I cobbled up a tool I've used before:
Sorry it is out of focus, my hand was still shaking a bit at the time. And that is a '50 Ford lead sled on the rack behind it.
The silver blob at the bottom is a big vise. Clamped into the vise is an old wire wheel adapter from a TR6, I think.
The bottom end of the Spitfire shock/spring assembly sits in that. Normally when doing this I use a TR6 brake drum. All I could scrounge up was one from an MGB, but hey, it worked. The brake drum fits over the top and the hole is large enough to clear the three mountings studs.
You then use a couple of long 7/16" threaded rods with appropriate washers and nuts to compress or uncompress the assembly as needed. It can take a good bit of torque to get the spring compressed as much as is needed to reassemble, keeping the threads lubricated helps.
Someday I might get fancier and fabricate a rig where I can use air tools on the nuts to raise and lower the spring, and not have to take so much time twisting the nuts half a turn or so at a time. Yep, RealSoonNow.
mjb.
