hi everyone, i just purchased the high lifter lift kit for my 1999 polaris sportsman 500, the rear lift went in fine, but since the front suspension is a mcpherason strut style, you need a spring compressor to install it. but i dont have one of these and i dont plan to go get one either. is there anyway that you can rig a homeade one from clamps or something? ANY responses would be highly appreciated, thanks alot.

 

One way i've been told of is to use 2 rachet straps. If I remember correctly you take the long end and run it through the lowest point on the up through the center and hook it into the part of the strap(not the hook but below that)the fabric. Do the same thing on the other side of the same spring and start ratcheting slowly and watch to make sure that it doesn't move.
Victor

 

How high are you lifting?

I didn't use anything to compress springs with when installing lift kit in front. Jack up quad, pull of front wheels, take nut, washer off top of sturt, let assem. drop down and off with spring. Washer under strut some shims under spring and put back together.
If you need to compress use the ratchet straps idea.

 

The doctor is right about the ratchet straps but I do it a little differently. First of all, just to be clear, get the ratchet straps without hooks, and get three not two. Threading the strap through the spring from the top down is a whole lot easier than from the bottom up as gravity will be on your side. If you can keep the straps on opposite sides of the spring you only need two but about half the time two ratchet straps will “walk” around the spring to the same spot as you tighten them, or close enough together to compress one side of the spring and leave the opposite side bulging. That’s when the additional third strap comes in handy. I have three straps dedicated to this purpose, cut off to about 2 ˝’ long so there’s less material to mess with.

 

thanks alot guys i really appreciate the help, i have a bunch of ratchet straps lying around, so i'll try that today. By the way, the rear looks awsume, 2 inches of lift looks way higher than you would think.