilliant. I just connected the spring on my motorcycle center stand which I have been trying to do for a week.
Glad to help Kenneth!
It worked good on the idler pulley spring on my zero turn mower. I managed to stuff a handful of them to get the spring off. I had to wrap duct tape around one section, so they would not fall out putting them in the other section.
I like the duct tape idea
That what I been trying to do on fence stretcher. Never thought of using vice to hold. My next try. Thank you
Oh - a fence stretcher is a great idea too!
Very clever! Thanks for the tip.
GOOD TIP, CAME IN HANDY WHEN I REALLY NEEDED IT.
Thanks!
WOW!!! THANK YOU! I need to fix my kids' spring horse and with your help, I'm able to do so. :)
Great!
This really saved me a huge amount of expense and aggravation! Thank you.
Dang
.it worked like a dam when putting a new spring on grandson's buggy. Thsnks
I watched this and had my doubts because the spring I was trying to put on my Scag lawnmower was bigger thicker and had so much more tension and had to be spread further, Plus I had very little room to work with. I have done it before with using a large screwdriver and sliding it up and hoping it ended up on the nut and it worked but sometimes I got cut. This worked perfectly and I’m really curious how you came up with this idea. Thank you so much. I liked the video and I subscribed to you. The only difference is I used large washers because I didn’t think the quarters were gonna be thick enough.
Glad it worked. I cannot claim that I came up with this idea. I found it written about on the Internet somewhere and just made a video showing how it's done. ;-)
Genious and it worked like a charm, taking a spring off a motorcycle. Kickstand
Glad to help!
Extremely helpful. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful Janet
Hahaha! Brilliant! Thanks! I’ll never forget that solution!
No vice handy, so I made it work by bending the spring against the head of a pair of long pliers.
Glad it worked for you Jim!
Amazing! I was repairing an old car seat but couldn't figure out how to reattach the springs
Glad I could help Björn
Nobel Prize. Will use it tomorrow to refit drum brake shoes.
I hope it went well John
Wow, that was awesome!!!
Brilliant idea...Thank you
Glad to share!
I have a couch with a leaf spring type spring that came out of its mount... tried to put it back and almost took out an eye like a dummy! 😂 Need to see if there's any trick for those, but I doubt it, would probably need a hydraulic jack or some craziness like that. But nice solve for this type of spring!
Thank you! Now will be much less awful and painful to change a Motorcycle Center Stand Spring.
Greetings from Brazil!
Thanks -glad to help someone south of the equator!
Worked like a charm...so glad I looked this up!
Glad I could help Karen
Worked like a charm!!!
Very clever, thank you, I'm also working to put a new spring on a recliner and this helped wow, thanks !
Glad to help Ross!
Thank you my spring master
Again i want to thank u for all ur help😘
You're welcome 😊
Brilliant!! Why didn't I think of that. I can finally put my couch back together.
Works like a charm
I like that. 👍 I have seen a tool made for that job too. It looks like a bent flat blade screwdriver with a notch cut into one end, and a t-handle on the other end. But unless you do a lot of that, I'd save my money or try to make one. A tack puller might work too, if you have one. 😊
Thanks Ron - I don't think I've ever seen that tool - or at least I didn't recognize it if I did see it :-)
Hi Ron, any idea where I can find that tool, or what it looks like?
@@filthiestfish The one that I bought was found at Harbor Freight.
What a clever idea. Excellent. Thanks
Thanks
Thanks so much for this. Plan to use it on a garage door spring.
Wow - that's a big spring. You might need a lot of quarters
Hook the bottom hook in place and attach some strong string to the top hook. Pull the string and then hook the spring in place. Job done.
thank you works every time.
Glad to hear that
Cool idea. Iwas trying to do this a few weeks ago, and struggled / muscled through it.
I suspect that the number (or stack height) of coins that you require is actually double the gap - because you need to put them on both sides of the spring, so 2 nickels extends the spring by one nickel height.
Ah - that makes sense. I think it probably took about twice the number I expected! Plus a little extra space to fit the hook through the hole...
You are a genius. Thanks!!!!!
Wow, thanks!