Spring compression tool

[Frank S]

I am in the process of separating a tandem axle set for a flat bed trailer so it can have spread axles
Inside this assembly there is a 2" diameter .156"wire spring

Although the assembly comes off getting to the spring is not an easy task.there is a tang tack welded to the pin that the spring pushes against.
To compress it enough to get at the welds in order for the tang to be removed allowing the subsequent removal of the spring I needed a 6 armed octopus chimpanzee human hybrid. Not knowing where I could hire one on a short notice I decided to make a tool that doesn't look like anything I have ever seen.
I started with 2 pieces of 1/4" rod that had a bend on one end Just a couple pieces of scrap and a short piece of sucker rod with the dog knot still on it

Then I fashioned them into this


OK it worked I got 1 spring out but still have 3 more to remove then after the build is complete there will be a total of 8 springs to reinstall and I need to do a little tweaking to the tips of the forks so they will hook under the coils better I still needed 3 arms to get the spring compressed and cut the tack welds so no pics of that process as yet