Anyone have a good method/tool recommendation for stretching the springs to the furthest notch? I'm deathly afraid of it shooting off and wrecking my paint.

Kev

Sturdy coat-hanger (not the plastic crap) or something shaped in a similar manner. Works just fine.

maybe lay a towel over it, just in case....

Grab it with your hands and pull. They really aren't that stiff. I put on a pair of leather gloves and put them right on. Shocking how easy it was. I spent way more time worrying about it than actually doing it.

I use a hook made from a stiff coat hanger that I have attached to an old slide hammer handle. I have never had a spring get away using my spring hook.

Easy! Just wrap the coat hanger around something and hook it on the end of the spring and pull!

i had some random thin chain links laying around and a stick.

yup. leather gloves. if you are built like a marathon runner, perhaps you have a burly friend...it is easy