Neil well it depends if I have to do something on the cat I think it will be all thread and 2 horseshoes plates to compress it but if I have it out I would use the 100-ton press at work to compress it so I could work on it or change the rod. 

yes i would put a heavy chain around it too use shackles to join it not hooks, just in case and work slowly keeping yourself out of the line of fire if it lets go suddenly it could be fatal.

I am not brave enough to unleash a recoil spring. i would torch cut the old one to release the tension before i removed it then get a replacement from a salvage yard. if i was to attempt it at least make a big pipe to put it in so if it gets wild at least it will not jump on you.

Thanks for the youtube, that spring got compressed a loooooong way, like 6" at least, that thing was a cannon ready to fire off at any moment, but he got it done without killing himself, well done!

in the video he mentions 800 dollars to have Cat assemble it for him? sounds cheap to me. I was impressed with the new parts though.

Yes, I was thinking that too, there's times for saving a buck, and there's time for being smart, having that home made compressor blow apart because his welds or the Chinese allthread let go and take your head off, isn't worth the money saved, because his new parts would have cost 3 times $800 I'm guessing with freight included.

I had some time today so I went after the rollers on the other side of the cat. I am a very lucky guy I only broke 2 bolts off getting all the roles out and they were both on the same roller and side. now I got to go through and see what is salvageable. the game plan for the other side is to take the whole track frame off the cat so I can weld it up properly and work on the spring and the track tensioner. not sure if I really need to take the track frame off it will definitely make the welding easier and if I brake a bunch of bolts off in the rollers I will be glad I did but it sure seems a little extreme this dam cat was to get a clutch job and an oil change and go to work. lol, side note I got my rain cap for my 950 today sometime it's the small victories that keep us going.