A few years ago I had to do some work on my old Renault Fuego that required
removing the front springs. I couldn't get a normal spring compressor in
there, so jury rigged something up from all-thread. Got the first spring
compressed, removed the lower support arm, and as I was sitting there,
crosslegged on the floor, I noticed that the hooks I'd used were slowly
straightening out.

I just had time to throw myself backward then the thing let go and the
spring shot downward at a very high rate of speed (it had only been hanging
up in the tower by rust, something I didn't appreciate at the time). It
bounced off the concrete garage floor and headed out of the wheel arch
upward just as fast, past my face just in front of my nose. I don't know
how I did it, but the next thing I knew I had grabbed it as it went by and
was holding it by the last coil while it went "boiiiiiiiiiiiiing" in my
hand. Weighed about six pounds and had really been moving. Talk about
lucky (and stupid, etc.)!

My wife, who had been sitting on a stool nearby watching, had eyes as big as
saucers. Neither of us got hurt and there was no damage, but I sure got an
increased respect for the energy stored in 6" coil springs, both as
potential energy or converted to kinetic energy! Had I not caught it, it
would have bounced around the garage off both cars, us, and who knows what
else. Be very, very careful.

--
Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)


"Rex B" wrote in message
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[1] Long, long ago; in a Universe far, far away.